Shohei Ohtani will resume his progression as a regular member of the starting rotation when the Los Angeles Dodgers face the visiting Minnesota Twins for the opener of a three-game series Monday.

His two-way powers are needed more than ever after the Dodgers were just swept by the Milwaukee Brewers for the second time in less than two weeks, with 10 losses in their past 12 games. One of the two victories came in an Ohtani start at San Francisco just before the All-Star break.

On Sunday, Ohtani hit a two-run home run in a 6-5 loss to the Brewers. It was Los Angeles’ sixth consecutive loss at home, their longest run since a nine-game home losing streak in 2017.

“He’s doing everything we need from him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani after Sunday’s loss.

Ohtani (0-0, 1.00 ERA) reached three innings pitched for the first time in his outing at San Francisco, the fifth since Tommy John revision surgery in 2023. He is lined up for three more innings Monday as the Dodgers slow play his return as a full-fledged starter.

“The goal is to go three innings and then we’ve got Dustin May to take down as much of the game as we need behind him,” Roberts said.

Ohtani has three career starts against the Twins, going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA. He has 27 strikeouts against Minnesota in 17 1/3 innings. As a hitter against the Twins, Ohtani is batting .301 in 24 games with six home runs, six doubles and 14 RBIs.

The Dodgers made a lineup change Sunday as a struggling Mookie Betts was moved up a place to leadoff, while Ohtani was dropped to No. 2 in the order. Betts, who singled ahead of Ohtani’s homer, was batting .195 in his previous 21 games and .107 over his previous seven.

“I’m a team guy. I want the boys to play well,” Betts said. “I want us to win. If I’m not performing, there’s no reason I should be on the field to play.”

The Twins will counter with right-hander David Festa (3-3, 5.25), who has never faced the Dodgers. Festa last pitched on July 9, earning the win at home against the Chicago Cubs when he allowed two runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Festa has won two of his last three starts after posting a 6.39 ERA through his first eight appearances (seven starts). Now comes a duel against Ohtani where he will pitch opposite of the two-way star, while also trying to keep him contained at the plate.

“Obviously, I think it’s cool to face some of the better guys in the game, but at the end of the day, all these guys are good,” Festa told reporters before Sunday’s game at Colorado. “Whoever I’m going up against, you kind of have to handle it the same way, but it will be cool to go up against (Ohtani) and, obviously, a really great team like the Dodgers.”

The Twins arrive in Los Angeles after a 7-1 victory at Colorado on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep. Minnesota pitching allowed a combined 16 runs while losing the first two games of the series.

Royce Lewis hit a pair of home runs Sunday for the first multi-homer game of his career. Matt Walner and Harrison Bader also hit home runs for Minnesota. Lewis is a Southern California native who grew up midway between Los Angeles and San Diego.

–Field Level Media

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but the Milwaukee Brewers haven’t lost since right-hander Brandon Woodruff returned to their rotation.

The Brewers won their 10th game in a row Sunday, defeating the host Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 to pull into a tie with the Chicago Cubs atop the National League’s Central Division.

Woodruff (1-0, 2.61 ERA) will try to help the Brewers extend that streak when he takes the mound Monday night at Seattle in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

“It’s just awesome to have him back,” Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said of Woodruff. “One of the best competitors I’ve ever played behind. Over the last eight years, if I could pick anybody to start a big game for us, I’d pick Big Woo, hands down.”

A two-time All-Star (2019, 2021), Woodruff underwent surgery on his right shoulder late in the 2023 season and missed all of 2024.

His return this year was delayed by a pair of injuries suffered while on minor league rehabilitation stints. The first was right ankle tendinitis and the second came after he took a 108-mph comebacker to his right elbow.

Woodruff made his season debut on July 6 and beat Miami 3-1, allowing one run on two hits over six innings, to spark Milwaukee’s current streak. He struck out 10 in 4 1/3 innings in his first home start July 12 against Washington in a game that the Brewers rallied late to win 6-5.

“I tricked them a little bit, I guess,” Woodruff said. “The velocity will come, and believe me, I pay attention to it here because the radar gun is right in front of your face. You can’t not see it. Honestly, doing what I did in the minor leagues and having to pitch with lower velocities has really helped me here.

“Circumstances have led me to this point. I don’t know when it’s going to click, but I say this every year: When it does, it does. Physically, I feel good.”

The Mariners had a five-game winning streak snapped Sunday with an 11-3 loss to visiting Houston.

Had the Mariners swept the series, they would have pulled within two games of the division-leading Astros in the American League West.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson refused to call it a missed opportunity.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Wilson said. “This was a day where we got an early lead, but they came back. Offensively, they played to what they normally do and got a couple of home runs to help that out. But outside of that, this is an offense that likes to do that and that’s what they did today.

“But overall, like I said, we took the series and got another series starting (Monday),” he added.

Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford, whose error helped spark Houston’s comeback from a 3-0 deficit, disagreed with his manager.

“These games matter,” Crawford said. “But you got to keep going. Got a good team coming in. Got to get ready for them.”

The Mariners are set to start right-hander George Kirby (4-4, 4.50) in the series opener. Kirby, who missed the start of the season with right shoulder inflammation, has won his past three starts.

Both Woodruff and Kirby will be facing their opponent for the first time in their careers.

–Field Level Media

The Arizona Diamondbacks look to build on a strong run while the Houston Astros hope to get back on track when the teams meet in a three-game series beginning Monday in Phoenix.

The Diamondbacks opened play after the All-Star break with a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, outscoring them by a combined 16-1 in the first three innings of each outing and 22-7 overall.

The American League West-leading Astros lost two out of three at top division contender Seattle. While Houston salvaged the final game with an 11-3 win Sunday to stay sweep-less in Seattle, the Astros lost another top run producer when All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes (right hamstring strain) was placed on the injured list.

Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suarez, meanwhile, stepped up in the St. Louis series. Suarez slugged two homers in each of the last two games of the series, giving him an National League-high 35 homers and a major league-best 85 RBIs.

“We all knew how important this series was,” said Arizona manager Torey Lovullo, whose team entered the second half more likely to sell than buy at the July 31 trade deadline.

“They want to put this team back in the middle of the race, and we did that.”

The Diamondbacks gained three games on the Cardinals in the NL wild-card race but remain 4 1/2 games behind San Diego for the final spot with the deadline approaching.

Arizona right-hander Zac Gallen (7-10, 5.40 ERA) will oppose rookie left-hander Colton Gordon (3-2, 4.67) in the first game of the series on Monday.

Paredes leads the Astros with 19 homers, and his loss is another blow to a lineup that has been without middle-of-the-order bat Yordan Alvarez (broken hand) since May 2 and shortstop and leadoff hitter Jeremy Pena (broken rib) since June 27. Pena leads Houston with a .322 batting average, .378 on-base percentage and .489 slugging percentage.

Paredes suffered a strained right hamstring in a 7-6, 11-inning loss Saturday, after pulling up on his way to first after a third-inning single.

“That guy is definitely an anchor in our lineup,” said Astros first baseman Christian Walker, who homered Sunday. “He’s tough. That’s super unfortunate, but that being said, we’ve got to find a way to win anyway.”

Walker will return to Arizona for the first time since signing a three-year, $60 million deal as a free agent last winter. He had 146 homers and was a three-time Gold Glove winner in six seasons with the Diamondbacks.

“It’s next-man-up mentality,” said outfielder Taylor Trammell, who had three hits including a homer and three RBIs on Sunday. “We’re locked in. The boys are rolling. We are ready to do our jobs.”

Gallen made two of his best starts of the season in early July, giving up a combined three runs (one earned) with 19 strikeouts in 13 innings in victories over San Francisco and San Diego. However, he gave up six runs on eight hits and two walks in a 10-5 loss to the host Los Angeles Angels on July 12.

“We’ll see what happens,” Gallen said of the trade rumors. “I’m just trying to execute pitches for the D-backs at this point in time. If it happens, it happens, but, hopefully, we play a little bit better baseball and that’s not the case in the next two and a half weeks.”

Gordon will make his first start since July 7 after pitching one inning in relief on July 13, the day before the All-Star break. He has one quality start among his 10 starts.

After going 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA in four June starts, including five shutout innings in a win over Philadelphia, Gordon gave up nine runs in 10 1/3 innings in his two July starts, at Colorado and home against Cleveland.

–Field Level Media

The Colorado Rockies are not in the playoff hunt, but some of their players might be chasing a postseason berth before the end of the month.

The trade deadline is approaching and, according to The Denver Post on Sunday, scouts from several teams were in attendance during the Rockies’ 7-1 home loss to Minnesota. There could be more on hand when Colorado opens a three-game home series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.

The Rockies will send left-hander Austin Gomber (0-3, 5.65 ERA) against his former team while St. Louis will counter with right-hander Michael McGreevy (1-1, 4.22).

Colorado has several players who are candidates to be moved before the end of July, including pitchers German Marquez, Jake Bird and Kyle Freeland as well as position players. Third baseman Ryan McMahon is one of those who could be on the move, but he isn’t focusing on that possibility.

“It drives my wife crazy,” McMahon told MLB.com after homering in Saturday’s win. “I try not to look at it, dude. If I’m going somewhere else, I’m going to do the same stuff that I do here.”

McMahon, the Rockies’ lone representative in the 2024 All-Star Game, struggled early this season but has 15 home runs after going deep in back-to-back games to open the second half. He doubled twice on Sunday and is hitting .217 — and .204 in July — but is a Gold Glove finalist at third.

Gomber, despite not winning yet this season, is also a candidate to be moved. He can improve his profile against a Cardinals team he has faced six times — four starts — and is 1-2 with a 6.67 ERA in 27 innings.

St. Louis is in the hunt for one of the three NL wild-card spots but has dropped its first three out of the break and is 3 1/2 games back of the final playoff berth. The next week will help the Cardinals determine if they will sell at the deadline, and that could mean closer Ryan Helsley’s future with St. Louis is short.

Helsley has 19 saves and could go to a contender in need of a closer or a set-up man in the late innings.

“I really wish I could keep that (veteran) role, stay here and carry on that Cardinal tradition, but we’ll see what happens,” Helsley said. “Right now, I’m just trying to take things day by day and win games.”

St. Louis can turn things around against a Colorado squad trying to avoid the worst season in the modern era. The Cardinals have six games against the Rockies over the next three weeks and could pick up ground in the NL postseason chase.

It starts with McGreevy, who has made six starts and two relief appearances in his young career. He has faced Colorado once, on Sept. 24, 2024, at Coors Field, where he gave up three runs over five innings but didn’t factor into the decision in a 7-3 St. Louis victory.

His last start was against the Chicago Cubs on June 24, when he allowed five runs over 4 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

The Texas Rangers aim to get back above .500 when they continue a nine-game homestand by hosting the Athletics on Monday in the first of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

The Athletics will send left-hander Jacob Lopez (3-5, 4.20 ERA) to the mound to start while their American League West rivals will counter with rookie right-hander Jack Leiter (5-6, 4.37).

Texas comes into the series after taking two games from AL Central-leading Detroit over the weekend but dropping the final game of the set 2-1 on Sunday evening. The Rangers collected just 12 total hits in the three games (four in each contest) but gave the league-leading Tigers all they wanted and more.

The Athletics lost twice in three games in Cleveland, most recently an 8-2 setback on Sunday. The loss was made even worse by the injury suffered by outfielder Denzel Clarke as he ran the bases in the eighth inning. He was lifted from the game with right hip discomfort and is listed as day-to-day pending further evaluation.

Leiter has been enigmatic this season, starting off the year with four wins over his first nine starts before enduring a stretch of six starts with four losses and no victories. That swoon ended in his most recent outing as Leiter allowed three runs on five hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings in a game the Rangers won 7-3 at Houston on July 11.

“Not in a negative way, but there’s so many things I can do better,” Leiter said. “I think just the room for improvement feels very high. It’s just a matter of continuing to get better, learn these small lessons, learn from the guys.”

Leiter has not recorded a decision and has amassed a 4.91 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Athletics. Both of those came last season as he surrendered six runs (four of them earned) on nine hits and three walks in 7 1/3 innings.

Lopez has made 14 appearances for the Athletics in 2025, with 10 of them starts. He has been solid over his past seven starts, going 3-1 and allowing more than two runs only twice of those seven games.

Lopez yielded two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five in winning his most recent start at home over Toronto on July 12. He has been successful because of his overall command of the strike zone, by working the count to his advantage with plenty of first-pitch strikes and — for the most part –avoiding walks.

“I only throw low-90s or whatever people want to say, but I have five pitches that I like to mix in,” Lopez said. “I think that’s a huge part of pitching. I’m just keeping hitters off-balance and trying to be smart.”

Lopez has faced the Rangers twice in his career, with both of those appearances this season. He threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief at home on April 22 before absorbing a loss a week later on the road when he allowed three runs on six hits and a season-high four walks over 2 2/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

After posting a series win to begin the second half of the regular season, the Chicago Cubs take a share of the National League’s best record into an interleague series with the visiting Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Chicago (59-40) had its four-game winning streak snapped on Sunday in a 6-1 home setback to the Boston Red Sox but has won consecutive three-game series against a pair of potential postseason teams in the New York Yankees and Red Sox.

The Milwaukee Brewers also are 59-40 to share the view from atop the NL Central.

“I think this group really believes in itself and believes in all of the guys in the room,” Cubs left fielder Ian Happ said. “I think you saw that just in the way we played this series. I think we really played solid, fundamental baseball the whole time, and even though the game (Sunday) got away from us a little bit, it could have been the other way around on a few swings of the bat.”

The Cubs will elect to throw a bullpen game on Monday and start reliever Ryan Brasier (0-0, 1.04 ERA) before presumably reaching deeper into the ‘pen. Brasier has made 18 relief appearances in his first season with Chicago, striking out 14 batters and walking three in 17 1/3 innings. Of Brasier’s 315 career outings, just five have come as a starter, including four with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024.

Brasier has allowed one run in 6 1/3 frames for a 1.42 ERA in six career appearances against the Royals.

Kansas City will begin its fifth consecutive interleague series in Chicago on Monday. The Royals have dropped four of their last six games but salvaged a series in Miami on Sunday with a 7-4 victory against the Marlins.

In a disappointing year for Kansas City — which sits 5 1/2 games out of the final American League wild-card spot — the club’s 343 runs rank last in the AL and are ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 333 in the majors. The Royals did score seven runs in two of their three games in Miami, including in their 7-4 win on Sunday.

The team’s saving grace has been its pitching staff, which ranks second in baseball with a 3.49 ERA. Helping boost that number is rookie Noah Cameron (3-4, 2.31), who will make his 13th start of the year on Monday.

Cameron, 26, has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three straight starts. Last time out, the left-hander struck out eight batters in 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a no-decision against the New York Mets on July 13. Kansas City won 3-2.

“It was a good day,” Cameron said after his last start. “Obviously, when you can command the ball and they are getting bad swings on stuff and I get really good defense behind me, it was an easy day.”

A seventh-round pick by the Royals in 2021, Cameron will face the Cubs for the first time in his young major league career. Kansas City will look for its first series win over Chicago since sweeping the Cubs in August 2021.

–Field Level Media

When the visiting Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets start a three-game series Monday night, the status of both teams’ first basemen could be a question.

New York star Pete Alonso barely maintained his consecutive games played streak at 354 by entering Sunday’s 3-2 win over Cincinnati as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning. Los Angeles first baseman Nolan Schanuel departed Sunday’s 8-2 win at Philadelphia after being hit by a Ranger Suarez changeup.

The Angels said Schanuel sustained a left wrist contusion and is considered “day-to-day.” He has played in 95 of their 99 games, batting .274 with eight homers and 40 RBIs while drawing 44 walks, second on the team to Mike Trout (49).

Los Angeles overcame his early exit because the guy who replaced Schanuel, LaMonte Wade Jr., rapped out three hits and his first homer in 24 games with the team. Wade is hitting just .208 for the Angels after batting .167 in 50 games with San Francisco but has been a reliable hitter in previous years with the Giants, hitting a career-high .260 last year and belting 18 homers in 2021.

“It feels great any time you can contribute to the team winning,” he said. “I hope Nolan is all right because he’s been grinding all year. You never want to come in like that.”

The result gave Los Angeles a series win against the National League East leader and enabled it to edge within four games of Boston for the American League’s last wild-card spot. The Angels have been rumored as a seller by most pundits but could opt to go for it if they can keep stacking series wins before the trading deadline.

Left-hander Tyler Anderson (2-6, 4.34 ERA) will get the ball Monday night for Los Angeles. He last pitched on July 11 in his team’s 6-5 win over Arizona, allowing eight hits and four runs in five innings with two walks and three strikeouts. Anderson is 2-3 with a 2.88 earned-run average in 34 1/3 innings over six career starts against the Mets.

New York counters with Kodai Senga (7-3, 1.39), who last pitched on July 11 in Kansas City, tossing four scoreless innings in his team’s 8-3 win. Senga gave up four hits and two walks, fanning four.

He lost his only career start against the Angels but permitted just two runs in 6 2/3 innings while whiffing 10 in August 2023.

The Mets avoided a series sweep at the Reds’ hands Sunday by winning at the margins. Juan Soto’s big lead from third base allowed him to beat the throw home on Luis Torrens’ hard-hit grounder to second and snap a 2-2 tie in the eighth.

They also manufactured a run in the fifth when Brett Baty stole second after a leadoff single, leading up to Luisangel Acuna’s RBI double.

“You put pressure on the defense and try to take an extra 90 feet,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “I thought we did that today — just look at the Soto play.”

Mendoza also said after Sunday’s game that he anticipates Alonso being in the lineup on Monday night.

–Field Level Media

The Chicago White Sox can do something Monday that they have not achieved in more than a year when they travel to play the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chicago comes out of the All-Star break having recorded its first sweep of the season, taking three games on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates in dominating fashion. Capped by Sunday’s 7-2 victory, the White Sox outscored their hosts 27-7 over the weekend to record the team’s first road sweep in more than three years.

Sunday’s starting pitcher Aaron Civale said the four-day break last week benefited the team.

“It’s hard to get away from this game for one day, so for a lot of guys, it’s a good reset,” said Civale, who earned his first victory with the club on Sunday. The righty allowed only one unearned run across six innings and struck out a season-high six against just three hits and a walk.

Miguel Vargas was one of the hitting stars for the White Sox over the weekend. The infielder went 4-for-13 in the three games, with two doubles Saturday and a double and three-run homer on Sunday. He scored five times in the sweep.

Rookie Sean Burke (4-8, 4.36 ERA) will try to give the White Sox their first four-game winning streak since May 2024. The 25-year-old faces the Rays for the first time. He’s coming off a no-decision against the Cleveland Guardians on July 12, when he gave up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks over five innings while notching five strikeouts.

Chicago’s sweep will not turn the tide on this season as the team (35-65) is 30 games under .500 through the first 100 contests. Still, it shows the White Sox have improved from last season’s franchise-worst 41-121 campaign.

The Rays saw their hopes for a series sweep dashed on Sunday when the visiting Baltimore Orioles beat them 5-3.

All-Star Junior Caminero struck out with the bases loaded to end Sunday’s game, but he was electric during the rest of the series. He went 6-for-14 with two homers and five RBIs. Yandy Diaz finished 6-for-10 with a homer, four RBIs and five runs scored.

Tampa starter Shane Baz (8-5, 4.17) will see the White Sox for the first time in his career.

The right-hander, 26, has lost two straight starts but pitched well in both. In his last start, he gave up the only run in a 1-0 road loss to the Boston Red Sox on July 12. The Red Sox, who were in the middle of a 10-game winning streak, managed only five hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings versus Baz, who struck out three.

At 52-48, the Rays are in fourth place in the American League East and 6 1/2 games back of division-leading Toronto Blue Jays. However, they trail the Red Sox and Seattle Mariners by only 1 1/2 games for the last two AL wild-card spots.

While Rays starter Ryan Pepiot gave up all five runs in the loss Sunday and was disappointed he could not pitch the Rays to a sweep, he told the Tampa Bay Times that the team enjoyed a good weekend.

“We still won the series,” he said. “If you win every single series, at the end of the season, you’re going to be in pretty good shape.”

–Field Level Media

The San Francisco Giants will send right-hander Hayden Birdsong to the mound to try to end their season-worst five-game losing streak and continue their mastery over the Atlanta Braves when they open a three-game road series on Monday.

The Giants are coming off getting swept by the American League East-leading Blue Jays in Toronto and fell two games behind in the National League wild-card race. Manager Bob Melvin admitted Sunday’s 8-6 loss stung.

“We gave ourselves a chance at the end, but we gave up too many runs in the middle,” Melvin said. “I don’t think there’s any silver linings in this one, just got swept in a series to start the second half and that’s not what we were looking for.”

Atlanta lost its last two games in dropping a home series against the New York Yankees and are 12 games under .500, matching their low mark of the season.

“We’re going to stay confident,” Atlanta pitcher Grant Holmes said after Sunday’s 4-2 loss. “This team we have is a really good team, especially when everything starts to click. We just haven’t gotten on a run yet.”

San Francisco swept Atlanta in a tight three-game series in San Francisco in early June, with each of those games decided by one run.

Birdsong (4-3, 4.11 ERA) will face Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder (3-6, 5.65).

Birdsong joined the starting rotation on May 20 and will be making his 10th start of the season. He pitched well in his last outing against the Athletics on July 6. He worked five innings and allowed one run on three hits but struggled with control — only 46 of his 90 pitches were strikes — and walked five. He struck out six to match his season high.

One of those starts came against the Braves on June 6 in San Francisco. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on two hits, five walks, one hit batsman and five strikeouts.

Elder defeated the host Athletics on July 9 in his last appearance. Elder pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits, one walk and seven strikeouts to earn his first win since May 4.

Elder pitched very well when he faced San Francisco on June 7 — his only career appearance against the Giants — but did not receive a decision after giving up only one run in eight innings with 12 strikeouts.

Although the Braves were beaten on Sunday, they got six innings out of right-hander Holmes and three innings from newly acquired righty Dane Dunning to spare the ravaged bullpen.

“The fact that (Dunning) could come in and cover three innings, I wasn’t sure if he could do that today, but that was huge,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “To just give a blow to the rest of the bullpen this weekend.”

Atlanta burned through six relievers — with five of them allowing runs — on Saturday. None of those were asked to pitch again Sunday because of Dunning’s efforts.

“I don’t think these guys ever forget how to pitch,” Snitker said. “I just think we had a hard time putting innings down against a really good team and in some stressful situations. We just didn’t get the job done.”

–Field Level Media

The New York Yankees have a chance for quick redemption when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.

The three-game series gives the Yankees a chance to help make up for their previous visit, June 30-July 3, when the Blue Jays won all four games.

The Blue Jays swept past the Yankees into first place in the American League East as a result.

“Hopefully, we can go have a better result this time around,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Toronto is still first, three games ahead of the Yankees, after both teams won their games on Sunday.

The Blue Jays defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-6, and the Yankees beat the host Atlanta Braves 4-2.

The Sunday victory gives the Blue Jays a 10-game home winning streak that matches the franchise mark set in 1985.

The Yankees led the division by seven games on May 28 when the Blue Jays were third and eight games out of first.

The Yankees returned from the All-Star break to win two of three from the Braves after dropping the opener and they want to build on that.

“It’s a big series win, especially going into Toronto, who is leading the division,” said Aaron Judge, who homered in the first inning on Sunday. “It’s a good time to start getting hot.”

Judge’s 36th home run of the season tied him with Alex Rodriguez for sixth on the all-time Yankees’ list with 351.

“Just an incredible honor, especially growing up watching A-Rod for so many years and watching him do what he did in pinstripes,” Judge said. “He’s a legend, one of the best to ever play.”

The Yankees are scheduled to start Carlos Rodon (10-6, 3.08 ERA) on Monday. The left-hander is 2-2 with a 4.85 in 42 2/3 innings over eight career starts against the Blue Jays. He has faced them once this season, allowing two runs in five innings in the series opener on June 30 and did not factor into the decision. Toronto won 5-4.

The Blue Jays are slated to send out Kevin Gausman (6-7, 4.19). The right-hander is 10-10 with a 3.87 ERA in 37 career games (31 starts) against the Yankees. In two starts against them this season, he has struggled, going 0-1 with a 9.39 ERA. The loss came April 27 at New York, an 11-2 Yankees win. The no-decision came July 1, when he allowed two runs in five innings in the 12-5 Blue Jays win.

“It’ll be a fun series,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “They obviously are a really good team. In terms of messaging, I don’t think I need to say much to this group. We’ve worked really hard to get to this point, and I think we just have to play our game.

“It’s going to be a hard series. We know that. They have good pitchers going and they have a really good lineup. So, you kind of attack it one day at a time.”

The Yankees will find out if their 12-9 comeback win over the Braves on Saturday night built some momentum. They overcame a five-run deficit to take the lead on Trent Grisham’s ninth-inning grand slam.

Giancarlo Stanton, who was 3-for-5 on Sunday, agrees that the series in Toronto is important.

“It is,” Stanton said. “But we’re ready. This set us up good, coming back (Saturday) into a quick turnaround today. We’re ready.”

The Yankees won two of three from the Blue Jays on April 25-27. The teams play another three-game series in New York on Sept. 5-7.

–Field Level Media