**Dodgers Dominate Yankees with 18-2 Blowout, Earn Series Victory**

Los Angeles – In a night to forget for Yankees fans, the Dodgers unleashed a relentless offensive display to secure an 18-2 victory over New York at Dodger Stadium. With 51,746 spectators in attendance, Los Angeles capitalized on early struggles from Yankees' young right-hander Will Warren, sealing the series win with a high chance of completing the sweep on Sunday.

Despite their injured star Mookie Betts being sidelined, the Dodgers (36-22) managed to jump to an early 10-0 lead by the second inning, closing the chapter for Warren who couldn’t make it past the second inning. The Dodgers notched 21 hits in total, featuring five home runs. The loss handed the Yankees (35-22) their first series defeat in their last eight matchups.

Max Muncy emerged as a nightmare for Yankees pitching, racking up seven RBIs including two pivotal three-run homers. Muncy's first shot ended Warren's miserable outing in the second inning, while his second dealt a lethal blow to reliever Mark Leiter Jr. in the fifth. Aaron Judge managed to put two solo home runs on the board, bringing his season tally to 21, but the isolated efforts were insufficient against Landon Knack and the Dodgers bullpen.

Struggling to find a rhythm, Warren gave up seven runs through six hits and four walks, recording just four outs. Six of New York's eight bullpen arms were called into action to patch up the innings behind Warren, a costly move that may require fresh arms for the series finale on Sunday. Warren's woes began in the first inning, where he threw 39 pitches and left the bases loaded after striking out Shohei Ohtani, already trailing 4-0.

The second inning offered no respite as Warren was called for a pitch-clock violation against Teoscar Hernández, leading to back-to-back walks before Muncy’s first three-run homer ended his night after 57 pitches. Brent Headrick managed to secure an out but conceded a walk and an RBI double to Tommy Edman. Hyseong Kim then hit a two-run homer, compounding the Yankees’ misery with a 10-0 scoreline.

Reliever Ian Hamilton brought some stability, pitching two scoreless frames, but the damage was irrevocable. Leiter’s appearance in the fifth saw him surrender four runs in just over half an inning, including Muncy’s second three-run homer, taking the score to 14-1. Freddie Freeman continued his onslaught, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk over two games, notching a remarkable 5-for-7 with three doubles against the Yankees.

The Yankees will need to regroup quickly, as their shot at salvaging a victory in the series lies in Sunday’s game, where they hope for fresher arms and an improved performance.