NEW YORK — Major League Baseball resumed regular-season play Friday following the All-Star break with a full slate of games, including several interleague matchups and contests carrying potential postseason implications as clubs opened the second half of the 2026 campaign.
The headline matchup featured the Los Angeles Dodgers visiting the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in a nationally televised game. The series marked the clubs' first meeting in the Bronx since the 2024 World Series and opened with veteran right-hander Gerrit Cole scheduled to start for New York against Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles. Both teams entered the weekend in playoff position, making the series one of the most closely watched after the break.
Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox were scheduled for a day-night doubleheader after weather-related changes earlier in the week. The Rays, who led the American League East entering Friday, sought to extend their division advantage, while Boston aimed to strengthen its Wild Card position.
National League Central-leading Milwaukee hosted Miami to begin a three-game series between two clubs firmly in the postseason race. The Brewers entered the second half with one of the National League's best records, while the Marlins occupied a Wild Card berth despite dealing with injuries throughout their pitching staff.
Other games on Friday's schedule included Pittsburgh at Cleveland, Texas at Atlanta, the Chicago White Sox at Toronto, Minnesota at the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore at Houston, San Diego at Kansas City, Cincinnati at Colorado, Detroit at the Los Angeles Angels, Washington at the Athletics, St. Louis at Arizona, and San Francisco at Seattle.
The second half begins with several tightly contested division races. Entering Friday, the Rays led the AL East, while Milwaukee topped the NL Central. Clubs across both leagues also resumed play with less than two weeks remaining before the July trade deadline, a period that traditionally influences roster decisions for contenders and rebuilding teams alike.
Friday's games marked the first full day of league-wide action since the All-Star festivities, with teams beginning the stretch run toward the regular season's final months. Results from the weekend series are expected to shape early second-half momentum as clubs continue their pursuit of division titles and postseason berths.
