New York Yankees fans feeling festive as team takes series from Los Angeles Angels: "Held Ohtani in check after game 1" "Imagine losing a series"

The New York Yankees remained the only team in the majors not to have lost a series this season after hanging a 9-3 loss on the visiting Los Angeles Angels in the rubber game of the highly-anticipated series on Thursday.

In the battle of the past two American League Most Valuable Players, 2022 MVP Aaron Judge won the three-game set 2-1 over 2021 MVP Shohei Ohtani by scoring two runs in the series finale.

However, while Ohtani led the Angels to a Game 1 win, and Judge did it all to deliver the Yankees Game 2, it was Anthony Rizzo and Nestor Cortes that brought home Game 3.

Cortes tossed six innings of three-run ball while striking out seven batters, while Rizzo went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI as the New York Yankees rode a 5-0 first-inning lead to an eventual victory.

Ohtani and fellow Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout were largely held in check on Thursday, going a combined 1-for-7 with a walk, no runs scored, and zero RBI.

For all the bellyaching of their fanbase and an injured list that looks like a MASH unit, the New York Yankees have posted a 12-7 record on the season.

New York is four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays — who won 13 games in a row to start the season — in the American League East standings heading into the weekend.

On the flip side, the Los Angeles Angels dropped back below the .500 mark with the loss, falling to 9-10. However, the Angels are still just 3-1/2 games off the Texas Rangers' lead in the AL West, given that the defending World Series champion Houston Astros have yet to wake up from their championship hangover.

The New York Yankees' run of series wins will be put to the test this weekend as the team travels to its arch-rival-of-late, the Toronto Blue Jays, for a three-game set at Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays are 11-8 on the year, just one game behind the Bronx Bombers in the AL East.

The Los Angeles Angels return home to face the lowly Kansas City Royals this weekend, with Ohtani taking the mound for the series opener Friday night. Kansas City has won just four games this season.

For all the turmoil in the Yankees rotation, Nestor Cortes has remained a rock. Thursday's win improved his record to 3-0 on the season, and his ERA stands at 3.09.

New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels meet again in July

Anthony Rizzo #48 of the New York Yankees hits an RBI single

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels will have some time before meeting again, this time on the west coast. The teams are scheduled for a three-game series July 17-19 at the "Big A" in Anaheim, California.