Freddie Freeman mumbled. Handled by Walker Buehler. The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.
After winning Games 1 and 2 at home, the Dodgers returned to Yankee Stadium on Monday with a 4-2 win to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and put the Yankees on the brink of elimination.
At this point, only the Yankees’ historic rally will prevent the Dodgers from winning the championship. The Boston Red Sox are the only MLB team to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series when they stunned the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. No team has ever trailed 3-0 in the World Series.
Freddie Freeman extends home run tear
As he has been all series, Freeman was the hero Monday, thanks to a two-run home run off Yankees starter Clark Schmidt in the top of the first inning. The blast to the right-field bleachers scored Shohei Ohtani and sucked the air out of a Yankee Stadium crowd that was overshadowed by Fat Joe’s pregame performance and franchise icon Derek Jeter’s first pitch.
The home run was Freeman’s third in three games in the World Series, including his walk-off grand slam that sealed the Dodgers’ Game 1 victory in extra innings. Following Freeman’s World Series title with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, he has hit a home run in five consecutive World Series games. George builds Springer For the longest such streak in World Series history.
Freeman will claim the feat as his own in Tuesday’s Game 4. He also looks like a shoe-in for the World Series MVP trophy.
Buehler delivered for the Dodgers on Monday, spinning five nearly flawless innings that produced two Yankees hits, two walks, zero runs and five strikeouts. Buehler confused a loaded Yankees lineup several times and didn’t allow a base hit until the fourth inning.
After Buehler recorded two hits in the fourth, the Yankees had a strong chance to score. But on Anthony Wolfe’s single, Teoscar Hernandez singled out Giancarlo Stanton at home to end the inning.
Buehler returned to a 1-2-3 fifth pitch and was ready for the sixth after throwing 76 pitches. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts preferred to go to his bullpen instead of emphasizing the oft-injured All-Star. The move paid off.
Six Dodgers relievers pitched through the final four innings to secure the win. Mookie Betts (1-for-4) and Kike Hernandez (2-for-4) provided the insurance RBI after Freeman’s second-inning home run. Ohtani was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Game 2 while playing with a left shoulder injury.
Judge, the Yankees bats are fighting back
For the Yankees, Aaron Judge continued to struggle. The presumptive AL MVP struck out six times in nine at-bats in Games 1 and 2. He finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout on Monday. Soto also went 0-for-3 without a hit.
Stanton was New York’s most effective hitter, going 2-for-4, but the Yankees couldn’t capitalize on any of their scoring chances until Alex Verdugo hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. That was all New York would score as the late rally was short.
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:08 p.m. The Yankees will look to avoid the sweep in front of their home crowd.
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Can the Yankees pull off a miracle?
It is not possible.
In all best-of-7 postseason series, teams taking a 3-0 lead have won the series 39 of 40 times (98%), including 31 sweeps.
Only 2 teams have gone 3-0 in a Game 7: the 2020 Astros beat the Rays in the ALCS and the 2004 Red Sox beat the Yankees in the ALCS.
The Dodgers win 4-2 and take a 3-0 World Series lead
Michael Kopech allowed two runs on an Alex Vertugo home run in the ninth, but the Dodgers took a 4-2 lead over the New York Yankees to take a 3-0 World Series lead.
The Dodgers have a chance to clinch a World Series sweep of New York on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Yankees last 3 outs down
The Dodgers added no insurance and headed into the ninth with a 4-0 lead.
The Yankees need a miracle rally to stave off a 3-0 World Series deficit.
Ryan Brazier retired from the heart of the Yankees’ order
Dodgers reliever Ryan Brazier delivered while facing the heart of the Yankees order in the eighth. He induced a lineout from Juan Soto and struck out Aaron Judge before striking out Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Chisholm Jr. to end the inning.
The Yankees face a 4-0 deficit and are down to the last three outs.
Thomas Conley went 1-2-3 to finish eighth
Yankees reliever Thomas Conley pitched the eighth for the final two outs of a 1-2-3 inning started by Clay Holmes. Now it’s up to the Yankees bats to make it a game. They are down to the last six outs.
Anthony Banda looks at the questionable call on Kleyber Torres
The Yankees had their best chance to score since Giancarlo Stanton was thrown out at home in the fourth. But Anthony Banda got the job done with the help of a questionable third strike.
The Dodgers reliever took the mound with a runner on first and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. He walked Alex Verdugo in the nine hole and gave leadoff hitter Kleyber Torres a chance with two on and two outs.
Torres worked a 2-2 count and was then called for a third strike that was clearly above the zone. The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead into the eighth.
The Yankees got out of a 7th inning jam
The Dodgers put runners on the corner with two outs in the top of the seventh, but failed to add to their lead. They maintain a 4-0 edge heading into the seventh inning stretch.
The Yankees are still scoreless
Alex Vecia got the job done, and Josh Chisholm Jr. induced a groundout that stranded two baserunners and kept the Yankees off the scoreboard. The Dodgers lead 4-0 in the seventh inning.
Greater leaves with 2 on and 2 outs in the 6th
Brusdar Graterol does not last long. He got two outs but walked Juan Soto and allowed a single to Giancarlo Stanton to put men on first and second. Alex Vecia would take the lead against Jazz Chisholm Jr. with two on and two outs.
Will Dave Roberts regret his decision to pull Walker Buehler after 76 pitches?
Walker Buehler was done after five scoreless innings, 76 pitches
Walker Buehler’s night ended after 76 pitches. The Dodgers starter allowed two hits and two walks in five scoreless runs but couldn’t see the sixth.
Reliever Brewstar Craterol is set to face the top of the Yankees’ order.
Yankees on edge
The Yankees played sloppy baseball throughout the postseason, and on the biggest stage, they lacked the ability to perform cleanly again.
Passed balls, poor base running and defensive mistakes are piling up, and New York is looking all around like a lifeless team that is in danger of being swept.
Kike Hernandez delivers again, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0
Postseason Kike Hernandez is a thing. The Dodgers outfielder sent a one-out base hit to center field and Gavin Lux scored from second in the sixth inning. Lux reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second to get into scoring position.
Hernandez was caught stealing to end the inning, but some more timely groundouts extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0.
Walker Buehler continues to tackle
After allowing the first Yankees hit in the fourth, Walker Buehler went 1-2-3 in the fifth inning to put New York on the scoreboard. Through five innings, he has allowed two hits and walked two with five strikeouts to keep the Yankees off the board.
The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead into the top of the sixth.
Cortez pitched a scoreless 5th
Freddie Freeman reached on an error to lead off the top of the fifth inning, but Nestor Cortez induced a lineout and double play to end the inning unscathed. The Dodgers lead 3-0 in the middle of the fifth.
Teoscar Hernandez edged out Giancarlo Stanton at home to finish 4th.
Thanks to great defensive play from Teoscar Hernandez, the Yankees had an even better chance to get on the scoreboard. Giancarlo Stanton hit a one-out double for the first Yankees hit of the night, then looked to score a run on a two-out single by Anthony Wolfe.
But Hernandez hit Stanton too slowly to end the inning with a perfect throw.
Cortez gets the rescue
After Nestor Cortez Jr.’s unfortunate two-pitch outing, Freddie Freeman ended up with a walk-off grand slam.
The lefty came in and struck out Shohei Ohtani, getting Mookie Betts to fly out to strand two Dodgers base runners. Maybe Grab some momentum for the Yankees heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Cheaters come up empty at 4th
The Dodgers had runners on first and third with no outs in the fourth but did not score. The brief, which failed to make a borderline call at home, was the first to leave. Yankees reliever Nestor Cortes then took over on the mound and struck out Shohei Ohtani and induced a lineout from Mookie Betts to end the inning.
Lux looked safe
Here’s a replay look. Lux looks safe:
The Dodgers skids fail on a borderline call at home
The Dodgers gambled on a no-out shortstop in the fourth inning. Gavin Lux ran home on Tommy Edman’s ball from third. The home plate umpire called him out after he dropped his head. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the play.
Lux was shown touching home plate just before Yankees catcher Jose Trevino made the tag. But the replay officials didn’t agree — or see enough to change the call on the field. Lucks out, and the Dodgers have runners on first and second with one out.
