Freddie Freeman mashed. Walker Buehler dealt. And the Los Angeles Dodgers are on the verge of the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.
After winning Games 1 and 2 at home, the Dodgers went into Yankee Stadium on Monday and secured a 4-2 victory 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 a historic rally by the Yankees would prevent a Dodgers championship. The Boston Red Sox remain 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 come back from 3-0 in the World Series.
Freddie Freeman extends home run tear
As he has been all series, Freddie Freeman was the hero Monday, thanks to a two-run home run off Yankees starter Clarke 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 hyped by a Fat Joe pregame performance and a first pitch by franchise icon Derek Jeter.
The home run was Freeman’s third in three games in this World Series, including his walk-off grand slam that secured the Dodgers’ Game 1 win in extra innings. Dating to Freeman’s World Series title with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, he has hit a home run in five consecutive World Series games, tying George Springer for the longest such streak in World Series history.
Freeman will look to claim the record as his own in Game 4 on Tuesday. He’s also looking like a shoo-in for the World Series MVP trophy.
Walker Buehler also delivered for the Dodgers on Monday, spinning five nearly flawless innings that produced two Yankees hits, two walks, zero runs and five strikeouts. Buehler repeatedly flustered the loaded Yankees lineup and didn’t allow a base hit until the fourth inning.
The Yankees had a strong chance to score after recording the only two hits they would get off Buehler in the fourth. But on Anthony Volpe’s single, Teoscar Hernández threw Stanton out at home to end the inning.
Buehler returned to pitch a 1-2-3 fifth and appeared ready for the sixth after throwing just 76 pitches. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts opted to go to his bullpen, rather than stress his oft-injured All-Star. The move paid off.
Six Dodgers relievers delivered through the final four innings to secure the win. Mookie Betts (1-for-4) and Kiké Hernández (2-for-4) delivered insurance RBI after Freeman’s second-inning home run. Ohtani was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored while playing with a left shoulder injury sustained in Game 2.
Judge, Yankees bats struggle again
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 Monday 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Soto also finished without a hit on an 0-for-3 effort.
Stanton was New York’s most productive offensive player, 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 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. That was all New York would score as the late rally fell short.
Game 4 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET Tuesday. The Yankees will look to avoid a sweep in front of their home crowd.
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Can the Yankees pull off a miracle?
It’s not likely.
In all best-of-7 postseason series, teams taking a 3-0 lead have gone on to win the series 39 of 40 times (98%), including 31 sweeps
Just 2 teams down 3-0 have forced a Game 7: 2020 Astros, who lost to the Rays in the ALCS, and the 2004 Red Sox, who beat the Yankees in the ALCS
Michael Kopech allowed two runs on an Alex Verdugo home run in the ninth, but the Dodgers held on for a 4-2 win and a 3-0 World Series lead over the New York Yankees.
The Dodgers have a chance to secure a World Series sweep of New York on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Yankees down to last 3 outs
The Dodgers didn’t add any insurance and leave the top of the ninth still with a 4-0 lead.
The Yankees need a miracle rally to prevent a 3-0 World Series deficit.
Ryan Brasier retires heart of Yankees’ order
Dodgers reliever Ryan Brasier delivered while facing the heart of the Yankees’ order in the eighth. He induced a lineout from Juan Soto and walked Aaron Judge before striking out Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to end the inning.
The Yankees are down to their last three outs, facing a 4-0 deficit.
Thomas Kahnle caps 1-2-3 eighth
Yankees reliever Thomas Kahnle took over in the eighth for the last two outs of a 1-2-3 inning started by Clay Holmes. It’s now up to Yankees bats to make it a game. They’re down to their last six outs.
Anthony Banda gets Gleyber Torres looking on questionable call
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 some help from 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 to give leadoff hitter Gleyber Torres a chance with two men on and two outs.
Torres worked a 2-2 count, then got called out on a third strike looking that was clearly above the zone. The Dodgers catch a break and take a 4-0 lead into the eighth.
Yankees get out of 7th-inning jam
The Dodgers put runners on the corners 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.
Yankees still scoreless
Alex Vesia got the job done, inducing a groundout by Jazz Chisholm Jr. to strand two baserunners and keep the Yankees off the scoreboard. The Dodgers maintain a 4-0 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Graterol leaves with 2 on and 2 out in the 6th
Brusdar Graterol didn’t 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 Vesia will take the mound to face Jazz Chisholm Jr. with two on and two out.
Will Dave Roberts regret his decision to pull Walker Buehler after 76 pitches?
Walker Buehler is done after five scoreless innings, 76 pitches
Walker Buehler’s night is finished after 76 pitches. The Dodgers’ starter allowed two hits and two walks in five scoreless but won’t see the sixth.
Reliever Brusdar Graterol is in to face the top of the Yankees’ order.
Yankees on the brink
The Yankees have played sloppy baseball throughout the postseason, and on the biggest stage, they once again lack the ability to execute cleanly.
The passed balls, bad baserunning and defensive miscues are piling up, and New York is looking like an all-around lifeless team that is in danger of being swept.
Kiké Hernández delivers again, extends Dodgers’ lead to 4-0
Postseason Kiké Hernández is a thing. The Dodgers outfielder sent a one-out base hit into center field and scored Gavin Lux from second in the sixth inning. Lux had reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second to get into scoring position.
Hernández got caught stealing to end the inning but not before extending the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0 with some more timely hitting.
Walker Buehler continues to deal
After allowing the first Yankees hits in the fourth, Walker Buehler pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning to keep New York off 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 lead 3-0 heading into the sixth.
Cortes pitches scoreless 5th
Freddie Freeman reached on an error to lead off the top of the fifth inning, but Nestor Cortes induced a lineout and a double play to end the inning with no damage. The Dodgers maintain a 3-0 lead in the middle of the fifth.
Teoscar Hernandez throws out Giancarlo Stanton at home to end 4th
The Yankees came up short on their best chance yet to get on the scoreboard, thanks to a great defensive play from Teoscar Hernandez. Giancarlo Stanton reached on a one-out double for the first Yankees hit of the night, then looked to leg out a run on a two-out single by Anthony Volpe into shallow left field.
But Hernandez mowed down a very slow Stanton with a perfect throw to the plate to end the inning.
Cortes gets redemption
Big-time redemption for Nestor Cortes Jr. after his unfortunate two-pitch outing in Game 1 ended with Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam.
The lefty entered and struck out Shohei Ohtani and got Mookie Betts to fly out to strand two Dodgers baserunners and perhaps capture some momentum for the Yankees heading to the bottom of the fourth.
Dodgers come up empty in 4th
The Dodgers had runners on first and third with no outs in the fourth but didn’t score. The failed squeeze on the borderline call at home secured the first out. 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 the replay look. Lux looks safe:
Dodgers’ squeeze play fails on borderline call at home
The Dodgers gambled with a no-out squeeze in the fourth inning and lost. Gavin Lux ran home from third on a Tommy Edman bunt. The home plate umpire called him out at home as he slid headfirst. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the play.
Replay appeared to showed that Lux touched home plate just before Yankees catcher Jose Trevino placed the tag. But replay officials didn’t agree — or didn’t see enough to overturn the call on the field. Lux is out, and the Dodgers have runners on first and second with one out.
