It took 14 years, 11 months and 24 days for the Yankees’ World Series chances to return, and just three short nights for them to be razed again.
At this blockbuster Fall Classic, Shohei Ohtani was surrounded by all the hype, but after three home runs in three straight games, Freddie Freeman is the new king of LA.
The Dodgers have played three, won three in the best-of-seven showdown and are now one game away from glory after a cathartic night for the Yankees before a sellout crowd of 49,368 in the Bronx.
The cheapest tickets for Monday night’s showdown hit the resale markets this weekend for nearly $2,000 each, but New York-minded folks now wish they had saved their money for the Knicks.
It didn’t take long for the air to be sucked out of the stadium as Clarke Schmidt surrendered an almost instantaneous home run on just 15 pitches in the biggest game of his career.
Freddie Freeman hits a two-run home run off Clarke Schmidt to give the Dodgers an early lead
Freeman waves to the Bronx as he rounds the bases in the top of the first inning on Monday
The Dodgers are now 3-0 in the best-of-seven series and just one win away from World Series glory
A far from healthy Ohtani led the way for the Dodgers, less than 48 hours after medical staff had to redislocate his shoulder at the end of Game 2.
His arm was in a sling until a few minutes before the first pitch on Monday night, but all Yankees pitcher Schmidt could do to get him in trouble was throw four balls, all well wide of the target line.
If Ohtani was struggling with the pain in his upper body, it didn’t have to matter: all he had to do was use his lower body to limp to first base.
Seconds later, with only one out on the board and Ohtani holding first, Freeman stepped up as man of the moment.
Schmidt took an early lead, but on the 1-2 pitch, Freeman sent one 350 feet into right field, over Juan Soto’s head and deep into the crowd to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
Aaron Judge was quiet when the Yankees needed him most, in front of a sold-out crowd in New York
Ohtani had his arm in a sling until shortly before the first pitch in Game 3 of the World Series
The first baseman now has five home runs in five consecutive World Series appearances, and his .0906 average makes him the all-time MLB leader. Truly a man for the big occasion.
The comparison between his performance and Aaron Judge’s was stark. One wore gray, one was in pinstripes. One hit home runs, one couldn’t hit anything.
When Judge stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first inning, cries of “MVP” echoed through the stadium, but all the $360 million man could do was swing. It was a similar story all postseason, right when they needed him most.
Monday night’s pitcher for the Dodgers was Walker Buehler, his 6.53 ERA away from Dodger Stadium this year among the worst in the league.
When Yankees manager Boone was told by a reporter before the game that “lefties have hit Buehler real good this season,” he responded, “Righties have hit him pretty good, too.”
Gavin Lux slides home safely and adds a fourth run for the Dodgers on a tough night for the Yankees
The Yankees players line up to sing the national anthem before World Series Game 3
In this Yankees batting lineup, it didn’t have to matter. Left, right or ambidextrous, this was Buehler’s big night in the Bronx and he left after five innings without giving up a run.
In the third inning, Schmidt gave up his third of a short night when Mookie Betts singled on a soft fly ball to right field, allowing home teammate Tommy Edman to score.
Soon after, Schmidt’s night was over and the stadium announcer made more than his money’s worth telling fans about the Yankees’ multiple calls to the bullpen. Mark Leiter Jr made way for Nestor Cortes, who was quickly replaced by Jake Cousins.
It was the latter who surrendered a fourth run to put the game beyond a reasonable doubt, sending Will Lux to first base after hitting him with a wild pitch. Lux then stole second and Enrique Hernandez brought it home to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead.
Fans were queuing from mid-afternoon, despite the match not starting until 8pm
Fans in Oshu, Japan, line up to watch a stream of the match, with all eyes on Shohei Ohtani
According to ESPN, the last time an 0-2 World Series team came back from a multiple deficit in Game 3 was the 1908 Tigers, and there was no chance the Yankees would make history here.
Credit goes to the raucous fans in the Bronx who made their voices heard and more than did their part after digging deep into their savings for the privilege.
Those who stayed until the bitter end got a brief moment of respite when Alex Verdugo homered on almost the last pitch of the game.
It kept the Yankees from leaving with a 0 on the box score tonight, but that number will remain next to their name in this World Series.
Then follows a boom-or-bust Game 4 on Tuesday evening, in which the Bronx Bombers shame of a World Series sweep.
It could be the end of the road for manager Boone. But for now, the message to his players is clear.
“Hopefully we can tell this great story and shock the world,” he told reporters after the match. “But we have to get one first.”
