It took 14 years, 11 months and 24 days for the Yankees to regain their chance to win the World Series, and only three short nights for them to fall back to earth.
Coming into this successful Fall Classic, all the hype was surrounding Shohei Ohtani, but after three home runs in three consecutive games, Freddie Freeman is the new King of Los Angeles.
The Dodgers played three, won three in the best-of-seven matchup and are now one game away from glory after a punishing night for the Yankees in front of a crowd of 49,368 in the Bronx.
The cheapest tickets for Monday night’s showdown were selling for nearly $2,000 each on resale markets over the weekend, but those with a New York disposition may now be wishing they had saved their money for the Knicks.
It didn’t take long for the stadium to run out of air, with Clarke Schmidt allowing a near-instant home run just 15 pitches into the biggest game of his career.
Freddie Freeman hits two-run homer off Clarke Schmidt to give Dodgers 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 are just one win away from World Series glory.
A far from healthy Ohtani was the Dodgers’ first starter, less than 48 hours after medical staff had to put his shoulder back into place at the end of Game 2.
His arm was in a sling until minutes before the first pitch Monday night, but all Yankees pitcher Schmidt could do to bother him was throw four balls, all well off the mark.
If Ohtani was struggling with pain in his upper body, it needn’t have mattered: All he needed to do was use his lower half to advance to first base.
Seconds later, with only one out on the board and Ohtani lingering early, the man of the moment, Freeman, appeared.
Schmidt got ahead of the count early, but on the 1-2 pitch, Freeman sent a 355-foot pitch to right field, over Juan Soto’s head and deep into the crowd to put the Dodgers up 2-0. .
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 MLB’s all-time leader. Truly a man for the big occasion.
The comparison between his performance and that of Aaron Judge was stark. One was dressed in gray, the other was dressed in stripes. If you hit home runs, you can’t hit anything.
As Judge stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first, chants of ‘MVP’ echoed throughout the stadium, but all the $360 million man could do was swing and strike out. It’s been a similar story throughout the postseason, just when they needed it most.
Monday night’s pitcher for the Dodgers was Walker Buehler, his 6.53 ERA outside Dodger Stadium this year among the worst in the league.
When a reporter before the game told Yankees manager Boone that “lefties have hit Buehler pretty well this season,” he responded, “Righties have hit him pretty good, too.”
Gavin Lux slides in safely to add a fourth run for the Dodgers on a tough night for the Yankees
Yankees players line up to sing the national anthem before Game 3 of the World Series
In this Yankees batting lineup, it needn’t have mattered. Left-handed, right-handed or switch-hitting, this was Buehler’s big night in the Bronx and he left after five innings without allowing a run.
In the third inning, Schmidt allowed his third of a short night when Mookie Betts singled on a soft fly to right field, bringing home teammate Tommy Edman to score.
Soon after, Schmidt’s night was over and the stadium announcer more than earned his money telling fans about the Yankees’ multiple calls to the bullpen. Mark Leiter Jr made way for Néstor Cortés, who was soon replaced by Jake Cousins.
It was the latter who allowed a fourth run to put the game beyond a reasonable doubt, first sending Will Lux to first base after hitting him with a wild pitch. Lux then stole second and Enrique Hernandez brought it home to put the Dodgers up 4-0.
Fans lined up around the block from mid-afternoon, even though the game didn’t start until 8 p.m.
Fans in Oshu, Japan, line up to watch a broadcast of the game, with all eyes on Shohei Ohtani.
According to ESPN, the last time an 0-2 World Series team rallied from a multi-run deficit in Game 3 was the 1908 Tigers, and there was no chance the Yankees would make history here.
Credit must go to the rowdy Bronx fans, who made their voices heard and more than did their part, having dug deep into their savings to obtain the privilege.
For this Yankees team, Game 4 will be boom or bust on Tuesday night as they look to avoid the ignominy of a World Series sweep.
For manager Boone, it’s likely the end of the road, and all Yankee fans can hope is that it won’t be another 15 years until they return.