World Series News: Dodgers Push Yankees to Brink With Game 3 Win

No team in Major League Baseball has won more World Series than the New York Yankees.

No franchise has lost more World Series than the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Three games into the 2024 World Series, however, the Dodgers seem intent on reversing the historical trend. The Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 4-2 in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday, taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

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The Dodgers can clinch their first championship since 2020 as early as Game 4 on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Freddie Freeman’s two-run home run against Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt gave the Dodgers an early lead. They never looked back.

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Freeman became the third player in World Series history to hit a home run in each of the series’ first three games, joining Hank Bauer in 1958 and Barry Bonds in 2002. He had not hit a home run in the Dodgers’ National League Division Series victory over the San Diego Padres, or their NL Championship Series against the New York Mets.

Since ending Game 1 against the Yankees with the first walkoff grand slam in World Series history, Freeman has been on fire. The sprained ankle that caused him to miss two games against the Mets is not.

“My ankle is that much better,” Freeman told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal in an interview on the field immediately following the game. “The days off I was able to calm it down, get some treatment, and I was able to work on my swing. That was key.”

Los Angeles starter Walker Buehler pitched five innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen to pitch the final four innings. New York was down to its final out in the ninth inning when former Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo connected for a two-run homer off Michael Kopech to provide the final score.

Buehler has won each of his first three career World Series starts, allowing only one run total in the three games.

“He’s been doing this his whole career,” Freeman said of Buehler on FOX. “Big games, big moments. … This is what you’ve got to do: you’ve got to pitch in October, and we’ve been doing that.”

Two days after he suffered a partially dislocated shoulder sliding into second base, Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani batted leadoff and went 0 for 3 with a walk.

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Teams that have lost the first three games of the World Series have never won — or even forced a Game 6. Game 4 is Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, followed by Game 5 if necessary.

If the Yankees are to stay alive in this series, they will also need to win Games 6 and 7 in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday.

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To even dream of a comeback, they will need much more production from their lineup.

Gleyber Torres went 0 for 3 with two walks and a strikeout Monday. Aaron Judge went 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout. Giancarlo Stanton had two hits, including a double in the fifth inning, but was thrown out trying to score on an Anthony Volpe single to left fielder Teoscar Hernández for the inning’s final out.

“We’re not surprised,” Hernández said of the Dodgers’ 3-0 lead. “We know we can do this. We have an excellent team. We have a group of guys who can do this.”

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