By The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of an eighth World Series championship in franchise history and have the chance to wrap it up in dominant fashion.
A 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in Game 3 that featured a commanding performance from pitcher Walker Buehler and a record-tying feat from Freddie Freeman gave the Dodgers a 3-0 series lead, putting them one game away from the first sweep in the Fall Classic since 2012, when the San Francisco Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-0.
Per MLB, LA only has one best-of-seven sweep to its name, but it might be a good omen for the team – it came in 1968 against none other than the Yankees.
While much of the focus will be on whether LA can close things out in as few games as possible and on the health of superstar hitter Shohei Ohtani, New York will be looking take the first step in what would be a spectacular comeback.
The two teams will clash in Game 4 at New York’s Yankee Stadium, with the first pitch coming at 8:08 p.m. ET.
The matchup – along with any further games, if necessary – will be broadcast on Fox in the US.
The Dodgers are seeking their first title since 2020, where they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games after a regular season that was shortened by over 100 games due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Their last World Series championship in a full season came in 1988.
The National League champions now have the chance to secure the sweep on enemy soil – the rivalry between the two squads dates back to the Dodgers’ time in New York as the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first half of the 20th century.
LA took Game 3 in spite of an injury to designated hitter Ohtani. The Japanese superstar suffered a shoulder injury in Game 2, with speculation rampant that he could be forced out of action.
Ohtani – who made his postseason debut this year after six seasons with crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Angels – suited up for Game 3 but appeared visibly hampered by the injury. He appeared to wince in pain during multiple swings and held onto his jersey while on the base paths in an apparent attempt to limit how much his shoulder was moving.
He went hitless during the game but reached base twice on a walk and a hit by pitch. He scored on Freeman’s first inning home run – the fifth straight homer in a World Series game for LA’s first baseman.
Ohtani said after the game that he had taped himself up before the contest and felt “different.” He admitted to reporters that he isn’t currently sure whether he will need surgery to resolve the shoulder issue.
“I haven’t had further conversations about the future plan,” he said through his interpreter Will Ireton, per the team. “I think it’s something that’s going to happen after the season is over, do additional testing. But in terms of how I feel now, I don’t think so.”
LA will continue to look to players such as Freeman to push them over the line in the series. The 35-year-old has been on fire in the opening three games and delivered a walk-off grand slam for the victory in Game 1.
“Couldn’t ask for a better start in these three games,” Freeman said after Game 3. “But we have one more to go.
“I guess I’m seeing the ball very well … hopefully, we can keep it going. We have one more.”
The task that the Yankees face has historically been almost insurmountable.
Teams that have gone up 3-0 in the postseason have ended up winning the series 39 of 40 times, with the sole turnaround coming in the 2004 American League Championship Series (ALCS), when the Boston Red Sox overturned the deficit to defeat the Yankees 4-3. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series that year.
Only one other team has even forced a deciding game from this situation – the Houston Astros leveled the 2020 ALCS at 3-3 before losing Game 7 to the Rays – and no team has come close to accomplishing the feat in the World Series.
This obviously does not bode well for New York, which is staring down the barrel of a humbling defeat against one of its biggest rivals.
Despite having their backs firmly against the wall, Yankees players and staff are focused on making what would be a history-making comeback.
“We’re trying to get a game tomorrow, okay?” said manager Aaron Boone after Game 3. “That’s where our focus lies. Hopefully, we can go be this amazing story and shock the world. But right now, it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game and force another one, and then on from there. But we’ve got to grab one first.”
“No one said this was going to be easy,” added outfielder Alex Verdugo. “We understood what was expected from us and how hard this was going to be. We’ve just got to stick together, block out that noise.
“I know how good this team is, and if that team wins three in a row, why can’t we win three in a row?”
