Dodgers one win away from World Series sweep, beat slumping Yankees

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman celebrates his two-run home run against the New York Yankees during the first inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

NEW YORK — Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler pitched another World Series gem as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night for a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

With superstar Shohei Ohtani playing despite a partially dislocated left shoulder, Los Angeles moved within one victory of a surprising sweep in this much-hyped matchup between traditional powers.

Buehler and six relievers combined on a five-hitter for the Dodgers, on the cusp of their second championship in five years and the eighth in franchise history.

READ: Shohei Ohtani set to play for Dodgers in Game 3 of World Series

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“Walker Buehler, he’s been doing this his whole career in big games, big moments,” Freeman said. “Steps up when you need him.”

Teoscar Hernández threw out a runner at home plate with a pinpoint peg from left field. Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández each delivered an RBI single, and the Dodgers chased Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the third inning.

Freeman’s two-run shot three batters in gave him a home run in five consecutive World Series games dating to 2021 with Atlanta, matching a major league record set by George Springer with Houston.

Looking much healthier after a sprained right ankle slowed him earlier this postseason, Freeman connected for the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win a drama-filled opener in Los Angeles.

Since then, it’s been all Dodgers.

Game 4 is Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Down to three healthy starters, the Dodgers plan their fourth bullpen game of this postseason. Rookie right-hander Luis Gil goes for New York.

In the 11 previous World Series meetings between these old October rivals, the only sweep was by the Dodgers in 1963 behind Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

READ: Dodgers beat Yankees, 4-2, for 2-0 World Series lead

New York hasn’t been swept in a Fall Classic since 1976 by the Cincinnati Reds.

Los Angeles, however, has won seven World Series matchups in a row against the Yankees dating to its 1981 crown.

This one marked the first Series game at Yankee Stadium since New York clinched its 27th title in 2009 against Philadelphia. But a return home didn’t help slumping Aaron Judge and the punchless Bronx Bombers, held to four runs and nine hits in the past two games.

New York didn’t score until Alex Verdugo’s two-run homer off Michael Kopech with two outs in the ninth inning. Kopech then retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it.

Buehler allowed two hits in five innings, striking out five. His only previous win this year during an injury-interrupted season was May 18 against Cincinnati.

The two-time All-Star improved to 4-4 in 18 career postseason starts, including a 2-0 record in three World Series outings. He’s given up just one run and seven hits with 22 strikeouts over 18 innings in those assignments – all in Game 3s against Boston (2018), Tampa Bay (2020) and the Yankees.

After the Yankees struggled at the plate during two losses in Los Angeles, manager Aaron Boone decided against any major changes to the lineup.

He flip-flopped Anthony Volpe and Anthony Rizzo in the 6-7 slots, and replaced slumping catcher Austin Wells with right-handed-hitting Jose Trevino at No. 8 — even against a right-handed pitcher.

That was it.

READ: Freeman makes World Series history in Dodgers win over Yankees

“I considered a couple things on the long flight home, but this is what I settled on,” Boone said.

New York players held a short meeting in the afternoon, and a recording from late Yankees public-address announcer Bob Sheppard introduced five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe revved up the sold-out crowd of 49,368 with a pregame performance on the infield.

But it was the Dodgers who started fast.

Schmidt walked Ohtani on four pitches to begin the game. One out later, Freeman sent a 1-2 cutter 355 feet into the lower deck in right field for his 13th career postseason homer.

He joined Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer (1958) and Giants slugger Barry Bonds (2002) as the only players to go deep in the first three games of a World Series.

“When you come into a road park, you want to try to strike early and quiet the crowd, and we were able to do that in the first inning,” Freeman said.

No. 9 batter Tommy Edman drew another four-pitch walk from Schmidt leading off the third and scored on Betts’ bloop single. Kiké Hernández added an RBI single in the sixth.

Schmidt walked four over 2 2/3 innings in his third postseason start. He lost his fifth consecutive decision dating to a May 16 win at Minnesota.

New York nailed a runner at home plate when Edman attempted a safety squeeze in the fourth, but the Dodgers flashed some sensational defense to stomp out any Yankees momentum.

Betts made a diving grab in right field after Giancarlo Stanton doubled with one out in the fourth for the first hit off Buehler. Teoscar Hernández then fired up all his teammates with a perfect 94 mph throw to the plate on Volpe’s single, cutting down Stanton to end the inning and preserve a 3-0 cushion.

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Gil (15-7, 3.50 ERA) has made one postseason start, permitting two runs over four innings for a no-decision in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Cleveland.

He won seven straight starts before a no-decision against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium on June 9, when he gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-4 win by New York that prevented a three-game sweep.