The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win from a World Series sweep of the New York Yankees – and a second title in five years – after Freddie Freeman’s historic power streak continued to reduce a hotly anticipated showdown featuring baseball’s two most storied franchises to one-way traffic.
The Dodgers first baseman tied George Springer’s all-time record of homering in five straight World Series games in Monday night’s Game 3 with a two-run drive into the right-field stands in the first inning, kick-starting a 4-2 victory that opened a commanding three-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven tie.
The crackling atmosphere inside Yankee Stadium as it hosted a World Series game for the first time in 15 years climbed to ear-splitting volumes after a ceremonial first pitch thrown by club legend Derek Jeter and a pre-game performance by Bronx rapper Fat Joe – but the in-form Freeman wasted almost no time bringing the Bronx Zoo to heel.
Schedule
Best-of-seven series. All times Eastern.
Fri 25 Oct Game 1: LA Dodgers 6, New York Yankees 3 (10 innings)
Sat 26 Oct Game 2: LA Dodgers 4, New York Yankees 2
Mon 28 Oct Game 3: LA Dodgers 4, New York Yankees 2
Tue 29 Oct Game 4: LA Dodgers at New York Yankees, 8.08pm, FOX
Wed 30 Oct Game 5: LA Dodgers at New York Yankees, 8.08pm, FOX*
Fri 1 Nov Game 6: New York Yankees at LA Dodgers, 8.08pm, FOX*
Sat 2 Nov Game 7: New York Yankees at LA Dodgers, 8.08pm, FOX*
*-if necessary
After Shohei Ohtani, playing two days after partially separating his left shoulder, walked on four pitches to lead off the game followed by a Mookie Betts fly-out, Freeman drove a 1-2 cutter about five rows deep into the lower deck in right field.
The Dodgers tacked on runs in the third and sixth innings as the New York bats went cold one inning after another. With the Yankees down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth, left fielder Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer off Dodgers reliever Ryan Brasier that cut the deficit in half and turned the lineup over. But Braiser coaxed Gleyber Torres into a groundout to short for the final out.
Three days after hitting the first walk-off grand slam in Fall Classic history, the 35-year-old Freeman became the third player to homer in the first three games of a World Series after Hank Bauer in 1958 and Barry Bonds in 2002. His streak of five straight World Series games with a home run dates back to Atlanta’s last two games against Houston in the 2021 World Series.
The Dodgers can clinch the club’s eighth World Series championship on Tuesday night in the Bronx.
Full report to follow.