
They shoulda won game 1, when they were an out away.
They shoulda won game 2, when they were a single away from tying it with only 1 out in the 9th.
Now, the Yanks are down 3 games to 0 after losing 4-2 to the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series on a Monday night in the Bronx.
Walker Buehler, who shut down the Mets last week, shut down the Yankees this week for 5 innings, and the Dodger bullpen threw down 3 more shutout innings until Alex Verdugo hit a 2-out, 2-run homer in the 9th to turn a 4-0 game into a 4-2 game and give the Yanks a final hope. But Gleyber Torres grounded out on a 2-2 pitch, leaving Juan Soto on deck.
The Dodgers rode a 2-run homer by Freddie Freeman in the 1st inning, and another run in the 3rd off Clarke Schmidt, who didn’t have his normal control. The Yanks ran themselves out of a run in the 4th when Giancarlo Stanton, who had doubled, was thrown out at the plate. LA added a run in the 6th off Jake Cousins to make it 4-0.
“Going down 3-0, statistically we know the odds are stacked against us,” said Nestor Cortes afterwards. “But like I’ve said this team is too resilient — I think we’ve shown enough fight in us to come back — if there’s a team that it can do it, it’ll be us. Treat this game like just another loss, come in here, regroup, get our stuff together, and come back tomorrow and try to win a ballgame.”
1. Schmidt Didn’t Come Thru
Clarke Schmidt didn’t have his normal control — and was gone by the 3rd inning. He walked Shohei Ohtani on 4 pitches to start the game, got Mookie Betts to fly out in a 7-pitch at bat, then went 1-2 on the red hot Freddie Freeman, before Freeman blasted a 93-MPH cutter to right for a 2-run Homer. Dodgers 2 Yanks 0 and many hadn’t even gotten to their seats yet.
FREDDIE DOES IT AGAIN!! DODGERS JUMP AHEAD 2-0!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/xEMGOmeuQ5
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024
Schmidt got the next 2 outs, and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 2nd, striking out 2 — but walked Edman leading off the 3rd. He got Ohtani to ground into a fielder’s choice, and then appeared to strike out Mookie Betts on a 2-2 pitch but the ump called it a ball. Betts then blooped an RBI single to right and it was 3-0 Dodgers.
What an AB from Mookie!!
Dodgers get another one!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/fOrVtFORpB
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024
Schmidt then walked Freddie Freeman, got Teoscar Hernandez to pop out, and walked Max Muncy on a 3-2 pitch and was Gone.
Mark Leiter Jr.came in with the bases loaded and 2 outs, and got Will Smith to groundout on a 3-2 pitch — which seemed HUGE at the time — keeping the score LA 3 NY 0.
“Obviously came out of the gate a little hot to Ohtani,” said Schmidt afterwards. “After that we felt like we settled down well; I mean I feel like I was making really good pitches — just a 2-strike mistake to Freeman there — ended up pulling a cutter across the zone. After that we felt like we made good adjustments and then in the 3rd inning — a little too quick mechanically tonite, and just didn’t make the right adjustments in the 3rd.”
When asked to explain what it meant to come out a little hot, Schmidt explained: “Not nerves its more just like you’re just so geared up and ready and excited to get out there I was a little too quick mechanically.”
2. Giancarlo Thrown Out at Plate in the 4th
Meanwhile Walker Buehler was pitching as well as he had against the Mets last week, until Giancarlo Stanton rocked him for a double to left with 1 out in the 4th. Jazz Chisholm Jr.hit a line drive to right that Betts made a tremendous shoe-string catch on.
With 2 outs, Anthony Volpe singled to left, and Stanton looked like the slowest person in baseball, chugging around 3rd and was OUT at the plate. And there went the Yankees’ change to make it 3-1.
BANG!!
Teoscar Hernández throws out Stanton at home plate!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/nAj2BhWOhF
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024
3. Cortes Good in Middle Relief
After getting the clutch final out of the 3rd, Mark Leiter Jr.ran into his own trouble at start of the 4th — a leadoff walk to Lux and single by Enrique Hernandez put runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Edman bunted back to the pitcher and Leiter flipped it home where Jose Trevino nabbed Lux for an out. The play was challenged, and it kind of looked like Lux got his hand in but it was too close to overturn the on-field call, so the Yanks caught a break.
Close play at the plate! Safe or out? pic.twitter.com/90IFu2wDo9
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024
Nestor Cortes came in and got the last 2 outs of the inning — striking out Ohtani and getting Betts to line out to left.
Cortes gets Ohtani swinging on a full count!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/XB0UOGm6H2
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024
Cortes then pitched a shutout 5th — getting a double play to end the inning after a Chisholm error allowed a leadoff baserunner.
4. Cousins Allowed Run in 6th
Jake Cousins pitched the 6th — getting the leadoff batter but then hitting Gavin Lux on a 1-2 pitch. Lux then stole 2nd, and scored on an RBI single by Enrique Hernandez — and it was looking glim for the Yanks, down 4-0.
5. Buehler & Dodger Pen Shut Yanks Out for 8
Buehler — helped by Giancarlo being thrown out at the plate in the 4th — ended with 5 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits. Dodger manager Dave Roberts went to the pen for Bursdar Graterol, Alex Vesia, Daniel Hudson, Anthony Banda, and Ryan Brassier — who combined to pitch shutout ball from the 6th through the 8th.
The Yanks appeared to get robbed in the 7th, when with 2 on and 2 outs, Gleyber Torres was called out on strikes against Banda on what appeared to be ball 3.
Got him!
Torres is caught looking at strike 3 up in the zone.
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/YDLHNBlVVt
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024
6. Yankee Pen Kept Dodgers from Running Away
Tim Hill, Clay Holmes, and Tommy Kahnle combined for a shutout 7th thru 9th — not allowing the Dodgers to run away from it — as they did in games against San Diego and the Mets.
7. Verdugo 2-Run HR in 9th Gives Yanks Final Hope
Michael Kopech came in for the bottom of the 9th — and after Anthony Volpe struck out leading off, Anthony Rizzo worked a walk. Austin Wells fouled out, but Alex Verdugo gave the Yanks one last hope with a 2-run HR to right, making it a 4-2 game.
No shutout tonight! pic.twitter.com/6k3D6BQ5X0
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2024
Gleyber Torres worked the count to 2-2 before hitting a 100-MPH fastball for a groundout to 1st, and the old ballgame.
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