Dodgers take commanding lead in World Series as Yankees bats stay silent

NEW YORK — Two patterns are emerging in the 2024 World Series, and they’ve combined to put the Dodgers on the brink of a championship.

One: Freddie Freeman, the 35-year-old first baseman whose badly sprained right ankle had him hobbling from base to base earlier this month, keeps homering in every World Series game. It’s the kind of performance that’s remembered decades later.

And two: The Yankees just aren’t hitting. It starts with Aaron Judge, of course — he went hitless in three at-bats with a walk Monday — but the rest of New York’s lineup didn’t do much better, combining for just five hits despite a late home run from Alex Verdugo.

The result was a 4-2 Dodgers win that leaves Los Angeles one win away from a second championship in the last five years. As for the Yankees, they were completely outplayed in their first home World Series game since 2009, and must now win four straight times or see their season end in what they would describe as a failure.

“Stay focused,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “There's just got to be urgency. I just don't want to let these guys up for air.”

It was Freeman’s third home run of the World Series that got the Dodgers started — a two run shot hit beyond the short right field porch in the top of the first inning. The swing was yet another game-changer from Freeman, who already has a walk-off grand slam and a solo homer in the series.

Yet Freeman’s homer was especially impactful because Ohtani had reached base two batters earlier. Normally, that’s hardly noteworthy, but Ohtani had partially dislocated his shoulder in Game 2, leading to questions about his availability.

Step one was popping Ohtani’s shoulder back into place late Saturday night. Soon afterwards, an MRI revealed no structural damage, and it was around that time that Ohtani let his teammates know he would play.

"He texted the whole team as we were on our way to the airport and said he was going to be fine," explained Max Muncy. "We said, all right, he's got us."

By Sunday evening, Ohtani had joined his teammates in New York, where he was soon hitting baseballs off a tee at 102 m.p.h. and looking something like his usual self. Watching those swings, Roberts knew his best hitter was ready.

“That was joy,” Roberts recalled.

“The pain has subsided,” Ohtani said. “So I felt pretty good about it.”

Even so, Ohtani still appeared somewhat uncomfortable Monday night. When he took the field for player introductions, he wore a device intended to keep his shoulder warm and he was careful to high five his teammates with his right hand. As he took his swings throughout the game he felt better, but still winced at times. When he reached base, he held his left arm as a reminder not to break his fall with it again.

But even a diminished Ohtani still changes the game for opposing pitchers and managers.

“Regardless of what limitations a pitcher might think he might or might not have, not many (pitchers) are willing to take that chance,” Roberts said. “We're just very grateful he's in the lineup.”

In Los Angeles, the Dodgers won twice because of strong starting pitching and that trend continued Monday thanks to Walker Buehler. The right-hander pitched five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out five.

“Walker was fantastic,” Roberts said. “I couldn't have asked for anything more.”

“That feeling of there's an organization relying on me today to win a playoff game, I like (it),” Buehler said. “It gets me in a certain place mentally that’s kind of hard to replicate.”

The Dodgers’ bullpen was also effective on a night the Yankees barely threatened until the Verdugo homer. So far this World Series, Freeman has single-handedly homered as often as the Yankees, who have combined to score just seven runs in three games. New York got some hard-earned walks from Gleyber Torres and some hard-hit balls from Giancarlo Stanton but little else. For a team built to mash, it’s not enough.

“We’ve got to find a way,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “You’ve got to put one in the seats with a runner or two on.”

On Tuesday, the champagne will be on ice and the championship t-shirts will be printed and ready while the Dodgers go with a bullpen game for the first of four potential chances to clinch. 

“It's just really focusing on winning the game tomorrow as a team,” Ohtani said. “There's nothing better than to be able to have the opportunity to do so.”

Meanwhile, with no room left for error, the Yankees will turn to Luis Gil. They’re the last team standing in the American League for a reason, and if anyone can come back against the Dodgers, it might be them. But they’ll need power to keep their season alive. It has to start now, last all week and probably feature Judge.

“We're trying to get a game,” said Boone. “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.”