Freeman powers LA Dodgers over punchless Yankees to brink of World Series sweep

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win in a surprising 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 long-awaited showdown between baseball’s two most storied franchises to one-way traffic. traffic.

The Dodgers first baseman tied George Springer’s all-time record for homering in five consecutive World Series games in Monday night’s Game 3 with a two-run drive to the right field stands in the first inning, kicking off a 4-2 win that opened a commanding lead of three games to none in the best-of-seven tie.

“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.

The crackling atmosphere at Yankee Stadium, hosting its first World Series game in fifteen years, reached deafening 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 in putting the Bronx Zoo on their heels with one swing of the bat.

After Shohei Ohtani, playing two days after partially separating his left shoulder, walked on four pitches to start the game, followed by a flyout by Mookie Betts, Freeman hit a 1-2 cutter about five rows deep into the lower deck in right field. .

The Dodgers scored runs in the third and sixth inning when Walker Buehler and six relievers combined to produce a five-hitter for the Dodgers. With the Yankees on their final swing in the bottom of the ninth, left fielder Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer off Dodgers reliever Ryan Brasier, which cut the deficit in half and reversed the lineup. But Braiser coaxed Gleyber Torres into a groundout to short-circuit 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, following Hank Bauer in 1958 and Barry Bonds in 2002. The streak of five consecutive World Series games with a home run dates back to Atlanta’s final two games against Houston in the 2021 World Series.

Since Freeman’s Game 1 explosion, the Yankees’ high-powered and expensive offense has been limited to four runs and nine hits over two games.

The Dodgers can earn the club’s eighth World Series championship on Tuesday night in the Bronx. With three healthy starters remaining, Los Angeles is expected to throw their fourth bullpen game of these playoffs as rookie right-hander Luis Gil will take the mound for the Yankees.