The Los Angeles Dodgers fully capitalized on having home-field advantage and now look to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees as the World Series shifts to the East Coast.
Ironically, the team that has taken a 2-0 lead in each of the last two World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers went to lose it.
Yankee Stadium is hosting Games 3 and 4, and if necessary, 5 as well.
Shohei Ohtani is in the Dodgers lineup on Monday night, which manager Dave Roberts had been anticipating despite partially dislocating his left shoulder in Game 2.
Ohtani underwent an MRI on Sunday before boarding a private flight to rejoin teammates in New York. Ohtani then took some swings during the Dodgers’ workout to test his shoulder.
Roberts said there isn’t much concern over how effective Ohtani will be at the plate despite his shoulder injury. Some of that confidence stems from Ohtani’s issue being with his left shoulder.
“I don’t see him being compromised. It’s the left shoulder, which is the back shoulder. So I don’t see how that affects his hitting if he’s able to go. I really don’t,” Roberts said.
Walker Buehler is on the mound for his third career World Series start, with each coincidentally coming in a Game 3. All of Buehler’s three starts this postseason have been in the third game of a series as well.
Buehler faces a Yankees lineup that differs from the first two games in that Jose Trevino is starting at catcher rather than Austin Wells.
Meanwhile, Clarke Schmidt is on the mound for New York in his third playoff game of the year. Schmidt pitched 4.2 innings and allowed two runs in each of his previous two outings.
The right-hander relies on getting chase out of the strike zone, which the Dodgers collectively are not prone to do.
Dodgers lineup
DH: Shohei Ohtani
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
LF: Teoscar Hernández
3B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
2B: Gavin Lux
CF: Kiké Hernández
SS: Tommy Edman
Yankees lineup
2B: Gleyber Torres
RF: Juan Soto
CF: Aaron Judge
DH: Giancarlo Stanton
3B: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
SS: Anthony Volpe
1B: Anthony Rizzo
C: Jose Trevino
LF: Alex Verdugo
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
