Freddie Freeman and the Los Angeles Dodgers remained somewhat of a buzzsaw as they defeated the New York Yankees, 4-2, in Game 3 of the World Series.
The Dodgers now are just one win away from capturing their eighth championship in franchise history and second since 2020.
Shohei Ohtani was in the Dodgers lineup two days after suffering a partially dislocated left shoulder and drew a four-pitch walk to open the game. Ohtani did not swing the bat in his first plate appearance of the night and held the collar of his jersey to prevent his left arm from hanging.
Freeman made running the bases easy for Ohtani by lifting a two-run home run into the short porch in right field.
The Dodgers added onto their lead in the third inning on Mookie Betts’ flare to shallow right field that scored Tommy Edman from second base. Edman had led off the inning with a walk and got a terrific read on Betts’ jam-shot single.
L.A. extended their lead to 4-0 behind an RBI base hit from Kiké Hernández in the sixth inning.
Building off an impressive start in the National League Championship Series, Walker Buehler thrived in a big setting and cold environment once again as he held the Yankees scoreless over five innings.
Buehler did not allow a hit until Giancarlo Stanton’s double with one out in the fourth inning. That nearly led to a run but Teoscar Hernández threw Stanton out at home plate on Anthony Volpe’s single.
Hernández’s throw registered at 93.9 mph, which was good for the third-fastest outfield assist in World Series history under the Statcast era (since 2015).
Buehler joined Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers in Dodgers postseason history of two World Series starts without allowing an earned run.
More defense helped the Dodgers in the sixth inning, as Tommy Edman kept his foot on second base while stretching to receive an errant throw from Brusdar Graterol. Edman’s play wound up saving a run that inning.
Daniel Hudson failed to get through the seventh, but Anthony Banda stranded a pair of runners — greatly aided by a generous strike zone from home plate umpire Mark Carlson.
Alex Verdugo’s two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth prevented the Yankees from being shut out in the World Series forr the first time since Game 6 in 2003.
It also would’ve been the Dodgers’ first World Series shutout since Orel Hershiser started Game 2 in 1988.
The Dodgers’ haven’t shut out the Yankees in the World Series since Game 7 of 1955, which was their lone championship in Brooklyn franchise history.
Freddie Freeman ties World Series record
Freeman has hit a home run in five consecutive World Series games, tying with George Springer for the MLB record.
Freeman’s streak began during the 2021 World Series, when he was with the Atlanta Braves.
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