By MIKE FITZPATRICK

NEW YORK (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler threw another World Series gem as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night for a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

With superstar Shohei Ohtani playing despite a partially dislocated left shoulder, Los Angeles moved to within one win after a surprising upset in this highly touted matchup between the traditional powers.

Buehler and six relievers combined for a five-hitter for the Dodgers, on the verge of their second championship in five years and eighth in franchise history.

“Walker Buehler, he’s done that his whole career in big games, big moments,” Freeman said. “Hate yourself when you need it.”

Teoscar Hernández threw out a runner from home plate with an accurate single to left field. Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández each delivered an RBI single, and the Dodgers chased Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the third inning.

Freeman’s two-run hit with three batters gave him a home run in five consecutive World Series games dating back to 2021 with Atlanta, tying the major league record set by George Springer with Houston.

Looking much healthier after a sprained right ankle slowed him earlier this postseason, Freeman connected for the first grand slam in World Series history to win a drama-filled opener in Los Angeles.

From then on, it was all Dodgers.

Game 4 is Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Down to three healthy starters, the Dodgers plan for their fourth game of this postseason. Rookie righty Luis Gil is off to New York.

In the 11 previous World Series meetings between these old October rivals, the only sweep was by the Dodgers in 1963 behind Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

New York hasn’t been swept in a Fall Classic since 1976 by the Cincinnati Reds.

Los Angeles, however, has won seven straight World Series matchups against the Yankees dating back to its 1981 crown.

It marked the first series game at Yankee Stadium since New York won its 27th title in 2009 against Philadelphia. But a homecoming didn’t help the collapse of Aaron Judge and the punchless Bronx Bombers, held to four runs and nine hits over the last two games.

New York didn’t score until Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer off Michael Kopech with two outs in the ninth. Kopech then retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it.

Buehler allowed two hits in five innings, striking out five. His only previous win this year during an injury-riddled season was May 18 against Cincinnati.

The two-time All-Star improved to 4-4 in 18 career postseason starts, including a 2-0 record in three World Series outings. He gave up one run and seven hits with 22 strikeouts in 18 innings in those assignments — all in Game 3s against Boston (2018), Tampa Bay (2020) and the Yankees.

After the Yankees struggled at the plate during two losses in Los Angeles, manager Aaron Boone decided not to make major changes to the lineup.

He moved Anthony Volpe and Anthony Rizzo back to the 6-7 slots and replaced slugging catcher Austin Wells with right-handed hitting Jose Trevino in the No. 8 spot — even against a right-handed pitcher.

That was it.

“I thought about a few things on the long flight home, but this is what I decided on,” Boone said.

The New York players had a brief meeting in the afternoon, and a recording from the late Yankees announcer Bob Sheppard featured five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe fired up the sold-out crowd of 49,368 with a pregame performance on the infield.

But it was the Dodgers who got off to a fast start.

Schmidt walked Ohtani on four pitches to start the game. One out later, Freeman sent a 1-2 cutter 355 feet into the lower deck in right field for his 13th career postseason homer.

He joined Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer (1958) and Giants slugger Barry Bonds (2002) as the only players to go deep in the first three games of a World Series.

“When you go 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.

No. 9 hitter Tommy Edman drew another four-pitch walk from Schmidt in the top of the third and scored on Betts’ bloop single. Kiké Hernández added an RBI single in the sixth.

Schmidt walked four in 2 2/3 innings in his third postseason start. He lost his fifth straight decision, dating back to a May 16 win in Minnesota.

New York got a runner on home plate when Edman attempted a safety bunt in the fourth, but the Dodgers made sensational defense to stop any Yankees momentum.

Betts singled to right field after Giancarlo Stanton doubled with one out in the fourth for Buehler’s first hit. Teoscar Hernández then threw all of his teammates with a perfect 94 mph throw at the plate on Volpe’s single, cutting down Stanton to end the inning and preserve a 3-0 cushion.

NEXT

Gil (15-7, 3.50 ERA) made a postseason start, allowing two runs in four innings for a no-decision in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Cleveland.

He won seven straight starts before a no-decision against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium on June 9, when he gave up three runs in 5 1/2 innings in a 6-4 New York victory that prevented a mature of three matches.

___

AP MLB:

Originally published: October 28, 2024 at 9:47 PM MDT