Freddie Freeman hit his third home run in as many World Series games on Monday, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win 4-2 and send the New York Yankees to the brink.
The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the final and could be crowned major league champions for an eighth time on Tuesday in New York. The Yankees, for their part, will try to extend the final. They have won 27 World Series, the last in 2009.
With the Dodgers leading 4-0, Alex Verdugo stretched his arms to cut the deficit to two runs in the ninth inning. However, Michael Kopech got the final out off Gleyber Torres to end the game.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler allowed just two hits and two walks in five scoreless innings.
“Walker Buehler, he’s done that his whole career in big games, big moments,” Freeman raved. “He raises his game when you need him.”
The Dodgers’ third batter, Freeman got out with a one-ball, two-strike count on a curveball by right-hander Clarke Schmidt in the first inning. The ball went off the field in right field and Shohei Ohtani got to the plate. Ohtani was in uniform despite a partially dislocated left shoulder suffered 48 hours ago.
Freeman also hit home runs in the final two games of the 2021 World Series for the Atlanta Braves against the Houston Astros, tying George Springer’s record for home runs in a fifth consecutive World Series game.
He is also the third player in history to hit a ball into the stands during the first three games of a World Series after Yankees player Hank Bauer (1958) and Giants player Barry Bonds (2002).
“When you come to a stadium abroad, you always try to strike early to calm the crowd down,” Freeman said. “We were able to do that in the first inning.”
Mookie Betts drove in the Dodgers’ third run with a single that drove in Tommy Edman.
Schmidt loaded the bases in the top of the third inning with two outs when Yankees manager Aaron Boone replaced him with Mark Leiter Jr., who ended the threat by retiring Will Smith.
Schmidt, who struggled with control on the mound, allowed three runs, two hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings.
As the Yankees tried to close the gap, Betts dove to rob Jazz Chisholm Jr. of a hit in the fourth inning. On the next batter, Enrique Hernandez threw a powerful throw to retire Giancarlo Stanton.
After shining defensively, Hernandez drove in a run in the bottom of the sixth. His single allowed Gavin Lux to score. He did so at the expense of reliever Jake Cousins.
With Leiter and Cousins, seven relievers took to the mound for the Yankees. However, the hometown favorites’ hitters were unable to completely erase the deficit.
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