Oct. 28 (UPI) — Spinning seams from Walker Buehler’s violent pitches thwarted the New York Yankees’ typically potent offense and carried the Los Angeles Dodgers to within one win of another World Series title Monday at Yankee Stadium.
Buehler unleashed sweepers, knuckle curves and more en route to five shutout innings in the 4-2 Game 3 triumph. He allowed just two hits and issued five strikeouts.
“We feel confident,” Buehler said on the Fox broadcast. “We feel good. We really like our team and our team likes the bright lights.”
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who won Game 1 with a walk-off grand slam and hit a solo shot in Game 2, homered in his fifth consecutive World Series game. The 355-foot, two-run shot in the first inning gave the Dodgers an advantage they never lost.
“The most important thing is one more win,” Freeman said. “That’s all I care about right now. I don’t care how it happens. I just want to get one more win.”
Game 4 of the best-of-seven game series will be Tuesday in New York. No team in MLB history has ever overcome an 0-3 World Series deficit.
Outfielders Mookie Betts and Enrique Hernandez supplied RBI singles for the Dodgers. Relief pitchers Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia, Daniel Hudson, Anthony Banda and Ryan Brasier allowed just two hits from the sixth through eighth inning. Michael Kopech allowed a two-run homer from left fielder Alex Verdugo in the ninth for the Yankees’ lone runs.
Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt allowed two hits and three runs, while issuing four walks, over 2 2/3 innings. Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge — the Nos. 1 through 3 hitters in the Yankees’ batting order — went 0 for 9. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton collected two hits in the loss.
Hernandez logged two hits for the Dodgers.
Freeman’s streak of five-consecutive World Series games with a home run tied former Houston Astros outfielder George Springer for the MLB record. Springer achieved the same feat during the title series in 2017 and 2019. Freeman’s streak started in 2021, while he was with the Atlanta Braves.
The Yankees (3-0) will host the Dodgers (0-3) in a must-win Game 4 at 8:08 p.m. EDT Tuesday in New York. Game 5, if necessary, will be Wednesday in New York.