World Series wizard puts Dodgers on cusp of MLB title

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World Series wizard puts Dodgers on cusp of MLB title

Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler pitched another gem as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night for a 3-0 World Series lead.

With superstar Shohei Ohtani playing despite a partially dislocated left shoulder, Los Angeles moved within one victory of a surprising sweep in this much-hyped contest between traditional powers.

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

Teoscar Hernández threw out a runner at home plate with a pinpoint peg from 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 shot three batters in gave him a home run in five consecutive World Series games dating to 2021 with Atlanta, matching a major league record set by George Springer with Houston.

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

Since then, it’s been all Dodgers.

Game 4 is Tuesday night at ******* Stadium. Down to three healthy starters, the Dodgers plan their fourth bullpen game of this postseason. Rookie right-hander Luis Gil goes for 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 World Series matchups in a row against the Yankees dating to its 1981 crown.

This one marked the first Series game at ******* Stadium since New York clinched its 27th title in 2009 against Philadelphia. But a return home didn’t help Aaron Judge and the slumping Bronx ********, held to four runs in the past two games.

Judge again looked lost at the plate. He is 1 for 12 (.083) with no RBIs and seven strikeouts in the Series and is hitting .140 with 20 strikeouts in this post-season.

“Come ready to go tomorrow,” manager Aaron Boone said of Judge’s struggles.

“He’s Aaron Judge, and just continue to work and hopefully get on time and connect on some.”

Ohtani, who wasn’t on the team bus from Dodger Stadium to Los Angeles International Airport because he was getting tests after partially separating his left shoulder in Game 2, walked leading off the game and scored on Freeman’s two-run homer.

Ohtani was 0 for 3 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, looking uncomfortable as he winced and grimaced while swinging. He dropped to 1 for 11 in Series.

New York didn’t score until Alex Verdugo’s two-run homer off Michael Kopech with two outs in the ninth inning. 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-interrupted season was May 18 against Cincinnati.

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