'Otani's dream' One win left! Freeman pre-emptive two-run shot + five scoreless innings, one-sided series...LAD 4-2 NYY
Oct 29, 2024
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The Dodgers won Game 3 of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on the 29th with Freddie Freeman's first home run and starter Walker Buehler's good pitching.
The Dodgers, who have pushed the series to three wins, will become the world champion for the first time in four years since 2020 and 36 years since 1988 with the regular 162-game season. In the best-of-seven postseason, the team that won the first three games has won the series 39 times out of 40 times. Never in the World Series. The Dodgers' chances of winning the World Series are 97.5% according to historical statistics.
Game 4 between the two teams will be held at 9:08 a.m. on the 30th at the same place. The Dodgers are going to be bullpen day, and Lewis Hill is going to start for the Yankees.
Freeman, who made the first two-run shot, was the first contributor to the Dodgers' victory in Game 3. Game 1 walk-off grand slam, Game 2 wedge solo home run, followed by a home run parade for three consecutive games. It is the third time that he has hit a home run in the first three consecutive games of a single World Series, following Hank Bauer of the New York Yankees in 1958 and Barry Bonds in 2002.
Freeman also hit home runs in five straight World Series games, including Games 5 and 6 of the 2021 World Series when he was with the Atlanta Braves, tying George Springer (2017, 2019) in this category.
Ohtani of the Dodgers, who was uncertain to play due to an incomplete dislocation of his left shoulder while stealing in the second game, entered the lineup as a designated hitter for the leadoff and recorded no hits, one walk, and one run in three at-bats.
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After the lead Ohtani walked to get on base, Mookie Betts retired with a short fly to left field, one out and one out. Freeman then came to the plate and pulled the Yankees right-hander Clark Schmidt's 4th pitch 93.3 miles cutter as it flew high into the body's high course and easily hit the right fence with a line drive. Freeman's third arch of the postseason with an angle of launch of 29 degrees, a batting speed of 100.3 miles and a distance of 355 feet.
Freeman reported his first cannon of the postseason by shooting a finishing grand slam to the right in the bottom of the 10th inning, trailing 2-3 in the first game at Dodger Stadium on the 26th, and the next day, the second game hit a shot to win with a solo home run to right-center in the third inning with a 3-1 lead. In the third game, he also fired the first shot and held a decisive home run parade for three consecutive games. If the Dodgers win the World Series as it is, Freeman is highly likely to be named MVP of the series.
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Betts hit a timely hit in front of right field to widen the gap to 3-0 with one out and second base caught by lead Tommy Edman's walk and Ohtani's ground ball to second base. The Dodgers continued to get two more walks, giving them a chance to load the bases with two outs, but Will Smith hit a pitcher ground ball to Yankees Mark Leiter Jr., who took the mound, failing to score additional points.
The Dodgers also had a chance in the top of the fourth inning. With a walk by lead Gavin Lux and a hit to the right-center field by Kike Hernandez, runners on first and third bases with no outs. Edman bunted in front of the pitcher, but third baseman Lux was out of the home base, making it one out and runners on first and second. Ohtani then struck out with a swing and miss by the changed pitcher left-hander Nestor Cortes, and Betts stepped down with a fly ball to left field, failing to take advantage of the chance.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Giancarlo Stanton hit a left double after one out, but the Yankees missed a chance to chase after being tagged out while running home around third base when Anthony Volpi hit left. Dodgers left fielder Teoscar's home pitch was accurate, and Stanton's foot was slow.
The Dodgers added a point in the top of the sixth inning to completely control the game. After one out, Lux got on base with a pitch and stole second base to create a scoring position. Kike then hit a heavy hit and added a point to run 4-0.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jaz Chisom Jr. grounded out to the second base with two outs and runners on the first and second bases, and Gleyber Torres struck out in the seventh inning with two outs and runners on the first and second bases. The Yankees, who were dragged 0-4, recovered two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning by beating Dodgers right-hander Michael Kopech with a superior two-run home run, but the game was already tilted.
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Buehler threw 76 pitches, shooting a fastball speed of up to 96.2 miles and an average of 94.6 miles, and his fastball swing rate reached 46%. On the other hand, Yankees starter Schmidt lost the game by allowing three runs on two hits and four walks in two ⅔ innings.
Yankees twin guns Juan Soto and Aaron Judge went 0-for-3 with one walk side by side.
jhno@sportschosun.com
