Like in 1996, the Yankees suffered a 2-0 deficit in the 2024 World Series

LOS ANGELES – It's been about 27 years since George Steinbrenner walked into the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, worried about the previous night's World Series loss, and told his manager that the next nine innings would be a “must-watch game.” “must win”.

Joe Torre didn't flinch and told an incredulous boss that he believed they could lose that night too.

Then, in his first year as Yankees captain, Torre doubted his team's chances against opposing star Greg Maddux, who would actually turn in a great performance. But Torre told Steinbrenner that there was “nothing to worry about” and that they could still recover from a 2-0 deficit to upset the favored Braves.

The 2024 Yankees now face a similar challenge after suffering a 4-2 loss to the Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night. They're down but not eliminated because they're aware of the task ahead of them as the Fall Classic moves its venue to New York – temporarily, they hope, since a potential Yankees championship win will now take place in Los Angeles would.

“We've been through a lot of difficult moments throughout the year,” said Juan Soto, who hit a home run and had two hits in Game 2. “We experienced that. We know what it's like to get a few punches in the face. We just keep fighting, keep going. That tells you we can go home, do our thing and then come back here to try to win it.”

These 1996 Yankees, like this year's version, had to wait 15 years to get back into the World Series – their last Fall Classic was a loss to the Dodgers in 1981. When they lost 2-0 to Atlanta, the resurgence began, when David Cone defeated Tom Glavine in Game 3.

“Joe Torre always talked about the biggest game being Game 3,” Joe Girardi, the catcher for that club, said on the YES Network. “It either puts you back on the show or almost eliminates you from the show.”

Only 15 teams in 92 tries have won a best-of-seven postseason series in which they lost the first two games – the 2001 Yankees were a club that couldn't recover despite the October-November drama.

Anthony Rizzo said: “The biggest thing is that we win the game on Monday, the pressure goes to the other side and we will make it a series.”

That's the task facing Clarke Schmidt, who will make his first World Series start on the mound. The 28-year-old can't match Cone's previous experience, but he's arguably brimming with just as much confidence and self-assurance.

“We have a lot of Bulldogs on this team,” Schmidt said. “I would say everyone in this clubhouse has had problems at some point in their life. We’ll just keep fighting.”

And that could definitely happen. These Dodgers barely have the starting pitching trifecta of Maddux, Glavine and John Smoltz (although Smoltz is in the park for television duties). Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were excellent in the first two games, but the rest of Los Angeles' pitching plans are unclear.

There is also a lot of uncertainty about Shohei Ohtani's availability after he suffered a left shoulder subluxation, at least for Game 3 and possibly later in the series.

Later in the 1996 Series, the Yankees bounced back with timely hitting (including Jim Leyritz's game-winning home run in Game 4), brilliant pitching (Andy Pettitte in Game 5), and memorable defensive plays (Paul O'Neill slammed into the wall in Atlanta). This would all have to start in Game 3.

“It’s absolutely a must,” Rizzo said. “You’re not going home if you don’t win on Monday, but the odds are stacked against you.”

Soto pointed to the positives, saying the Yankees “dominated” Game 1 before “a pitch literally changed things,” referring to the walk-off grand slam that was Freddie Freeman against Nestor Cortes. Soto added that he was encouraged by the ninth inning of Game 2, in which the Yanks scored a run by making “really good contact.” We made good at-bats after good at-bats.”

“This series could easily end 2-0 for us,” Stanton said. “That’s what happens when you’re an extremely good ball club on the other side. It could go in any direction.”

One aspect that may benefit the Yanks compared to 1996 is that they will now have the home crowd on their side at the heart of the series.

“They’re going to bring the noise,” Stanton said. “You understand what this is about now.”

But the Dodgers have played better on both sides of the ball, and that's a narrative the Yankees will have to correct when they take the field in the Bronx. Your season depends on it.

“It ain't over 'til it's over,” Rizzo said, almost recalling another great Yankee of the past. “This is a seven-game series. We've had a four-game winning streak many times. We were often 4-1. At the end of the day, it’s all about winning a ballgame.”