Dave Roberts says the World Series isn't over despite a 3-0 lead

But with the Dodgers now on the other side of the coin in this year's World Series against the Yankees, Boston's unprecedented triumph 20 years ago is the last thing Roberts wants to think about.

“Don’t talk about it,” Roberts said after Game 3 on Monday when a reporter mentioned the Red Sox comeback. “The wrong one. Way too soon.”

After their 4-2 win in Game 3, the Dodgers will cruise to victory on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Los Angeles became the 41st team to score three games to zero in a best-of-seven postseason series. Of the 40 clubs to have done so so far, 31 won the series and five won in five games. Only four teams have managed to take the series to a sixth game after falling behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series, and two of those teams – the 2004 Red Sox and the 2020 Astros – forced a seventh game.

In World Series history prior to 2024, 24 teams have won three games to nil, and 21 of them finished with a win in Game 4. The last team to win a Game 5 in a 3-0 loss in the World Series forced was the Reds against the Orioles in 1970.

In other words, things are looking pretty bleak for the Yankees. However, Roberts knows all too well that the series isn't over until it's over.

“From the other side, I don’t want to give away any secrets, but from the other side, I just think we need to stay focused and urgent,” Roberts said. “I think offensively tonight, to be quite honest, we left a lot of runs left. I still found a way to win a ball game.

“There just has to be urgency. I just don’t want to let these guys come up for air.”

Still, Roberts has no plans to regularly remind his team of the events of 2004.

“No, I won’t. “I won’t,” Roberts said. “I think they're very familiar with 20 years ago and what could happen. “I mean, anything is possible. Our guys are very eager, very hungry for a championship, a parade. So nothing stands in the way of that, nothing.”