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The Dodgers dominate the Yankees and are one win away from winning the World Series

NEW YORK – Dave Roberts stood on a makeshift stage at Dodger Stadium eight days ago and looked out at thousands of people celebrating around the ballpark. He had screamed himself hoarse after winning the National League pennant, but the Los Angeles Dodgers manager wanted one last blast from the crowd.

“Hey! Do you want a parade in Los Angeles?” Roberts asked. “Four more wins!”

After a 4-2 win Monday over the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series, the Dodgers are poised for a championship that's far different from the title that was marred by COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. The desire for a proper coronation has become a rallying cry for this group as they move toward a title. The triumph could come as early as Tuesday. The first World Series game at Yankee Stadium since 2009 ended like the last two at Chavez Ravine, with the Dodgers celebrating and the Yankees lamenting missed opportunities.

“You couldn’t ask for a better start to these three games,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “But we still have one more to go.”

On Monday, the Dodgers never trailed. Freeman hit a two-run home run in the first inning. Walker Buehler limited the Yankees to two hits in five scoreless innings. Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt couldn't finish the third inning. He was rocked by Freeman's early home run and subsequently crushed by the Dodgers' patience.

The Los Angeles bullpen held the line after Buehler went out. The relievers will be asked to handle all 27 outs in Game 4 as the Yankees put their season in the hands of hard-throwing rookie Luis Gil. The situation looks bleak for the Yankees and good for the Dodgers. No team in World Series history has overcome a 3-0 deficit. Last week's hype has given way to reality: only one club has so far demonstrated championship suitability. Aaron Judge, the Yankees' likely MVP and captain, went hitless in three at-bats, in a game in which his teammates stranded eight runners.

“Hopefully we can tell this amazing story and shock the world,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But at the moment it’s about getting a lead, winning a game and forcing another. But we have to grab one first.”

After two exciting nights in Los Angeles, this series was no longer kissed by the sun in a stadium surrounded by palm trees. The difficulty of the sport, its ability to injure and humiliate even its best athletes, dominated the discourse after Game 2. As fans flocked to the Bronx for Game 3, there were two main questions: Would Shohei Ohtani's shoulder heal? And would Judge's bat awaken?

Near the end of Game 2, Ohtani rammed his left arm into the dirt while attempting to steal second base. He writhed in pain and clutched his shoulder. An examination revealed partial dislocation but no structural damage. He traveled away from the team but said in the squad group chat that he would not miss Game 3. He tested his shoulder on his day off on Sunday. Some swings hurt more than others. The medical staff concluded that Ohtani could play as long as he could tolerate the pain. During pregame introductions, he carried a heating pad over his shoulder and punched his teammates with his right hand.

“If he can play and is willing, he will play,” Roberts said Sunday afternoon. “Schmidt will know Shohei is in the box, so that means everything.”

Roberts was right. Ohtani didn't have to swing the bat in his first plate appearance. At the start of the game he ran across four pitches. At first he stood, holding the collar of his shirt as if he were wearing an invisible noose. He didn't have to strain: Ohtani kept the jersey with a leisurely walk around the bases after Freeman pounced on a belt-high cutter for a two-run shot. He held his arm to his chest to keep from slipping.

Judge received a rousing cheer during introductions. The crowd serenaded him with the garlands he's expected to receive for a second time next month: “MVP, MVP.” His inability to repeat his stellar performances all summer in the fall has caused consternation among Yankees fans . Judge batted .140 with three extra-base hits throughout October.

At the end of the first lecture, Judge was greeted with a standing ovation. The good mood lasted six pitches. Judge swung through a cutter for his seventh strikeout of the series. The crowd had the decency not to mock.

Ohtani actually struck out in his second appearance, chopping a grounder to right that moved shortstop Tommy Edman to second base in the third inning. The extra 90 feet allowed Edman to showcase his basic running ability when Mookie Betts hit a flare to right field. Juan Soto charged toward the baseball and held up his glove as if he was going to catch it. Edman ignored the deke. He ran all the time and scored with ease.

Buehler scored his first goal in the fourth period. Giancarlo Stanton, the standout designated hitter, hit a sweeper into the left field corner. Stanton reached second with a one-out double. The defense saved Bühler. Betts dove to grab a well-hit liner from third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. When shortstop Anthony Volpe singled to left, Teoscar Hernández threw up. Stanton hadn't even reached third base when Hernández gloved the baseball. Dodgers catcher Will Smith dropped a tag to Stanton's center section for the crucial third out.

“It was a game with a lot of momentum,” Buehler said. “It was pretty cool that they got some momentum and we shut it down.”

The piece gave Bühler a reprieve. He was once one of the best young pitchers in baseball, a lean but confident prospect who could bully and outsmart hitters with equal panache. The last few years haven't been kind to him. Before the game, Boone was asked if he wanted to bench a left-handed hitter, catcher Austin Wells, even though Buehler has had so much trouble with left-handed swingers this year. “The righties hit him pretty well, too,” Boone said. The assessment was harsh but fair. Buehler posted a 5.38 ERA during the season as he returned after missing most of the previous two seasons recovering from a second Tommy John surgery.

Buehler fixed these errors in October. Performing this time of year is “kind of the only thing that matters to me,” he said earlier this month. On Monday night, he turned back the clock and resembled the pitcher he was before his final surgery. He struck out five batters. His defenders stood steadfastly behind him. He hit well enough to win. “For me, the regular season is worth it,” Buehler said.

The Dodgers sounded confident but measured after Game 3. They understood how close they were to a parade. They also understood the dangers of impudence. Roberts, of course, played a crucial role with the 2004 Boston Red Sox, still the only team in baseball to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series. A reporter asked Roberts about it as the clock turned to Tuesday morning.

“Don’t talk about it,” Roberts said. “The wrong one. Far too soon.” He added: “It has to be urgent. I don’t want to let these guys come up for air.”

(Photo by Freddie Freeman: Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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