Schadenfreude 357 (A Continuing Series)

Game 3
Dodgers - 201 001 000 - 4  5  0
Yankees - 000 000 002 - 2  5  1

Yankees' Season On The Brink After Lifeless Effort In Game 3 Of World Series
Greg Joyce, Post

If the Yankees are going to come back to win the World Series, they will have to make history. 

But on Monday, they only inched closer to being history. 

Back home for The Bronx's first World Series game in 15 years, one that Anthony Rizzo had called a "must-win game," the Yankees turned in another dud, falling 4-2 to the Dodgers to go down [0-3] in the series . . .

There have been 24 teams that have fallen behind [0-3] in the World Series and none of them have come back to win it. Of course, only one team in MLB history has ever come back from a [0-3] deficit in any best-of-seven playoff series, and it was the Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. . . .

The Yankees have not been swept in the World Series since the Reds beat them in 1976. 

The Dodgers struck immediately with Freddie Freeman's two-run homer off Clarke Schmidt in the top of the first and it did not get much better from there as the crowd lost steam with little to cheer for over the course of a chilly night. 

The Yankees did not have a hit off Walker Buehler until the fourth inning, when Giancarlo Stanton roped a one-out double to left field. But with two outs, Stanton was thrown out at home trying to score from second on Anthony Volpe's single. It took a perfect throw from left fielder Teoscar Hernandez, whose one-hopper landed in a spot that allowed catcher Will Smith to slap a quick tag on Stanton. . . .

Schmidt started his night off by not making Shohei Ohtani and his subluxed left shoulder swing at all in his first plate appearance, walking him on four pitches. 

One out later, the red-hot Freeman turned on a cutter at the top of the zone and crushed it to right field for a two-run homer and the 2-0 lead. Freeman . . . has homered in all three games this series and in five straight World Series games (dating to 2021 with [Atlanta]), tying an MLB record. . . .

Yankees Only Have One Hope To Pull Off Red Sox-Like Miracle
Mike Vaccaro, Post

Who's going to play the part of Kevin Millar on Tuesday afternoon? Jazz Chisholm Jr.? Chisholm has Millar's chattiness. Maybe it'll be Gerrit Cole. Cole is a loud and ardent leader. . . .

Twenty years later, it'll take two things for the Yankees to be able to balance the scales of baseball justice. Twenty years after becoming the first — and still only — baseball team to squander a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven, this would be a good time to channel those detested Red Sox and find something inside themselves starting Tuesday. 

That's when they will report to work down [0-3] . . .

Now, they need to do the worst thing imaginable: close their eyes, bite down hard, swallow harder and … emulate the Red Sox.  . . .

The kind of confidence Millar and his mates had would be useful, sure. More important . . . The Yankees need Judge [hitting .083 in the World Series] to show up. Period. STAT, as they used to say on "ER." 

It's no longer enough to say it'd be "nice" if he got on track. It's no longer feasible to build an argument that the Yankees can somehow survive in this series by carrying Judge instead of the other way around. It's past time to laud Judge for taking "good at-bats," like the one he took in the eighth inning, a six-pitch walk off LA righty Ryan Brasier. 

No. Not good enough. 

The Yankees need more. . . . David Ortiz is in the building; that was the biggest element of the Sox's miracle 20 years ago. In Games 3 through 7, Big Papi had a 1.199 OPS. That included home runs in Games 4, 5 and 7 and nine of the most essential RBIs ever collected over a four-game stretch. He was Superman. 

The Yankees need their Superman. . . .

"He'll come ready to go. He's Aaron Judge," said Boone . . .

Yankees fans treated him warmly, as expected, and will do so Tuesday night, for sure, even after another 0-for-3, even as his postseason average frittered to .140. He's running out of season now, and the Yankees are running out of time. . . .

The Question Dave Roberts Wouldn't Answer After Dodgers Take 3-0 World Series Lead
Matt Ehalt

Oh, so now Dave Roberts doesn't want to talk about a 3-0 series lead.

The Dodgers manager jokingly interrupted a reporter Monday night who referenced his legacy-defining role in the Red Sox rallying from a [0-3] hole against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS . . .

"Don't talk about that," said Roberts, whose stolen base off Mariano Rivera in Game 4 changed that series 20 years ago."Wrong guy. Way too early."

Roberts can laugh and smile since his team clearly looks like the better team and has a chance to complete a sweep Tuesday night after grabbing a 4-2 win in Game 3 on Wednesday [it was Monday]. . . .

"I think offensively, to be quite honest, we left a lot of runs out there (Monday), still found a way to win a ball game and there's just got to be urgency. I just don't want to let these guys up for air."

For as bad as things look for the Yankees right now, things looked just as grim for the Red Sox in 2004 after they dropped Game 3, 19-8, at home to put their season on the brink.

But Roberts stole second base off Rivera in the ninth in Game 4 and scored on a game-tying single by Bill Mueller and the rest is history.

The Red Sox won Games 4 and 5 in extra innings, grabbed a 4-2 win in the infamous "Bloody Sock" Game 6 and then won Game 7 in The Bronx in a rout.

Those 2004 Red Sox are the only team among the 40 in baseball history to ever rally from a [0-3] hole in a best-of-seven series, per MLB.com, and one of just two to even reach a Game 7.

The Yankees will settle for even a Game 5 right now since the Dodgers appear to be out of their league so far . . . 

Yankees Crumbling In World Series Is Raising Uncomfortable Questions
Jon Heyman, Post

There's still a game to go, and that likely isn't good news for these Yankees. Through three games — all defeats — the Yankees are showing no indication they belong on the same field with the Dodgers, much less in a World Series with anyone. 

The questions that must be asked now: Did they win a league that was unusually weak? And did we all (myself included) overrate them? 

The Dodgers are killing them, and keep in mind LA is doing it with only three starting pitchers — one with an alleged lower-back concern that scared off these very Yankees, one who returned from shoulder woes and a third (Walker Buehler) who'd won only one game since returning midseason from his second Tommy John surgery — that is before shutting the Yankees down in the Dodgers' 4-2 Game 3 win. . . .

All indications are the Yankees are not the caliber of a World Series winner.  . . .

These Yankees were supposed to possess an immense rotation advantage . . . Neither Game 3 starter Clarke Schmidt nor Carlos Rodon made it into the fourth. 

Luis Severino months ago jokingly trash-talked the Yankees by text, telling them they had "two hitters," and he might be right. He just had the wrong two. It's Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton now. Aaron Judge continued his unreal October funk. . . . 

[W]e probably need to reevaluate this team. It won 94 games, but it feels like the Yankees did it in a much inferior league. . . .

Let's not forget, those Mets, allegedly a team in transition, beat the Yankees four for four. 

It's time to face the reality that this is a flawed Yankees team, a team whose lineup lacks true depth, a team that runs the bases poorly, a team that doesn't do any little things. In these three games, they didn't do big things, either. 

The Yankees took 15 years to get back to the World Series, and when they finally arrived, they look like they don't belong.

The Dodgers Are Exposing The Yankees In Every Way In One-Sided World Series
Joel Sherman, Post

The Yankees have a simple problem in this World Series. Everything they do well, the Dodgers do better — power, patience, pitching.

And then there is so much the Yankees do not do well, from running the bases to executing on defense, that Los Angeles also excels at.

Heck, the Dodgers even have the advantage in areas such as a way louder home crowd, deeper bench and better pregame rap performance — Ice Cube over Fat Joe. . . .

The Yankees waited 15 years to play in the World Series, and with each passing game, it's like they were never even here. A CSI crew will be needed to search for fingerprints and DNA at this point.

Game 1 was a classic that the Yankees squandered from their defense to Aaron Boone's decision-making. And since Freddie Freeman's grand slam decided that one in the 10th inning, the Yankees have not had a lead and have been lifeless on offense.

I'm not sure you can be blown out by a final score of 4-2 — yet that is how Game 2 and now Game 3 have played out. . . . [F]irst Carlos Rodon and then Clarke Schmidt pitched the Yankees behind while Dodgers starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto and then Walker Buehler on Monday night began a baton pass of pitching suffocation.

In both games, the Yankees offense slept for eight innings and roused in the ninth to cosmetically create a close final score that did not reflect the on-field reality . . .

"Extremely tough," said Alex Verdugo . . .

It is tough on steroids. Perhaps you can convince someone dumb or dumber that the Yankees have a chance because once in 40 tries when a team trailed 0-3 in an MLB postseason series, it did come back to win. That was the 2004 Red Sox, whose comeback against the Yankees was fueled by a Game 4 stolen base by current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. But David Ortiz is not walking off the FOX pregame set through those Yankees clubhouse doors. . . .

It already feels like a Whitey Ford ago that the preview of this series was an even matchup of coastal superpowers destined to go seven games.

Instead, Freeman has tied the Yankees 3-3 in homers and Los Angeles leads 5-3 overall in the one category the Yankees must win to conceal blemishes elsewhere. Another Yankee strength is plate discipline, but it is the Dodgers grinding Yankee pitchers, turning their first two walks into runs. . . .

Tommy Edman drew a walk to open the third off Schmidt, who would not survive the inning. He then created a run in a way generally foreign to the Yankees via legs and baseball IQ. He was running and took second on Ohtani's groundout and then got a great read instantly that Mookie Betts' looper to right was going to fall and scored easily. Gavin Lux stole a base in the sixth inning to position himself to score on Enrique Hernandez's signal for a 4-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Yanks are the worst baserunning team in the majors. . . .

Rodon and Schmidt combined to last six innings and allow seven runs in Games 2 and 3 compared to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler combining for 11.1 and one run. . . .

[Aaron Judge went] 0-for-3 with a walk to fall to 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts in this World Series, 6-for-43 (.140) this postseason and 42-for-214 (.196) in his postseason career. Judge has no hits in his last two World Series games and the Yanks are 17-34 (postseason included) when Judge does not have a hit in a game. . . .

"Hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world," Boone said. . . .

That feels like an impossible mountain when you do nothing better than your opponent.

Giancarlo Stanton Giveth And Taketh Away — All In One Maddening Yankees Moment
Dan Martin, Post

The Yankees knew Giancarlo Stanton's lack of speed might hurt them in the postseason. 

On Monday, in a desperate attempt to get back in Game 3 of the World Series, it did, as Stanton was thrown out at the plate in the fourth inning of a 4-2 loss to the Dodgers that put the Yankees a defeat away from their season being over. 

Barely able to get anything going against Walker Buehler, Stanton's double with one out in the bottom of the fourth and the Yankees trailing by three runs, was one of their brief glimmers of hope versus the Dodgers. 

After Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined out to right, Anthony Volpe singled to left. 

With two outs, most runners would have easily scored on the play — but Stanton is no ordinary runner. 

Still, third base coach Luis Rojas sent Stanton and tested the arm of Teoscar Hernandez in left. 

Hernandez threw a one-hopper to the plate, just in time to nab Stanton, as Will Smith made the tag to end the inning and the only Yankees threat until Alex Verdugo homered with two outs in the ninth. . . .

The send by Rojas was understandable, since to that point, the increasingly feeble Yankees offense was mostly asleep. . . .

Lumbering Giancarlo Stanton Tagged Out At Home In Befuddling Yankees World Series Decision
Michael Blinn, Post

The Yankees were willing to try something — anything — but this might not have been the answer.

Giancarlo Stanton was thrown out at home plate on what will go down as a head-scratching call by third base coach Luis Rojas to end the fourth inning in Game 3 of the World Series.

On the wrong end of a 3-0 score, Stanton hit a one-out double . . .

Anthony Volpe sent a [two-out] single to left field — fielded by the Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez — and Stanton, never known for his foot speed, was waved around by Rojas.

Herenandez's [sic] one-bounce throw from shallow left went right to catcher Will Smith in more than enough time to apply an inning-ending tag — and prevent the Bombers from getting on the board. . . .

[Stanton] had one of MLB's worst sprint speed's this season at 24.5 feet per second, ranking 549th out of 566 qualified players, per Statcast — only catcher Jose Trevino was worse on the Yankees roster at 24.4.

It's far from the first time Stanton's baserunning has been a Yankees problem, with Monday night probably not being the best time to put it to the test again.

NOTE: Hernandez's throw was most definitely NOT "in more than enough time". He needed to make a perfect throw and he made a perfect fucking throw. Watching the fourth or fifth replay, I was still amazed. Hernandez fired a rope that took one infield hop and reached Smith's glove at chest level. A split-second later, Stanton slid in and Smith barely needed to move his glove, if at all. Sure, Stanton runs like he's got two pianos on his back, but with two outs, it was the absolute correct decision to send him. Why hold him at third? So he can watch the next batter make the third out? Even if it might not have been a smart gamble, at the time, it was a necessary gamble. A Post reader and MFY fan made this comment: "Stanton is a ONE tool player who has been stealing money from the Yankees and their fans for years now. . . . he misses big chunks of games, can't play in the field, and runs the bases 1/2 speed during the season and 3/4 speed during the postseason."

Aaron Judge's Playoff Nightmare Deepens With Another Disappearing Act
Mark W. Sanchez, Post

Hints of progress arrived in the eighth . . .

Against Ryan Brasier, [Judge] swung through two borderline pitches and the crowd grew disgruntled, ready to boo the Yankees captain with one more whiff.

But Judge laid off three straight sliders that slid out of the zone, reaching on a walk that showed the process might be improving. 

But "process" is for April and May and June. In October, results matter, and Judge has not found nearly enough. . . .

Judge has stepped to the plate 13 times in the World Series. He has gone back to the dugout unhappy 11 times. Seven of those times have been strikeouts in a series in which he is hitting .083. . . .

The Yankees have scored seven runs in three games, and their offensive ineptitude begins with their strongest slugger. . . .

His manager has confidence that Judge can and will break out of this. Why? "He's Aaron Judge," Aaron Boone said after Judge had four more chances in Game 3 and wasted three of them. . . .

In just about every at-bat, there is a feeling that something might change and the reality that nothing has: During this postseason, the presumptive AL MVP is 6-for-43 (.140) across 12 games. He is 3-for-22 (.136) with runners on base and 0-for-10 with six strikeouts with runners in scoring position. 

Freddie Freeman Stuns Yankee Stadium — And Ties World Series Record With One Swing
Justin Terranova, Post

Freddie Freeman's torturing of the Yankees is now tying records.

Freeman's first-inning two-run homer gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in Game 3 of the World Series and marked the fifth straight Fall Classic game the first baseman has homered in.

Freeman, 35, tied the mark held by the Astros' George Springer . . .

Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt opened the game by walking Shohei Ohtani and after Mookie Betts flew out to left, Freeman launched over the right field fence to quiet a raucous Yankee Stadium crowd.

Freeman hit the walkoff grand slam in Game 1 against Nestor Cortes and then hit a solo shot off Carlos Rodon in Game 2 to push the Dodgers' lead to 4-1.

Did anyone but the most delusional Yankee fans think Schmidt was going to do anything other than what he did (2.2-2-3-4-3, 68)? Clarke is probably a nice guy (or not, since most ball players are right-wingers), but if you are putting all your chips on a "Clark Schmidt" to save your season, your season is already kaput.

Clarke Schmidt Flops When The Yankees Needed Him The Most
Dan Martin, Post

Before Clarke Schmidt faced the Dodgers on Monday, the last Yankee pitcher to take the mound with his team facing a 2-0 series deficit in the World Series was David Cone in 1996. . . .

Cone allowed just one run over six innings on that October night against Atlanta after the Yankees had taken an early lead. . . .

Schmidt had a much different result . . . that sent the Yankees to the brink of their season ending. 

Schmidt walked Shohei Ohtani on four pitches to start the game and then gave up a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman with one out.

He was unable to get out of the third inning against Los Angeles, done in also by four walks in just 2.2 innings before he was pulled with the bases loaded. . . .

"I didn't do my job tonight," Schmidt said. . . .

Schmidt [issued] a leadoff walk to No. 9 hitter Tommy Edman in the third. Ohtani grounded out to send Edman to second and Betts flared a single to right to score Edman and make it 3-0. 

A walk to Freeman followed and Schmidt appeared ready to survive the inning when he got Teoscar Hernandez to pop to short, but a walk to Max Muncy ended his night with the Yankee bullpen needing to fill the remaining 6.1 innings and in dire need of a win.

John Sterling Got 'Fooled' With Brutal World Series Home Run Call
Erich Richter

From "All Rise" to Go Sit.

Yankees longtime radio voice John Sterling got just a bit ahead of himself when scuffling Yankees star Aaron Judge sent a hanging fourth-inning curveball to left field.

"And the breaking ball, there it goes, deep left-center field," Sterling, 86, said with his voice punctuated, ready to deliver his patented home run call.

"And, Teoscar is there to make the catch. Oh, did I get fooled on that. With that swing and the ball majestically going to left field, Suzyn, I actually thought it was going to be out. And it wasn't close." . . .

Waldman checked to see if perhaps the wind was a factor. "I'm looking to see if the flags pulled that one in. Nope. Flags blowing in a little bit," Waldman said. . . .

We've seen the Yankees' legendary radio broadcaster get fooled many times in recent years.

In October 2021, Giancarlo Stanton hit a rocket off the Green Monster in Boston which Sterling called a "Stantonian home run," before realizing that the ball was now in the infield. Looking for answers Sterling asked, "What did I do wrong?"

In 2022, Sterling made multiple errors, including in May when he thought then-Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman hit a home run when Stanton actually made a leaping catch on the ball, robbing Chapman of an extra-base hit.

Stanton also hit what looked to be a home run that April. This time, Sterling outright called it a home run before Toronto's left fielder Raimel Tapia caught it on the warning track in Yankee Stadium.

Sterling previously retired due to health concerns during the 2024 season but has since returned for the postseason. It is entirely possible that the next Yankee loss will be his final in a radio booth.

What's next?

YED.