Yankee Stadium II packed for its 1st World Series game in 15 years. The home crowd roaring. Derek Jeter throwing out the ceremonial first ball. It was all set for the Yankees to take over the Series and make the comeback.
And then Clarke Schmidt gives up a 2-run home run to Freddie Freeman. The air all goes out of the balloon. The game was essentially over before the Yankees even come to bat.
Schmidt didn't get out of the 3rd inning. Aaron Boone used 8 different pitchers. The Yankees didn't get a hit until the 4th inning. Just 3 hits and 5 walks in the 1st 8 innings. It didn't help that the umpires gave the Yankee hitters at strike zone the size of The Bronx, but that's not why we lost.
Aaron Judge went 0-for-3 with a walk. In this World Series, his batting average is .083, his on-base percentage is .154, and his slugging percentage is .063. In 3 games, he has 1 hit, no RBIs, and 7 strikeouts. For his career, in postseason play, his "slash line" is .196/.303/.430.
With 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, Anthony Rizzo drew a walk, and advanced to 2nd base on a wild pitch. With 2 out, Alex Verdugo hit a home run, so we wouldn't be shut out. Then Gleyber Torres, who had drawn 2 of the walks, grounded out. Dodgers 4, Yankees 2.
Two runs in the 1st 9 innings, 3 times. Only once in the entire World Series thus far have the Yankees put back-to-back hits together. This hitting is so pathetic, I can't even credit the Dodgers' pitching. The Yankee slash line is .186/.284/.294.
And the Dodgers' have not been that much better: .213/.296/.457. They've scored 14 runs, and Freeman has driven in 7 of them. Shohei Ohtani has been a bust, too, going .091/.286/.182. The Series has been there for the taking. The Yankees haven't taken it. This Series isn't being won, it's being lost.
The Yankees were so good in September and the first half of October. Now, it looks like they used up all their talent and luck just to get into the World Series.
Game 4 is tonight, at 8:00. Luis Gil starts for us. As of this writing, at 2:40 PM, the Dodgers had not announced their starting pitcher. I don't think it matters: The Yankees won't hit.
The season ends tonight. It ended with a Division title, 2 postseason series won, and a Pennant -- but also with one of the most pathetic World Series performances ever. Is that a success?
The Mets are no longer the New York team with the most recent Pennant. The Yankees are. And the Yankees are still the New York team with the most recent World Series win. But the Red Sox have won 2 World Series since the Yankees last won (and the Sox had to cheat to get them). Is that something with which we should still be concerned?
There's a chance we could lose both Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole to free agency. And if Hal Steinbrenner's commitment is to Soto 1st, he may not lift a finger to sign Cole 2nd.
And Judge may never get a better chance to win a World Series -- with this franchise.
It could be a long night. It will be a very long off-season.
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