New York Yankees

New York Yankees fans are pulling out all the stops to try to help will their team to a Game 5 in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the bottom of the first inning of Game 4, Mookie Betts made a leaping catch against the wall to bring in a foul ball for an out, but two fans at Yankee Stadium tried to take the ball out of his glove. The play was ruled an out after umpires declared fan interference.

"Well, A for effort."

Fan interference was called on this play where a Yankee fan tried to take the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove after an out. pic.twitter.com/iZ6taImncd

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2024

The fans were eventually ejected from the game, an 11-4 win for the Yankees, a league spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic's Brendan Kuty.

"That was one of the most aggressive 'fan ripping the ball out of his glove (incidents)' that I've ever seen," longtime former MLB umpire Dale Scott said, per Kuty.

The Yankees fans who interfered with Mookie Betts' catch in the first inning have been escorted out to the concourse.

Fellow Yankees fans appear to applaud as they leave.

🎥 @rustindodd pic.twitter.com/L8eJzI1yUQ https://t.co/0IEYRvYViv

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 30, 2024

Yankees fans escorted out of World Series Game 4 after trying to rob Mookie Betts of his catch and his arm.
https://t.co/FoOvmcTFt2

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 30, 2024

Both the Yankees and their fans are desperate for a win as they look to avoid a clean sweep by Los Angeles. New York seemed capable of giving the Dodgers a good series after taking things to extra innings in Game 1, but it's been all Los Angeles since then.

The Dodgers won Game 2 4-2 and dominated Game 3 as their pitchers held the Yankees scoreless until the ninth inning when Alex Verdugo finally got them on the board with a two-run homer.

Los Angeles' work on the mound has been too much for New York through three games, especially for star Aaron Judge, who had a hit in Game 1 but has since gone 0-for-7 and gotten on base just once.

Now on the brink of elimination, the Yankees need someone to step up and contribute more, though they'd probably prefer if their fans just enjoyed the game rather than trying to make a play of their own.

In a win-or-go-home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series on Tuesday, the New York Yankees won't bring one of their top starting pitchers out of the bullpen.

Per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Gerrit Cole is not available out of the bullpen in Game 4. The 2023 Cy Young Award winner started Game 1 of the series, pitching six innings and allowing one earned run in the 6-3 loss.

The Yankees will start Luis Gil on Tuesday and give Cole that chance to get fully rested in case New York can force a Game 5. Gil last pitched in the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians on Oct. 18, going four innings and allowing two earned runs with three strikeouts.

Boone said starting Cole on three days of rest is "not something I want to do with Gerrit this year, with what he's been through," per the New York Post's Mark Sanchez.

Cole missed the first few months of the season due to nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow, making his season debut in June. As Boone alluded to, the Yankees would prefer Cole get as much rest as possible given his injury history this season.

New York has erred on the side of caution with Cole this postseason, allowing him to throw between just 80 and 89 pitches in his four appearances. Boone pulled him after 88 pitches in Game 1 despite his outstanding outing. He threw 100 pitches or more four times during the regular season.

Should New York force a Game 5 with a win on Tuesday, it will need the best version of Cole it can get, even if that means not having him on the mound in any capacity in Game 4.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed hope Monday night that his team has what it takes to pull off the biggest comeback in World Series history.

Speaking to reporters after the Yankees' 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 to fall behind 3-0 in the series, Boone discussed the team's plan and mindset (beginning at the 3-minute mark):

"We're trying to get a game tomorrow," Boone said. "OK? That's where our focus lies. Hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world."

If the Yankees overcome a 3-0 deficit to win their 28th World Series championship in franchise history, they will become the first team in MLB history to win the World Series after going down 3-0.

Only one MLB team has ever won a seven-game playoff series after falling behind 3-0, and the Yankees were on the wrong side of it, as they fell in seven games to the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

During the regular season, the Yankees led MLB with 237 home runs and were third in runs scored with 815. They also have the likely American League MVP in Aaron Judge, plus Juan Soto, who stands a strong chance of finishing in the top three of the MVP voting.

Despite that, the Bronx Bombers have largely looked listless during the World Series thus far, scoring a grand total of seven runs in three games.

New York's bats were mystified in Game 3 by Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, who was 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular-season starts coming off his second Tommy John surgery.

Buehler allowed only two hits and two walks with no runs over five innings, and it wasn't until the ninth inning that the Yanks scored their first runs of the game when Alex Verdugo hit a two-run home run with two outs.

The vibes have been off for the Yankees ever since Game 1 when they lost on a walk-off grand slam by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman after leading 2-1 in the eighth inning and 3-2 in the 10th inning.

L.A. has been in firm control of the series ever since, and it would now take an all-time meltdown to prevent the Dodgers from winning their eighth World Series title.

The Yankees should have the pitching advantage in Game 4 on Tuesday night, as they will start Luis Gil, while the Dodgers are planning to go with a bullpen game.

If New York's bats are able to wake up and burn out Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' pen in Game 4, perhaps the Yankees have some hope of winning Game 5 as well and sending the series back to Los Angeles.

The first World Series game in the Bronx since 2009 wasn't enough to break Aaron Judge out of his playoff funk, as the AL MVP favorite finished 0-for-3 with one walk in the New York Yankees' 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 that has them on the brink of being swept.

Judge told reporters after the game he "definitely" feels like he is letting the Yankees down by "not doing my job" right now (starts at 2:29 mark).

Even as the Yankees went 7-2 in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Judge was not a huge contributor to that success. He is hitting .140/.278/.302 with three extra-base hits (two home runs) and 20 strikeouts in 54 plate appearances this postseason.

If you go back to Game 3 of the ALCS, Judge has struck out 14 times in his last 25 at-bats. Monday's game marked the first time he hasn't struck out more than once since Game 2 against the Cleveland Guardians.

Judge is not the only problem for the AL champs right now, but his status as the biggest star on the team makes his struggles stand out. The entire lineup is hitting a combined .186/.284/.294 with 31 strikeouts in 102 at-bats.

Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt have combined to throw as many innings in the past two games as Gerrit Cole did in Game 1 (six). Giancarlo Stanton is the only player with more than one extra-base hit in the series.

The Yankees bullpen has largely done a good job of containing Los Angeles' lineup. They've only allowed one run in 11 innings over the past two games since Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1.

Fans at Yankee Stadium tried to give Judge a confidence boost by giving him a standing ovation prior to his first plate appearance in Game 3.

Judge and the rest of the Yankees need to figure things out in a hurry or else they will be watching the Dodgers celebrate a title on their home field. Game 4 of the World Series will be played on Tuesday at 8:08 p.m. ET.

The Yankees haven't been swept in the World Series since 1976 against the Cincinnati Reds.

The City of Angels may only be one day away from ascending to Heaven, while it already feels like New York is in the other place.

Lest anyone think it can't get worse, just imagine how it'll feel if Juan Soto leaves.

It is neither overly doomy and gloomy nor premature to be thinking ahead about Soto's upcoming trip to the free-agent market. Such is the harsh reality in which the Yankees now find themselves in the World Series against the Dodgers, as a 4-2 loss in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium on Monday has them in a 3-0 hole.

THE @DODGERS TAKE A 3-0 #WORLDSERIES LEAD! pic.twitter.com/aVEAffNtSd

— MLB (@MLB) October 29, 2024

The Yankees, of all teams, know how hard it is to climb out of this particular hole.

They were on the losing end of a 3-0 comeback in 2004 when the Boston Red Sox pulled off a kinda-sorta-very famous rally in the American League Championship Series. It was the first 3-0 comeback in a best-of-seven series at the time, and still is 20 years later.

"It ain't over 'til it's over," as the late, great Yogi Berra purportedly said. And the Yankees are indeed capable of winning four in a row, especially if Aaron Judge finally shows up.

But for the Yankees to pull it off, they'll have to prove to Soto and the world at large that they're something that they're very clearly not: A better team than the Dodgers.

---

The Yankees Are Getting Outclassed, Plain and Simple

Just for kicks, let's list Yankees who are not to blame for the club's predicament.

There's Gerrit Cole, who gave them six one-run innings in Game 1. And Giancarlo Stanton, who had a go-ahead homer in that game and is 4-for-13 for the series.

And then there's Soto himself. He did have a defensive miscue in Game 1, but he followed that with a game-tying homer in Game 2. He's otherwise been the Yankees' most consistent source of good at-bats going 3-for-10 with three walks.

But that's...yeah, that's pretty much it.

Dunking on Judge is akin to flogging a dead horse at this point, but it continues to be unavoidable. In the regular season, he's an all-time great hitter to the tune of a 1.010 OPS. In the postseason, he's an all-time bad one to the tune of a .196 batting average.

It's only getting worse for the 2022 AL MVP, as Judge is now 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts in the World Series. His level of coldness is such that even harmless fly balls momentarily fill people with gleeful hope.

“There it GOES” -John Sterling on Aaron Judge’s routine fly ball pic.twitter.com/nnTOE3Rfzq

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 29, 2024

Though Soto indeed played a big role by way of .989 OPS and 41 home runs, nobody did more than Judge to get the Yankees to 94 wins this season. He hit 58 home runs and drove home 144, with the Yankees going 39-14 on days he left the yard.

Unfortunately, the Yankees truly needed that much from Judge to paper over flaws that are in plain sight right now.

Whereas the Dodgers entered the World Series with a deep roster that could do more than hit home runs, the Yankees checked none of those boxes. That pretty much tells the story of why they're losing, though specific doom-filled moments are worth running through anyway:

• Nestor Cortes getting the call to face Freddie Freeman in Game 1 exposed manager Aaron Boone's less-than-deft bullpen management.
• Misplays by both Soto and Gleyber Torres allowed key runs to score in that game, thus underlining the Yankees' defensive shortcomings.
• That Jose Trevino truly was Boone's best choice to pinch hit with Game 2 on the line is a damning indictment of GM Brian Cashman's roster construction.
• Stanton getting thrown out at home by a mile in Game 3 is more or less typical of the Yankees, who were the worst baserunning team in MLB this season.

Perhaps none of this would matter if the Yanks lived up to their pedigree as the superior power-hitting team. Or, for that matter, their apparent advantage in the starting pitching department. Those two things were always their best hopes of winning their first World Series since 2009 and their 28th title overall.

But it's just...not...happening.

And while it is true that this series could be 2-1 in favor of the Yankees if they had converted key moments in the first two games, that is little more than a coulda-woulda-shoulda fantasy.

Even if it's not officially over, this series is functionally over for the Yankees. And thus, it is that much easier to wonder if the next game could be Soto's last with them.

---

The Yankees Are Making a Weak Case to Keep Soto

The relationship that Soto has built with all of Yankee-dom has warmed the heart many times over at this point. The love truly seems to be real.

"I feel like it's them. They make it really easy for me," Soto said last Thursday, per Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports. "They really welcomed me, really nice, and how they treat me and how they make me feel when I stepped in that clubhouse in spring training. They really make it easy for me. I think they are the big part of this, that's why I feel really comfortable with where I'm at and how happy I am right now."

When it comes down to it, though, the fan who brought the oversized novelty check to Game 3 isn't wrong in his valuation of Soto:

This Yankees fan wrote a $650M check for Juan Soto 😭 pic.twitter.com/vxHEuB6sbr

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 29, 2024

That does seem to be where the 26-year-old's market is heading, and why not?

He has a .421 OBP and 201 home runs to show for his first seven seasons, plus a World Series ring to go with 11 career playoff home runs.

Even if the Yankees won this World Series, it wouldn't necessarily give them a leg up in the looming sweepstakes for Soto's services. This is according to Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, who hears that Soto and agent Scott Boras are "after Shohei Ohtani's record-breaking deal" of 10 years, $700 million with the Dodgers.

A long shot, perhaps, but it's still worth noting that a contract that large would effectively double the Yankees' club record of $360 million for Judge. They can afford it, but so can other teams.

Like, for example, the New York Mets. And maybe the Dodgers, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that they plan to pursue Soto this winter.

Though that report feels like a well-timed psyop, there's little question that the Mets and Dodgers are at least as capable as the Yankees of meeting Soto's price. The Yankees may be the most valuable franchise in MLB. Still, the Mets have by far baseball's richest owner and the Dodgers have amazing flexibility by way of $680 million deferments for Ohtani.

If Soto's choice came down to which is the best place to pursue wins, you really have to wonder why he would favor the Yankees.

The Dodgers have been baseball's winningest team since 2013 and are now on the precipice of a second World Series title in five years. The Mets won more games than anyone after the Grimace game in June, and they actually managed to beat the Dodgers in the NLCS twice.

Both teams also have significantly better talent bases than the Yankees, whose farm system was ranked by B/R's Joel Reuter at No. 29 in MLB in September. A scout in July trashed the Yankees as the "Red Flag organization" due to injuries and poor performances by their prospects.

Ultimately, only Juan Soto will know what's best for Juan Soto this winter. He's certainly not going to come away from free agency as a poorer man, and it'll be hard to argue against him returning if the Yankees make him the best offer.

If they fail to do so, however, it will be just as hard to blame him for leaving.

Soto simply doesn't need the Yankees like they need him, and that has nothing to do with Soto and everything to do with them.

---

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

The New York Yankees are one game away from elimination.

New York's offense was missing until it was too late as it lost Game 3 of the 2024 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2. Los Angeles is now in full control of the series with a 3-0 lead and had no trouble maintaining its momentum even after things shifted to Yankee Stadium.

Freddie Freeman provided the biggest offensive fireworks with a two-run homer in the first inning, while Mookie Betts and Enrique Hernández added RBI singles. But it was the Dodgers' pitching that proved to be the biggest difference, as New York didn't score until Alex Verdugo's two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

It didn't help that presumed American League MVP Aaron Judge went 0-for-3 with a walk, and social media had plenty of reaction to the poor offense from the home team:

Here’s a live look at the Yankees hitters not named Soto or Stanton. pic.twitter.com/AGjet8W49m

— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) October 29, 2024

Someone tell Aaron Judge this game is meaningless so he can get a hit.

— Sam Morril (@sammorril) October 29, 2024

Aaron Judge needs to be benched

— Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco) October 29, 2024

I love Aaron Judge for all the moments he's given us, but I don't think we will ever forget this postseason

Tainted his MVP and tainted his legacy

— Yankee with no Gleyber (Corey) (@Saquon_Gleyber) October 29, 2024

Aaron Judge has gone from MVP to postseason disaster. And now the Yankees are in grave danger of being swept.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 29, 2024

Aaron Judge is gonna get to the HoF by feasting on 3-4-5 starters in the regular season, which is fine. Plenty of guys have done that. Quit telling me he’s the best hitter in the world though.

— Bill (@BillLikesSports) October 29, 2024

Every time the Yankees crowd wants to get into it, Aaron Judge makes sure they sit back down.

— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) October 29, 2024

waited 15 years for the most embarrassing version of Yankees baseball you’ll ever see in the World Series

— roseanne 🥀 (@HoodieFrazier) October 29, 2024

My distaste for the Yankees had dissipated a lot over the last two decades, but these dopes somehow turning this epic World Series matchup into a potential 4-game sweep is birthing a new era of hatred in my heart

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) October 29, 2024

The Yankees game plan to give up runs and score no runs is a very interesting one.

— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) October 29, 2024

It's not over but it's hard to shake the feeling that The Cinderella Story known as the New York Yankees won't have a happy ending.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) October 29, 2024

Everything came up Dodgers in the first two games, and it felt like the Yankees needed a quick start at home to change the vibes. Yet they got anything but that, as Freeman launched a two-run homer off Clarke Schmidt in the top of the first to seize a quick lead.

The slugger, who also homered in each of the first two contests, wasn't the only problem for Schmidt. The New York starter lasted just 2.2 innings and allowed three runs and four walks in a performance his team couldn't afford given its deficit.

FREDDIE FREEMAN AGAIN 😤

He's homered in ALL THREE World Series games so far 🤯

pic.twitter.com/GliZXkZIo8

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 29, 2024

The frustration continued to build for the Yankees in the fourth inning when it looked like they would finally break through offensively.

Judge's deep fly ball died before the warning track, Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s sharply hit line drive was caught by a diving Betts and Giancarlo Stanton was thrown out at home by Teoscar Hernández on an Anthony Volpe single.

TEO CUTS DOWN STANTON AT THE PLATE TO KEEP THE YANKEES SCORELESS 😤

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/S5O6Xmo8sw

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 29, 2024

The missed opportunities proved costly as Dodgers starter Walker Buehler cruised through five shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out five as he outperformed his counterpart.

It wouldn't be the last missed chance, as Chisholm grounded out with two runners on to end the sixth before Gleyber Torres struck out on a questionable call with two runners on to end the seventh.

Los Angeles used six relief pitchers in the final four innings, although Michael Kopech ruined the shoutout by allowing the long ball in the ninth. Fortunately for the National League representatives, they had plenty of cushion.

If the offense isn't better for the Yankees in Game 4, this high-profile World Series will be over much sooner than once anticipated.

Despite his struggles in the postseason, Aaron Judge will remain in the third spot in the New York Yankees batting order.

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed he had no plans to change up the order ahead of a pivotal Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"It's the World Series. No, that's our guy," Boone said. "There's pressure in the series whatever spot you're hitting. So he's our guy and we're confident he'll get it going."

Aaron Boone says he doesn't plan to move Aaron Judge in the Yankees' lineup:

"He's our guy and confident he'll get it going." pic.twitter.com/YLGls1Mrxo

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 28, 2024

So far this postseason, Judge has six hits for two home runs, six RBI and six runs along with a .150 batting average and a .605 OPS. He's recorded just one hit in nine at-bats through two games against the Dodgers, also striking out six times.

But Boone believes moving Judge down in the order won't take any pressure off of him and he's confident his superstar will get things going. The Yankees need Judge to find his swing soon as they look to avoid going down 3-0 against Los Angeles.

New York's offensive struggles in the series extend beyond just Judge. After leading the majors in home runs during the regular season, the Yankees have just two against the Dodgers—one from Giancarlo Stanton in Game 1 and the other from Juan Soto in Game 2.

The mighty New York bats have cooled off significantly against Los Angeles' pitching as the Yankees have totaled just five runs across the first two games.

New York has had a few games this postseason where its offense has struggled before finding life and leading to wins, and the Yankees hope to follow that trend on Monday. They'll be back in the Bronx for Game 3 in what will be a crucial matchup.

The New York Yankees will feature a franchise icon for the first pitch in Game 3 of the 2024 World Series on Monday.

According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Derek Jeter will throw out the first pitch. Former Yankees outfielder and five-time All-Star Paul O'Neill will also throw the first pitch in Game 4.

New York currently faces a 2-0 series deficit against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will attempt to bounce back at home.

The Yankees will be hosting their first World Series contest since Game 6 in 2009. New York defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in that matchup, securing the 27th championship in franchise history while Jeter earned his fifth ring.

He later retired in 2014, spending all 20 years of his career with the Yankees. Jeter holds the No. 1 spot on New York's all-time hits list as well as the team's games played leaderboard while recording the second-most runs in the history of the storied franchise.

The Hall of Fame shortstop now serves as a Fox MLB analyst and was critical of manager Aaron Boone's decision-making during a Game 1 loss to the Dodgers. Jeter specifically took issue with the removal of ace Gerrit Cole, who was taken out after six innings and 88 pitches thrown while allowing just one run.

"Gerrit Cole was dominating this game," Jeter said. "He was dominating the game. And if you take him out after 88 pitches for I don't know what reason, it's a domino effect on not only this game tonight, tomorrow's game and the rest of the series. So I just think when you have someone that's dealing like Gerrit Cole was dealing tonight, you leave him out there as long as you can."

"It's a domino effect on not only this game tonight. Tomorrow's game, and the rest of the series." 👀

Derek Jeter speaks on Gerrit Cole being pulled after 88 pitches pic.twitter.com/yiPANjZ0On

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 26, 2024

The Yankees will hope that Jeter's presence on the mound ahead of the game can help spark a victory and allow the team to avoid a 3-0 series hole. Game 3 between New York and Los Angeles is on Monday at 8:08 p.m. ET.

Although the New York Yankees may be facing elimination in Game 4 of the World Series, a potential appearance from Gerrit Cole on the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers doesn't seem likely.

SNY's Andy Martino reported on Monday that the Yankees have "not considered, much less discussed" starting Cole on three days of rest to potentially avoid a series defeat.

"Those sources did not say that there was zero chance of that happening, but as of now, it's not at all on the radar," Martino wrote.

New York heads back to Yankee Stadium facing a 2-0 series deficit, unable to capitalize on chances win the first two contests of the Fall Classic.

Cole allowed just one run and recorded four strikeouts in six innings of work during Game 1, throwing 88 pitches. The Yankees still weren't able to maintain a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning and a 3-2 advantage in the 10th frame, as Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam.

IT'S GONE
IT'S GONE
IT'S GONE
IT'S GONE
FREDDIE FREEMAN #WALKOFF GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/LlVU1ZGyGx

— MLB (@MLB) October 26, 2024

New York trailed 4-2 in the top of the ninth inning during a Game 2 clash with the Dodgers and had the opportunity to tie the game. However, Anthony Volpe and Jose Trevino couldn't drive in runs with the bases loaded and one out.

Clarke Schmidt is set to open the third game of the series on the mound, with Lucas Gil currently scheduled to start Game 4.

Martino noted that Cole has started on three days rest just once in his career. In Game 5 of the 2020 American League Division Series with New York, he struck out nine batters and allowed one run in 5.1 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cole has shown why he's the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner throughout the Yankees' current postseason run. He's posted a 2.82 ERA in four starts, racking up 16 strikeouts in 22.1 innings.

If New York falls into a 3-0 series hole, the buzz surrounding Cole potentially starting to avoid elimination could grow. There don't appear to be any current plans to start him on three days of rest so far, though.

Perhaps the New York Yankees don't have the World Series "in the bag" after all.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. turned heads when he told reporters after his team's Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, "I think we've been doing it all year. I feel like ain't nothing has changed between us in our clubhouse. We still feel like we've got this in the bag. [It's] not cocky, but we feel confident in ourselves to go out there and win four games."

Yet he had a different tune after Saturday's Game 2 loss.

"We're all a little bit anxious, you know?" Chisholm told reporters. "First two games of our World Series in our career. So you're going to go out there a little bit anxious. I feel like when we get home, he's going to feel more confident and he's going to calm down a little bit more going into a home crowd."

Feeling some nerves on the Fall Classic stage is certainly understandable, especially for someone playing in his first World Series.

And Chisholm did his part to put the Yankees ahead in the series in Game 1 when he singled in the top of the 10th inning, stole second base, stole third base and scored on a fielder's choice to put the visitors ahead.

He could have ended up being the Game 1 hero, but Dodgers star Freddie Freeman had other things in mind when he launched a walk-off Grand Slam in the bottom of the frame.

Chisholm went 1-of-4 in a 4-2 loss in Saturday's Game 2.

The good news for the third baseman and the rest of the Yankees is the series now shifts to New York for the next three games. While New York cannot win the series without taking at least one in Los Angeles considering Games 6 and 7 would be back on the West Coast, it can certainly bounce back in front of the home fans.

Chisholm said he expects the team to be calmer in New York, and winning three straight would move the Yankees to within a single victory of the 28th World Series title in franchise history.