Dodgers defeat Yankees to reach brink of World Series title

NEW YORK — Freddie Freeman homered for a record-tying third consecutive game and the Los Angeles Dodgers reached the brink of a World Series title by beating the New York Yankees, 4-2, on Monday (Tuesday Manila time).

Freeman, who smashed a walk-off grand slam to win the opener in Los Angeles, crushed a two-run homer in the first inning and Walker Buehler threw five shutout innings allowing only two hits to spark the victory.

The win gives the Dodgers a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Major League Baseball championship series, meaning they can capture their first crown since 2020 by winning Game 4 on Tuesday at the Yankee Stadium (Thursday in Manila).

No team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win the World Series.

Freeman matched Hank Bauer in 1958 and Barry Bonds in 2002 as the only players to homer in the first three games of a World Series.

The Dodgers first baseman also matched George Springer's record of homers in five consecutive World Series contests, including the last two games of Freeman's 2021 title run with Atlanta.

The Yankees have not been swept in a World Series since Cincinnati did it in 1976. The most recent World Series sweep was by San Francisco over Detroit in 2012.

The Dodgers seek their eighth World Series title while the Yankees, with a record 27 crowns, chase their first World Series title since 2009.

It's the 12th title showdown between two of baseball's most iconic teams, with the Yankees having beaten the Dodgers eight times and the Dodgers defeating New York three, including a 1963 sweep.