The New York Yankees are teetering on the edge of elimination after a brutal 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night.
In many ways, the final score was in no way indicative of how the actual game played out. The final mind as well have been 10-0. That’s how lifeless the Yankees played.
Now down 0-3 in the series, the Yankees will need nothing short of a miracle to keep their championship hopes alive.
After securing their first pennant since 2009, the Yankees entered the World Series with sky-high expectations.
Even though they were technically an underdog in the series, manager Aaron Boone and his club felt great about their chances.
Unfortunately, Boone botched Game 1 of the series with his inexplicable pitching decisions.
Simply put, there is absolutely no excuse for pulling ace Gerrit Cole as early as he did. Just as bad was his decision to turn to Nestor Cortes in the 10th inning rather than the red-hot Tim Hill. (Yankees fans don’t need to be reminded that Cortes hadn’t pitched in over a month prior to getting the call from Boone.)
Now staring at a frightening 0-3 series deficit, Boone knows the odds are heavily stacked against the pinstripes.
“Hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world,” Boone said. “But right now it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game and force another one.”
For an offense that led the American League in scoring during the regular season, the Yankees struggles at the plate in the World Series have been striking.
In Game 3, they failed to score until they were down to their final out, and their offensive inconsistency has cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a powerhouse lineup.
Front and center at the struggles is captain Aaron Judge who has had one of the worst postseasons in MLB history.
With Game 4 set for tonight at Yankee Stadium, fans are hoping their team can show some spark and avoid the sweep.
“I don’t see us laying down,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. (He better hope they don’t, or else it could get quite ugly in the Bronx.)
Winning four straight games isn’t insurmountable in the regular season, but no team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the World Series.
Yet Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes is holding onto hope: “We know the odds are stacked against us. But this team is too resilient. I think we’ve shown enough fight in us to come back. If there’s a team out there that can do it, it’ll be us,” he said.
Talk of completing a historic comeback is certainly premature right now. The Yankees need to focus on just winning one game, and then taking it from there.
Having said that, this series has highlighted a bigger problem within the organization according to FOX MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.
“The Yankees’ embarrassing performance in the World Series is a systemwide breakdown,” Rosenthal wrote. “Crazy as this might sound, considering they won 94 games and their first American League pennant since 2009, they are not very good at baseball.
“The Yankees’ brand of baseball is offensive, not only in the statistical meaning of the word, but also the aesthetic one. They have been hard to watch this series, just as they have been for much of the season.
“Whether they re-sign Soto or not, they need to address their sloppiness on the bases and in the field. Which, with a team this flawed fundamentally, will be easier said than done.”
Some may find his critiques harsh, but Rosenthal certainly has a point.
While the Yankees roster is filled with sexy names, the team suffers from severe fundamental flaws. Whether it be defensively or on the base paths, the Bombers often times play more like a Little League team than a Major League club.
There’s a reason why World Series winners are often some of the most fundamentally sound teams in baseball. The Yankees clearly have gotten away from focusing on those areas and have suffered because of it.
We’ll see what happens tonight in Game 4. First pitch is set for 8:08pm EST. (Hopefully Fat Joe takes the night off.)
Boone has already hinted at “shocking the world.” But he knows better than anyone, if the Yankees are to have any chance at forcing the series back to Los Angeles, let alone actually winning it, a whole lot needs to change.
What are your thoughts on Game 4 tonight?
In the bigger picture, do you give Boone and the Yankees ANY chance at completing the historic comeback???
