It’s not the World Series the New York Yankees anticipated.
The Yankees are on the brink of elimination heading into Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night, as they are down three games to none to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A big reason why is because the offense has gone missing. As a team, the Yanks are slashing a paltry .186/.284/.294, with just five extra-base hits and seven runs. It’s a far cry from what the offense produced in five ALCS games against the Cleveland Guardians, when they scored 29 runs, and hit .250/.338/.470.
Likely American League MVP Aaron Judge has been abysmal. He’s 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts. Through three games, Judge’s line is .083/.154/.083.
And the Yankees’ starting pitching, which was supposed to be an advantage, has faltered. Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt have combined for six innings, seven earned runs, eight hits, four walks, and four home runs. Ace Gerrit Cole is the only starter that has held his own in the first three games.
Because of their issues, the Yankees have a big hole to climb and will have to make history if they want to win their 28th World Series championship. No team has ever come back down 3-0 to win the World Series.
In 2016, the Chicago Cubs came back down 3-1 to defeat the Cleveland Guardians in the World Series.
The last — and only — time an MLB team has overcome a 3-0 deficit was the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS — against the Yankees.
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MLB insider slams New York Yankees
With the Yankees’ glaring issues rearing their ugly heads against the Dodgers, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tore into the Bronx Bombers in his latest column.
“He is the captain, the face of the franchise, the $360 million man. For all those reasons, Aaron Judge cannot hide from his postseason misery. But in reality, the Yankees’ embarrassing performance in the World Series is a systemwide breakdown. 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,” Rosenthal wrote.
Rosenthal noted that the Yankees were able to dominate weaker competition during the regular season, and the “offensively challenged” Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS and ALCS. However, when it comes to stronger teams like the Dodgers, the Yankees wilt.
“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,” Rosenthal wrote. “Whether they re-sign [Juan] 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.”
The Yankees are looking to avoid being swept as they face the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series. First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET.