Derek Jeter to throw out first pitch at Yankee Stadium for World Series Game 3

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The World Series’ return to Yankee Stadium would not be complete without Derek Jeter front and center.

The New York Yankees icon will not only be back in the Bronx as an analyst with the MLB on FOX pregame and postgame crew, but also throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium before Monday’s Game 3 of the 2024 World Series (coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App), MLB announced Monday afternoon.

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Jeter won five World Series titles during his time with the Yankees, including in 2009 as the Yankees’ captain alongside fellow MLB on FOX analyst Alex Rodriguez. He spent his entire 20-year Hall of Fame career with the Yankees, retiring after the 2014 season. The Yankees did not name a new team captain until Dec. 2022, when Jeter himself helped bestow the honor on newly re-signed slugger Aaron Judge.

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Much like Jeter’s Yankees in 1996 against the Atlanta Braves, the 2024 Yankees find themselves in an 0-2 hole entering Game 3 after dropping the first two games of the series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Yankees fans hope this series ends similar to the way that one did, where the Yankees rattled off four straight victories to end a title drought that spanned well over a decade.

Jeter’s former Yankees teammate Paul O’Neill, who like “The Captain”, is now a broadcaster, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s Game 4. The Dodgers got ceremonial first pitches from former players Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp before Game 2. At Game 1, 1981 World Series co-MVP Steve Yeager and 1988 World Series MVP Orel Hershiser delivered the game ball, but did not throw a first pitch in honor of fellow Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela, who died earlier that week.

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Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series Game 3 live updates: Shohei Ohtani in lineup

This is the 12th time these iconic franchises will battle for a championship, but the first time since 1981.

The Dodgers won the first two games in Los Angeles, with Freddie Freeman winning Game 1 with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th. Game 2 was a nail-biter, with L.A. winning 4-2, but seeing star Shohei Ohtani leave the game with a shoulder injury.

Check out all the top plays from Game 3 here!

4:06p ET

Starting lineups include Shohei Ohtani

3:34p ET

Dodgers at Yankees

3:37p ET

Pregame scene

Live Coverage for this began on 4:13p ET

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World Series Roundtable: Yankees rally? Dodgers sweep? Ohtani OK? Soto’s free agency?

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MLB postseason history suggests this Yankees-Dodgers matchup is likely over. Yankees-Dodgers World Series history suggests otherwise. 

Playoff teams that have taken a 2-0 lead have won the series 77 of 92 times (84%). But in each of the past two Fall Classics between the Yankees and Dodgers (1978, 1981), and in three of their past five October meetings (1956), the home team won the first two games — only to lose the series. 

So, which history is more likely to repeat itself in the 2024 World Series? FOX Sports MLB experts Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar weigh in on the opening two games in Los Angeles and what might be in store as the series shifts to New York.

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series] 

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1. What are you expecting from Shohei Ohtani for the rest of this series after he suffered a shoulder subluxation in Game 2?

Kavner: Tough to say until we see that first swing. Dave Roberts struck an encouraging tone when referencing Ohtani’s strength and range of motion, but it’s hard to know until we see it in action. Then again, this is Ohtani we’re talking about, the guy who hit a walk-off grand slam to get to 40/40 and had the greatest single game ever to get to 50/50. Even if he’s limited, his presence alone is important for the Dodgers if he’s able to go. Something tells me he has at least one big swing, one more defining moment in a season full of them, left in him.

Thosar: We still don’t have all the information required to really know how how much he’s recovered since Saturday, but my gut says I would be surprised if there’s a discernible difference from Ohtani at the plate — this is the World Series, and I’m expecting him to give it his all. If there’s a tweak in his mechanics due to the partial shoulder dislocation, that could take a couple of at-bats in order for him to get used to how best to swing without pain. At least in Game 3, I would guess Ohtani won’t be as much of a threat to steal to ensure he doesn’t further injure himself.

2. How much of Aaron Judge’s postseason struggles do you think are mental as opposed to mechanical at this point?

Thosar: His poor swing decisions and how much he was chasing offspeed pitches are a strong indication that Judge is in his head. It’s not like his talent left the building overnight, and though he’s faced tough pitching in the World Series, his star teammates have found a way to break through at some point in the nine-inning game, so that can’t be an excuse. Now that the narrative that he struggles in the playoffs has reached a fever pitch and put all the pressure on Judge to come through big in Game 3, it will be extremely important for him to block out the noise and remind himself he was the best player in the major leagues the previous six months.

Kavner: Probably a combo, but it has to at least be part of the mix. When you’re saying things like, “I’m failing them,” how can it not? Mookie Betts, when he was going through his October rut, talked about how he took hundreds of swings a day and shut off social media for a period. Once he got some production late in the NLDS, he regained his confidence and looked like himself again. Betts, however, strikes out about half as often as Judge. 

That’s the hard part for the Yankees captain, who has struck out in six of his nine at-bats this series and in 13 of his 22 at-bats going back to Game 3 of the ALCS. If there’s any weakness or swing and miss to a player’s game, it will get exploited in the postseason. The good thing for him, there’s still time to rewrite his October story. But it has to happen fast.

3. What has surprised you most through two games?

Kavner: How different Freddie Freeman has looked. When he went down at the end of September with his ankle sprain, it was supposed to be a 4-6 week injury, so it might make sense that he has turned a corner a month later. But that timeline was assuming he was resting and rehabbing, not playing through the issue (and often feeling worse off for it). He’s a daunting presence in the Dodgers’ lineup, regardless of the production, but considering how much the ankle had sapped his power for the first two rounds, I didn’t think a week off would be enough to turn him from a singles machine into a home run-mashing difference-maker. His teammates, however, clearly saw a change in that week between the NLCS and World Series. He looks like a completely different player in the World Series. Usually, it’s running that starts to cause him problems (which is why he was so much more limited late in the NLCS). I’ll be curious to see how his ankle holds up the longer this series goes. 

Besides that, the other biggest stunner for me also involved Freeman. I was surprised to see the Yankees turn to starter Nestor Cortes, who hadn’t pitched all month with an elbow issue, in the middle of an inning, in the highest of leverage spots, to face the top of the Dodgers’ order in the 10th inning in Game 1. Obviously, we saw how that turned out.

Thosar: Judge’s complete absence as a legitimate threat has been very surprising. Even if there was a regression, and he wasn’t getting as many base hits, I expected him to at least get on base by drawing his walks against Dodgers starters Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, considering both pitchers should’ve been nervous to pitch to him in the zone. But the more he flailed at the plate, the more comfortable pitchers became pitching to him. By the end of Game 2, he was an automatic out, and I don’t think anyone saw that coming.

4. Do you believe this Series will make it back to Los Angeles?

Thosar: I think the Series is going back to Los Angeles because I don’t think the Yankees will crumble without a fight, and I’m expecting Judge to wake up in the Bronx in front of the home fans. I think the Yankees slugger needed a rest day and a reset more than anything, so after a break from the madness on Sunday, he should return to more of a semblance of himself in more familiar surroundings. There’s a good chance New York wins two of the next three games with three consecutive right-handers starting on the hill, but that fight has to get going Monday with a strong start right out of the gates at home. If the Yankees drop to 0-3, I’m way less confident the Series will go back to L.A.

Kavner: I do, although I also think the Dodgers take one in the Bronx. The Yankees’ biggest advantage in this series was always its rotation. It hasn’t paid off yet, and it was a massive blow for them to lose the Gerrit Cole start, especially considering how well Cole pitched, but their upper hand with starting pitching also had to do with depth. Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil have been better this year than any healthy pitchers the Dodgers have after Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

Then again, bet against Walker Buehler in a big game at your own peril. He displayed some really encouraging signs with the whiffs he was getting his last time out, particularly with his secondary stuff. Still, the Dodgers will have to run a bullpen game in Game 4 without Evan Phillips, and then the Yankees get another Gerrit Cole start. The theme this postseason for the Dodgers has been how their fans have finally gotten to celebrate their October success, the way they couldn’t when the team won in 2020. The Dodgers clinched this year’s NLDS at home, then clinched the NLCS at home. My gut says it’s 3-2 going back to Los Angeles, where they’ll have the chance to finish it at Dodger Stadium again.

5. Do you think the outcome of this series will have any impact on Juan Soto’s free-agent decision? Do you expect him to ultimately sign with the Yankees?

Kavner: Not really. You could come up with narratives either way — that he’d be more willing to stay if they win the World Series, or that he could be motivated to finish the job if they fall just short — but ultimately, money talks. There’s a team across the bridge that has a lot of it, but I would be stunned if the Yankees didn’t find a way to do whatever it takes to keep Soto in pinstripes. They would never hear the end of it.

Thosar: It will be harder for Soto to walk away from the Yankees if they win a championship together, I think. In that same vein, it would be much more difficult for the Yankees to do anything but make a competitive offer to Soto, one that he likely couldn’t refuse, right after possibly winning a title. Ultimately, I expect Soto to sign with the Yankees because he’s been a perfect fit in the Bronx and has excelled in New York — as evidenced by his career highs in home runs, hits, and runs scored. Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman will have to do their part by meeting or getting close to his asking price.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series Game 3: Starters, lineups, how to watch

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees are locking horns in the World Series, with Game 3 on Monday (8:08 p.m. ET on FOX).

This will be the 12th time these iconic franchises will battle for a championship, but the first time since 1981.

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The Dodgers won the first two games of this series in Los Angeles.

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Here is the lowdown on Game 3, including how to watch, potential lineups and more.

How can I watch the World Series?

Every game will be broadcast on FOX, and each contest is slated to start at 8:08 p.m. ET. Here is the schedule:

Who is favored?

The Yankees are currently favored to win Game 3, while the Dodgers are favored (-426) to win the series.

Who will start Game 3?

The Yankees will start Clarke Schmidt. For the Dodgers, Walker Buehler will take the mound.

[Related: A look back at past Dodgers-Yankees World Series matchups]

Who will be in the lineup for Game 3?

Yankees

  1. Gleyber Torres, 2B
  2. Juan Soto, RF
  3. Aaron Judge, CF
  4. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
  5. Jazz Chisholm, 3B
  6. Anthony Volpe, SS
  7. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
  8. Jose Trevino, C
  9. Alex Verdugo, LF

Dodgers

  1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
  2. Mookie Betts, RF
  3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
  4. Teoscar Hernández, LF
  5. Max Muncy, 3B
  6. Will Smith, C
  7. Gavin Lux, 2B
  8. Kiké Hernández, CF
  9. Tommy Edman, SS

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Dodgers take 2-0 World Series lead into Game 3 against Yankees

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Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64, first in the NL West during the regular season) vs. New York Yankees (94-68, first in the AL East during the regular season)

New York; Monday, 8:08 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.38 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 64 strikeouts); Yankees: Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.85 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 93 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Yankees -141, Dodgers +120; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

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BOTTOM LINE: The New York Yankees take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in Game 3 of the World Series with the Dodgers ahead 2-0.

New York is 94-68 overall and 44-37 at home. Yankees hitters are batting a collective .248, the eighth-best team batting average in MLB play.

Los Angeles is 46-35 on the road and 98-64 overall. The Dodgers have a 66-12 record in games when they hit two or more home runs.

The teams meet Monday for the sixth time this season. The Dodgers lead the season series 4-1.

TOP PERFORMERS: Juan Soto has 31 doubles, four triples, 41 home runs and 109 RBI while hitting .288 for the Yankees. Gleyber Torres is 12-for-42 with three doubles over the past 10 games.

Shohei Ohtani leads the Dodgers with a .310 batting average, and has 38 doubles, seven triples, 54 home runs, 81 walks and 130 RBI. Tommy Edman is 16-for-42 with two home runs and 13 RBI over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Yankees: 6-4, .225 batting average, 3.58 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs

Dodgers: 8-2, .257 batting average, 3.10 ERA, outscored opponents by 35 runs

INJURIES: Yankees: DJ LeMahieu: 10-Day IL (hip), Jonathan Loaisiga: 60-Day IL (elbow), JT Brubaker: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lou Trivino: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani: day-to-day (shoulder), Gavin Stone: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Glasnow: 60-Day IL (elbow), Clayton Kershaw: 15-Day IL (toe), River Ryan: 60-Day IL (forearm), Dustin May: 60-Day IL (elbow/esophagus), Connor Brogdon: 60-Day IL (foot), Emmet Sheehan: 60-Day IL (forearm), Tony Gonsolin: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers on $325M promise with World Series gem

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LOS ANGELES — When Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined the Dodgers last December, he made a strong declaration: He would stop admiring the players he looked up to and instead “strive to become the player that others want to become.”

Ten months later, manager Dave Roberts leisurely emerged from the dugout in the seventh inning Saturday night at Dodger Stadium and took the ball from Yamamoto, but not before shaking the 26-year-old’s hand and giving him a quick hug on the mound. In his first career World Series appearance, in the midst of his first big-league postseason, facing a Yankees lineup featuring the presumptive American League MVP and a pending free-agent superstar set to test the boundaries of every competitive owner’s pocketbooks, Yamamoto delivered the type of outing the Dodgers dreamed about when they made him baseball’s wealthiest pitcher last offseason. 

“From pitch one, you knew he had his good stuff all night,” Freddie Freeman, the previous night’s hero, said after Los Angeles’ 4-2 Game 2 win. “Just an awesome first start in a World Series, everything we needed out of him. He delivered.”

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Yamamoto had already dominated the Yankees once in New York, supplying seven scoreless innings in a performance many pointed to as a case study in his ability to handle the sport’s highest-pressure environments. Nearly five months later, three of which were spent rehabilitating a shoulder injury that might have stemmed from that overpowering outing, he did it again at home in the most consequential start of his career, moving the Dodgers two wins away from the ultimate prize by carving up a Yankees team that had once envisioned him wearing pinstripes. 

A standing ovation from 52,725 fans, many chanting “Yo-shi,” awaited Yamamoto on his walk off the mound after allowing one run in 6.1 innings in his longest start since his tour de force in the Bronx. 

“I’m really proud of him,” Mookie Betts said. 

Beyond the significance of the stage, there was one considerable difference Saturday compared to his previous start against the Yankees: This time, he had to face Juan Soto. If not for the Yankees lefty, Yamamoto would have held New York off the scoreboard again. 

The only blemish on Yamamoto’s night came in the third inning, when Soto turned on an inside fastball on the sixth pitch of the at-bat for a solo shot. That was the only hit Yamamoto would surrender. He retired the next 11 batters he faced, which included striking out Aaron Judge a second time, before Roberts handed the game over to the Dodgers’ bullpen. 

The outing was the first time Yamamoto had gone more than five innings since returning from his shoulder injury on Sept. 10, seven starts ago. 

“Obviously, coming over to this league can be a big-time culture shock,” reliever Daniel Hudson said. “This country, this league, is completely different than what he was growing up in, playing over there, so everybody kind of figured there was kind of going to be some growing pains there. But he’s got elite stuff, he’s got a good head on his shoulders. … We were pretty pumped to get him back there at the end of the year.”

Last year in Japan, Yoshinobu Yamamoto built a reputation for bouncing back, most notably on the country’s biggest stage. He allowed seven runs in Game 1 of the Japan Series only to rebound with a 138-pitch, series-record 14-strikeout complete-game masterpiece. 

In his first taste of the big-league postseason, it looked similar. He labored through three innings against San Diego in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, then helped the Dodgers vanquish their first-round demons with five scoreless innings in the deciding Game 5. Gavin Lux noted then that Yamamoto had “a little Walker Buehler in him,” referring to his big-game prowess. 

In the most pivotal performance of his big-league career Saturday night, Yamamoto didn’t need a feeling-out process. There was no need for a rebound. He was nails all night, just as Dodgers vice president of player personnel Galen Carr, who scouted Yamamoto multiple times in Japan, predicted before the start. 

“It’s hard to really put yourself in these guys’ shoes when they’re changing leagues, changing countries, changing cultures and everything about it is different — the ball, the mound, the schedule, the travel,” Carr said. 

Yamamoto said he considers last year’s Japan Series experience as wholly different from his first major-league postseason, in large part because this is his first season in a new league. What Yamamoto and the people close to him believed, according to Carr, is that after an adjustment period, he would thrive. 

After allowing five runs in three innings in his first playoff start, Yamamoto held the Padres scoreless his next time out. Then he struck out eight in his lone start of the NLCS versus the Mets before registering a nearly flawless World Series outing against one of the most patient and powerful lineups in the sport. 

“Every time I pitch, the last three games, I become more comfortable,” Yamamoto said through a translator before Game 2 of the World Series. 

This time, he triumphed in a different way against the Yankees. Back in June, he featured more of his slider than ever before. It was that pitch that helped guide his success in his lone start of the NLCS, too.

But he didn’t need it to flourish again in his sequel against the Yankees. His slider was responsible for only two of his 12 whiffs in Game 2 of the World Series. Yamamoto relied heavily on his four-seamer, which he commanded erratically early on before locking in the second time through the lineup, and a curveball that dropped in for six called strikes. 

“He seems a little bit more in control trusting his stuff,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “Especially at the beginning of the year, he didn’t know the hitters, he didn’t know the league. But it’s not a surprise for me because I know the pedigree of this guy, where he’s coming from, what he did in Japan. I’m excited for him because games like this in the first year, when he comes to the United States, it’s going to give him a great boost of energy and confidence.”

A home run from NLCS MVP Tommy Edman gave Yamamoto an early lead. When Solo’s blast tied it up, the depth of the Dodgers’ lineup became apparent. Teoscar Hernández answered immediately with a two-run shot, followed by a solo homer from Freeman. 

Both of Freeman’s blasts in this series have conjured memories of past Dodgers World Series winners.  

His Game 1 launch was eerily similar to Kirk Gibson’s iconic 1988 Game 1 pinch-hit home run. On Saturday, Freeman’s latest feat hearkened back to the Dodgers’ 1981 Fall Classic triumph over the Yankees. That was the last time the Dodgers had hit back-to-back homers in a World Series game, courtesy of Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. 

Freeman didn’t get much sleep Friday night. He was tossing and turning, in part because all three of his kids were overtired and awake, in part because he had just deposited the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. On Saturday, he received a quick boost of energy. Freeman received the first standing ovation of the night. 

“Walking up to the plate, my first at-bat today, hard not to have a smile on the inside,” Freeman said. 

The second went to Yamamoto, after his final pitch of the night. Roberts’ trip to the mound to remove him came at a leisurely pace. 

In the bottom half of the frame, Roberts’ departure from the dugout was more hurried and concerned. The Dodgers took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, but it might have come at a cost. Shohei Ohtani suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder when he was caught stealing in the seventh inning. 

Roberts was encouraged by Ohtani’s strength and range of motion and at this point is expecting him to be in the lineup when the series shifts to New York, though he won’t know more until further scans are completed. 

It makes the nearly flawless work from their other major offseason signing, the $325 million man, all the more important. 

“Yamamoto,” Freeman said, “was absolutely incredible.” 

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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Juan Soto is locked in, but Yankees can’t win World Series without unlocking Aaron Judge

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LOS ANGELES — Some of the reasons behind the Yankees sinking into a 0-2 hole against the Dodgers were predictable.

Carlos Rodón has had turbulent outings this postseason, and he had another one Saturday in Game 2 of the World Series. At least a couple of Yankees players have struggled defensively all year, and those repeat offenders showed up again this weekend at Chavez Ravine. The regular season routinely featured poor production from the bottom of New York’s lineup, and that was a problem in each of the first two games of the Series. 

But none of those factors are as flagrant as the biggest one — the one that the Yankees seem unprepared to overcome.

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Aaron Judge is lost at the plate. 

He’s striking out more often than he’s getting on base. He’s chasing pitches he would typically watch fly out of the zone. He’s rocking back and forth in the batter’s box — which, according to Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, means he’s trying to find his rhythm — rather than standing frozen and locked in like he did during his record-breaking regular season. He’s whiffing at mistakes that he would normally punish for home runs. 

Simply put, he’s not doing his job.

And when the Yankees are desperate for offense, like they have been in this star-studded Fall Classic, and one of the best hitters on the planet isn’t doing his job, the results are back-to-back losses against an elite Dodgers team that has outplayed them in every facet of the game.

“I definitely gotta step up,” Judge said after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the Yankees’ 4-2 loss Saturday. “I gotta do my job, when guys are out there doing their job getting on base, I’m failing them. I’m not backing them up.”

The two other stars in the Yankees’ lineup have hit throughout October, and are virtually the only ones doing so in the Fall Classic.

Juan Soto is locked in at the plate; his solo shot in the third inning of Game 2 was the Yankees’ only hit off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Soto’s liner off the right field wall in the ninth inning was just the second hit of the night for New York, and soon he scored its only other run when Giancarlo Stanton followed with a scorcher down the left field line. 

Sandwiched between the two rockets? Judge’s sixth strikeout of the Series. 

Soto now has four home runs, nine RBIs and a 1.160 OPS through 11 games this postseason. Stanton has six home runs, 14 RBIs and a 1.098 OPS. Judge, meanwhile, is batting .150 (6-for-40) with 19 strikeouts, two homers, six RBIs and a .605 OPS. 

“I think he made mistakes against me,” Soto said of facing Yamamoto, who struck out Judge twice. “He made a couple of good pitches in the first at-bat, and then he showed me everything. He showed me everything that he got in my first at-bat. So I was ready for anything in my second at-bat. He made a mistake and I just didn’t miss it.”

Soto, eternally bursting with confidence, seems to have the playoffs all figured out. What’s stopping Judge from achieving similar feats?

“Right now, he’s probably not feeling his best,” Soto said. “It’s just a tough moment for him right now.”

The Yankees captain acknowledged he’s been expanding the strike zone, as the world-class plate discipline that allowed him to draw the most walks (133) in the major leagues this year has escaped him. He added that his mechanics at the plate are “getting there,” and that his encouraging at-bats at the end of Game 1 didn’t translate into Game 2. Judge said the struggles he’s going through at the plate right now are “a little similar” to the struggles he faced in April, when he started the year in a slump, slashing .207/.340/.414 through his first 31 games. 

But the difference at this time of the year is that he doesn’t have the cushion of a long season ahead of him to get his mechanics straightened out. Judge has to make every pitch in the Bronx count, if not with a big hit, then at least a walk. The presumptive AL MVP noted that Yamamoto gave him a pitch to hit in the sixth inning, when he was ahead in the count 2-0 and the Dodgers righty threw him a fastball down and in. 

That’s a pitch, Judge said, that he’s usually able to connect on. Instead, he kept his bat on his shoulder and watched it settle untouched for strike one. 

“At times you want to try to make things happen instead of letting the game come to you,” Judge said. “I think that’s what it really comes down to. You see Gleyber [Torres] out there on base, Juan’s getting on base, trying to make something happen. You’re not going to get every pitch in the zone. So you have to take your walks and set up for Big G [Stanton].”

Judge puts a lot of pressure on himself to come through for his team. It’s never been about personal statistics for the six-time All-Star. What he cares about most is lifting the Yankees when they need him to — and they’ve relied on Judge throughout his career to come through in the clutch because, normally, he can. While Soto and Stanton are doing their parts, the American League champs still need Judge to be Judge if they’re going to be world champs. 

“He’s got time to help us win some games,” Stanton said.

Sure, but not much. Judge has to figure out a way to slow the game down so that he can compress the zone and tap back into the plate discipline and power that make him one of the greatest hitters of this generation. 

The Yankees ultimately cannot rise without him. 

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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