Who are the starting pitchers?
Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.38 ERA in the regular season)
Buehler’s regular season didn’t go as expected once he returned from a second Tommy John surgery, but the right-hander has had a strong postseason for the Dodgers. Buehler’s final line against the Padres in NLDS Game 3 looks worse than his overall performance. He then bounced back in a pivotal Game 3 in the NLCS, tossing four scoreless innings against the Mets.
The right-hander has always been a strong postseason performer, and his next challenge will be the biggest: Help the Dodgers take an even more commanding series lead in the Bronx.
Yankees: RHP Clarke Schmidt (5-5, 2.85 ERA in the regular season)
Schmidt will make his third career postseason start and his first in the World Series. He tossed 4 2/3 innings of two-run ball in each of his first two outings this October, taking no-decisions against the Royals and Guardians. Schmidt pitched to a 4.50 ERA in eight home starts during the regular season, compared to a 1.39 ERA in eight road outings.
What are the starting lineups?
Dodgers (projected) : For now, we’ll assume Ohtani will be available for the Dodgers in the leadoff spot. If he’s unable to play, Los Angeles could have Freddie Freeman slide into the designated hitter role, allowing the Dodgers to play Andy Pages or Miguel Rojas.
- Shohei Ohtani, DH
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Teoscar Hernández, LF
- Max Muncy, 3B
- Kiké Hernández, CF
- Gavin Lux, 2B
- Will Smith, C
- Tommy Edman, SS
Yankees (official): Jose Trevino got the start in Game 3 over Austin Wells, who has gone 4-for-41 this postseason and 1-for-8 over the first two World Series games. Rizzo and Volpe flipped spots in the order from Games 1 and 2.
- Gleyber Torres, 2B
- Juan Soto, RF
- Aaron Judge, CF
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B
- Anthony Volpe, SS
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Jose Trevino, C
- Alex Verdugo, LF
Who is hot and who is not?
Dodgers: Edman continues his hot hitting, following up a two-hit Game 1 with a solo homer and a double in Game 2. Freeman has also homered in back-to-back games, extending his World Series home run streak to four games
Yankees: Juan Soto homered and had two hits in Game 2. Of his four homers this postseason, three have given the Yankees the lead, and one has tied the game. Stanton has six homers and 14 RBIs this postseason. Rizzo has produced a .520 on-base percentage. Judge continues to slump, now 6-for-40 (.150) with 19 strikeouts during this postseason. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (.186 BA) and Austin Wells (.098 BA) also have struggled
The Yankees, meanwhile, aren’t sweating an injury when it comes to Judge, but they’d sure feel better about their chances of mounting a rally in this Series if his booming bat would come into play
Through two games against the Dodgers, Judge is 1-for-9 with six strikeouts. For the postseason as a whole, he’s 6-for-40 with 19 strikeouts. It’s a far cry from a regular season in which Judge’s 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 1.159 OPS made for one of the best performances by a right-handed hitter in history.
“I’ve definitely got to step up, and I’ve got to do my job,” Judge said. “Guys around me are doing their jobs, getting on base, and I’m failing at backing them up. We’ve got to turn it around in Game 3.
• The Yankees have won eight of the previous 11 World Series meetingsbetween the clubs (1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1977, 1978). The Dodgers were victorious three times (1955, 1963, 1981).
• The Dodgers and Yankees had a World Series preview June 7-9 at Yankee Stadium, with Los Angeles winning two of the three games. Teoscar Hernández had a go-ahead, two-run double in the 11th inning of the first game, a 2-1 Dodgers win, then hit two homers in an 11-3 rout the next night. The Yanks salvaged the finale with a 6-4 win, powered by Trent Grisham’s three-run homer off Tyler Glasnow.
