Dodgers take 3-0 World Series lead over Yankees; Steelers top Giants on ‘MNF’

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Good morning to all, but especially to …

THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Game 1 was an instant classic. Game 2 was a nail-biter up. Game 3? Well, Game 3 was just pure dominance. The Dodgers lead the World Series 3-0 after a 4-2 win over the Yankees, and a Fall Classic that looked like it could be an all-timer is one game away from being a sweep.

The score makes things seem closer than they were. For the second straight game, the Dodgers shellacked the Yankees’ starter while getting a terrific outing from their own.

• Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and Mookie Betts added an RBI single to push Clarke Schmidt from the game after just 2⅔ innings.
• Walker Buehler pitched five marvelous innings, continuing his postseason resurgence after a tough initial return from injury.
• The Dodgers were one strike away from their first World Series shutout since 1988 before Alex Verdugo homered off Michael Kopech. But Kopech got Gleyber Torres to ground out, preventing any late drama.

Freeman has homered in all three games this series and in five straight World Series games overall, tying George Springer‘s record. Despite a significant ankle injury, Freeman has emerged as the star of the series, Matt Snyder writes.

• Snyder: “The homers have been dramatic, too. Obviously the Game 1 walk-off grand slam was the biggest blow and if the Dodgers win the World Series, it’ll go down as one of the most famous home runs in history. The Game 2 blast came as part of back-to-back shots with Teoscar Hernández half an inning after the Yankees tied the game, 1-1. Here on Monday night in Game 3, Freeman’s long ball gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead before the Yankees even got to bat. It just took the air out of what was a raucous Yankee Stadium.”

As for another injured star, Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with a walk and a hit by pitch. We’ll see what he can give tonight.

Honorable mentions

• Christian McCaffrey will ramp things up and could return in Week 10.
• The Chiefs acquired Josh Uche from the Patriots.
• The Rams gave Tre’Davious White permission to seek a trade.
• Meet the kid who caught Freeman’s Game 1 walk-off grand slam.
• Salvador Perez won the Roberto Clemente Award.
• The Dodgers plan to join the Soto sweepstakes this offseason.
• It should be Marcel Reed time for Texas A&M, Dennis Dodd says.
• Rodri edged out Vini Jr. for the men’s Ballon d’Or. Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for the second straight year.
• Isaac Trotter ran down the Top 100 And 1 transfers in men’s college basketball.
• Women’s college basketball must build off the WNBA’s momentum, says Geno Auriemma.
• It’s nearly Rori Harmon comeback season.
• MLB will experiment with a strike zone challenge system in 2025 spring training.

And not such a good morning for …

THE NEW YORK YANKEES

The Yankees may have finally broken through to their first World Series since 2009, but a letdown like this looks like all the recent playoff failures, Mike Axisa writes.

• Axisa: “The Yankees are on the verge of being swept by the team they should be, but aren’t. They aren’t as good at developing players as the Dodgers, at identifying free-agent and trade targets, at defensive positioning, at basically everything. These two teams are not in the same weight class, regardless of what the regular-season records say. … This has gone on long enough, year after year, that the Yankees can no longer chalk it up to small sample size and postseason randomness, as they’ve done after they were sent home every year since 2017. This is Groundhog Day.”

It almost felt like bullying when Giancarlo Stanton got thrown out at home, his agonizingly slow trot no match for Hernández’s laser from left field. Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 and is now 1 for 13 with eight strikeouts and no walks in the series. The starting pitching — supposed to a clear New York advantage — has faltered. As Mike said, these are two different weight classes. It’s not a fair fight, and the Yankees aren’t showing much fight, either.

Not so honorable mentions

• Stephen Curry (lower-leg muscle strain) will miss the Warriors‘ next two games.
• Taylor Hendricks suffered a gruesome fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle.
• Chris Trapasso assessed what’s wrong with the Jets. Matt Ryan says, simply, “They are who they are.”
• Shane Steichen is “evaluating everything,” including Anthony Richardson‘s starting status.
• Sam Williams, already out for the season, was suspended three games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
• Jack Tuttle retired after a fifth concussion.
• UCF fired defensive coordinator Ted Roof.
• The Sun moved on from Stephanie White, meaning seven of the WNBA’s 13 teams are looking for a coach.
• Manchester United sacked manager Erik Ten Hag, a move that took far too long, James Benge writes. Ruud van Nistelrooy will take over in the interim, and here’s who the Red Devils could pursue for the full-time gig. Ruben Amorim is the early frontrunner.

Steelers hold on against Giants, improve to 6-2

Things got more interesting than they should have, but the Steelers held on for a 26-18 win over the Giants thanks to a couple of huge defensive plays.

• After a Giants field goal made the score 26-18, Russell Wilson fumbled on a scramble, putting New York right back in business.
• But in the red zone, T.J. Watt came up with a monster strip sack of Daniel Jones and recovered the fumble.
• New York got the ball back, and even quickly drove into Pittsburgh territory. But Jones overshot Devin Singletary, and Beanie Bishop made a bobbling interception along the sideline to seal it.

This is the Steelers’ formula. Wilson had some strong moments, but red zone struggles kept things close, and the fumble endangered what should have been a straightforward victory. So others stepped up.

• Najee Harris had his third straight 100-yard rushing game.
• Calvin Austin III became the fifth Steeler ever to record touchdowns via receiving and a punt return in the same game.
• Watt’s 22 career strip sacks are most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017. Bishop has three interceptions in Pittsburgh’s last two games.

Bryan DeArdo explains why the Steelers can be a legit contender.

• DeArdo: “The secondary occasionally gives up plays (Jones completed several big throws downfield Monday night). Wilson doesn’t have Fields’ mobility, and he has yet to get off to a strong start. … The Steelers aren’t perfect, but they have proven to be a complete team in all three phases, a team that often doesn’t beat itself and a team that has a knack for making game-deciding plays.”

When it comes to Wilson in specific, I was among those who doubted the switch from Justin Fields. But as I wrote in “Five things we liked and didn’t like in Week 8,” Wilson has diversified Pittsburgh’s offense in one key aspect.

• Pereles: “Wilson is 14 for 18 for 268 yards on under-center, play-action throws this year in two games. Fields only had 208 yards on those plays over six games. Last week we praised Wilson’s deep, perimeter throws. This week, add another layer to Wilson proving Mike Tomlin right.”

Finally, prime-time Daniel Jones strikes again.

Paolo Banchero records NBA’s first 50-point game this season

The Magic are quietly one of the NBA’s most intriguing teams this season, and if Paolo Banchero keeps playing like this, they’re going to be a whole lot more than “intriguing.” Orlando’s young star scored 51 points — the NBA’s first 50-point game this season — in a 119-115 win over the Pacers.

But this was no ordinary 50-pointer.

• Banchero added 13 rebounds and nine assists.
• At 21 years and 351 days, Banchero is the 11th-youngest player in NBA history with a 50-point game. He’s also the second-youngest player with a 50/10/5 game, trailing only LeBron James, who did it when he was 20.
• Much of Banchero’s production (37 points, seven rebounds, six assists) came in the first half. He became the third player with a 35/5/5 half in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97), joining James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

CBS Sports 134 and College Football Power Rankings

Were they caught looking ahead, or are they simply not as good as we thought? Whatever the case, Ohio State fell from No. 2 to No. 4 in the CBS Sports 134 after squeezing by Nebraska, 21-17, ahead of their showdown with Penn State. Here’s the top five:

1. Oregon (previous: 1)
2. Georgia (4)
3. Penn State (3)
4. Ohio State (2)
5. Miami (5)

Here are risers and fallers.

Ohio State-Penn State has all the makings of a really great game headlined by an intriguing prove-it quarterback battle … if Drew Allar (lower body) is able to play. He’ll be a game-time decision, and on the other side, Will Howard is looking for a measure of revenge after the Nittany Lions didn’t recruit him as an in-state product.

Both teams are in Brad Crawford’s projected College Football Playoff — the first actual reveal is a week from today — and the top five of Brandon Marcello’s Power Rankings.

Colorado joined Brandon’s rankings for the first time this year. Big 12 Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week Travis Hunter just keeps making history, and the Buffaloes are not only bowl-eligible for the first time since 2020 but in the conference title hunt.

Of course, they’ll have to catch BYU and Iowa State, two of the eight undefeated FBS teams left. They have a 12% chance and 9% chance, respectively, to finish the regular season undefeated according to SportsLine. Richard Johnson has the lowdown on both.

What we’re watching Tuesday

Mavericks at Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
Rangers at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
Louisiana at Texas State, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
Louisiana Tech at Sam Houston, 8 p.m. on ESPNU
 World Series Game 4: Dodgers at Yankees, 8:08 p.m. on Fox
Pelicans at Warriors, 10 p.m. on TNT
Kings at Sharks, 10 p.m. on ESPN