World Series Game 3: The Los Angeles Dodgers are in control of the New York Yankees in the World Series, but questions remain about Shohei Ohtani's fitness

CNN
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The Los Angeles Dodgers left Dodger Stadium with a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees and enjoyed a stunning start to the World Series.

But that lead comes at a price, as superstar Shohei Ohtani suffered a left shoulder injury while attempting to steal second base in the bottom of the second inning in Game 2.

As the Dodgers now prepare to travel to Yankee Stadium for at least the next two games, the team will eagerly await news about Ohtani, whose injury silenced the crowd and changed the atmosphere of the game.

Ohtani suffered a subluxation, or partial dislocation, of his left shoulder, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts later told reporters.

“Sometime tonight, tomorrow, we'll do some testing and then we'll know more in the next few days,” Roberts said. “But the power was great. The range of motion, good. So we’re encouraged.”

When asked how the Dodgers will handle Ohtani potentially missing games, Roberts quickly responded that he's “not there yet.”

“I expect him to be there. I expect him to be in the lineup,” Roberts said.

Even with Ohtani's injury, the Dodgers are now firmly in front to win the World Series after their historic, last-second win in Game 1 and thrilling victory in Game 2. They are just two wins away from their second World Series title in five years and their first in a full, non-COVID-affected season since 1988.

“You’re not trying to lose in front of your home crowd,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie said According to MLB.com, Freeman became the first player in more than a decade to hit a home run in the first two games of a World Series. “You want to get these wins early and this is a difficult situation for you.”

In previous best-of-seven postseason series, teams with a 2-0 lead have won 77 of 92 times (84%), while in the current 2-3-2 format, teams have won Games 1 and 2 have won the series at home 45 out of 56 times (80%).

“Nobody said it was going to be easy,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters after Game 2. “It's a long series and we've got to make it a long series now. “We're not going to back down. We just have to keep going.”

But both games were by good margins – an exceptional hit by Freeman gave the Dodgers a win in Game 1 and the Yankees left the bases loaded in Game 2 – so New York remains optimistic, if clear-eyed, about its own Chances of winning this series.

“This series could easily end 2-0 for us,” Stanton told reporters. “That’s what happens when you’re an extremely good ball club on the other side. It could go in any direction.”

Pressure is often distributed unevenly across a team, and in the Yankees' case, that pressure falls on the shoulders of Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is struggling to replicate his exceptional regular-season performances.

“I definitely have to step up and do my job,” Judge told reporters after Game 2. “The people around me are doing their job, getting on base, and I'm not able to support them.” We have to turn things around in Game 3.”

Meanwhile, Clarke Schmidt will make his third career postseason and first World Series start as a pitcher for the Yankees. Walker Buehler will start on the mound for the Dodgers and will look to build on teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto's performance in Game 2, who allowed just one hit in 6 1/3 innings.

Instructions and complete program

Each of the series' best-of-seven games will be broadcast on Fox in the US, with each contest starting at 8:08 p.m. ET.

The schedule is as follows:

Game 3: Monday, October 28 – Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees from Yankee Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 4: Tuesday, October 29 – Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees from Yankee Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 5*: Wednesday, October 30 – Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees from Yankee Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 6*: Friday, November 1 – New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers from Dodger Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 7*: Saturday, November 2 – New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers from Dodger Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET

*if required