What the Yankees must do to avoid being swept in the World Series

The 2024 World Series started on Friday. In three games over four days, what was once seen as a match-up for the ages has turned into a lopsided affair for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The New York Yankees have dug themselves a hole that is historically impossible to dig out of. If they want to avoid being swept — let alone have any reasonable shot at winning the World Series — here’s what needs to happen.

Maybe the National League is just that much better. Perhaps the Yankees’ route to the Fall Classic through two AL Central teams in the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians was smoother than the Dodgers, who went through the San Diego Padres and New York Mets.

All that is history. Now is now.

The hole the Yankees find themselves in is monumental: Of the 24 times a team has gone 0-3 in the World Series, 21 have resulted in a sweep. Three times it’s made it to a Game 5. No team has made it to a Game 6, let alone a Game 7.

For the Yankees to avoid being swept, here’s what they need to do.

Game 4 is a bullpen game for the Dodgers

Starting pitching should be the weak spot for the Dodgers, but they have put together strong outings from Jack Flaherty in Game 1 (5.1 IP, 3.38 ERA, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 SO, 1 BB), Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 (6.1 IP, 1.42 ERA, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 SO, 2 BB) and Walker Buehler Monday night (5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB) Yankees up against the wall.

On Tuesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will (again) go with a bullpen play. On paper, this should be the easiest game for the Yankees to get their cold bats going. It’s not as easy as it could have been (allowing Buehler to go deeper in Game 3 meant Roberts didn’t have to rely on his best bullpen arms in high-leverage situations), but at this point, Yankees need something – something – to get turned around.

Aaron Dommer needs to stop pushing

The toughest look for the Yankees franchise has been on Aaron Judge. The man who will surely win the AL MVP has been a shadow of his former self at the plate, going just 1-12 over three games with 1 walk and an abysmal 7 strikeouts. His hunting speed has increased during the postseason, rising from a career low 17.7% in the regular season to 21.3% against the Royals, 33.3% against the Guardians to 35.3% over the three games of the World Series against the Dodgers.

The pressure from the national media, New York press and fans must be persistent at this point for Judge. He must fight the urge to press. The increased chase rate is turning into strikes the Yankees can’t afford. Judge is in the lineup for power, but his ability to strike fear into opposing pitchers produced a league-leading 133 strikeouts during the regular season, setting the table for others behind him to push him over the plate. How many walks does Judge have during the World Series? Exactly 1. That’s a sign that the Dodgers, instead of beating around him, are going right after him.

Referee must focus on game 4. No more. Stop pressing. At best, get into an offensive rhythm. Few pitchers induce walks at worst. A .154 OBP is problem #1 for Judge and the Yankees.

When will Aaron Boone get the feels going?

A fiery manager is a delicate highwire act in the postseason. Getting thrown out is something to be avoided until it isn’t, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone had to pull that trigger in Game 3.

Home plate umpire Mark Carlson Wasn’t the best in Game 3 with his balls and makes calls. With 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd in the bottom of the 7th. Carlson ran Gleyber Torres up on a pitch outside the strike zone.

With the game in the later innings, Boone needed to be fired up and out of the dugout. At that point, a late-game draft does less damage than a Yankees series that has all the energy of a 15-watt light bulb. Boone needs to provide a spark. It is obvious that Game 4 is now or never. Leaders must manage.

The Yankees need to channel The 2004 Red Sox

The Yankees won’t have Dave Roberts give them a pep talk, but in a case of incredible irony, the Bronx Bombers have to channel the 2004 Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. It’s not just that the Red Sox dug themselves out of an 0-3 hole to come back and win four straight games to advance to the World Series, it was how they did it.

David Ortiz, a big factor in the historic 2004 comeback, said what anyone looking into the Yankees dugout could see in Game 3 last night: Body language shows a team deflated and defeated. The 2004 “Cowboy Up” Red Sox team was loose and acted like they somehow had the advantage even though they were down 0-3.

Someone – naked – have to channel Kevin Millar. Because if the Yankees take the mindset that if they win the Game 4 bullpen game, they get Gerritt Cole as the starter for Game 5, giving them their ace and a chance to get to Game 6 back in LA.

Besides Judge, Where Is Everyone Else, Minus Stanton?

The Yankees have scored just 7 runs over the three games in the World Series. Of those, 3 have come from Giancarlo Stanton. Two of those came in the form of a 9th inning, 2 out home run by Alex Verdugo in Game 3 that made the 4-2 Dodgers victory look closer than it actually was.

Overall, the Yankees are an abysmal .186 as a team compared to .248 in the regular season. Worse, they are down over 200 points from the regular season in OPS (World Series is .579, while regular season was .761).

Yes, the Dodgers have seen Freddie Freeman do Herculean things, but for the Yankees to avoid the sweep, someone other than Stanton has to step up, and it’s more than just Judge. Yes, umpire has to get on base, but to live another day, it will fall to others to carry the burden.

Jazz Chisolm is 3-13 at the plate. Torres is 2-11. Verdugo is 2-10. Volpe is 1-12. Soto, a free agent in the offseason, is hitting .300 but has 1 home run. At least he hasn’t struck out and has 3 times.

The Yankees are built around getting runners on base and coasting to wins, ranking #4 in the regular season. Yes, the Dodgers ranked #1 in that department and are relentless from top to bottom, but this is about a game. This game. Game 4. That’s it for now.

There will be soul searching in the offseason for the Yankees. Only the most overly optimistic fan sees the Yankees winning the World Series at this point. What we’re talking about now is avoiding the total embarrassment of being swept. It’s happening, and would anyone be surprised if Aaron Boone and/or Brian Cashman get fired?

Today is the day for the Yankees. There is no one else. It’s Game 4 Or Bust for more than just the right to live another day.