NEW YORK — — After all that build-up, it’s all been Dodgers so far.

Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler threw another World Series gem as Los Angeles defeated the slumping New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night for a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

With superstar Shohei Ohtani playing despite a partially dislocated left shoulder, the Dodgers came within one win of a surprising sweep in this much-hyped matchup between traditional powers.

“One more win. That’s all I care about right now,” Freeman said.

Teoscar Hernández threw a runner at home plate with a spike from left field. Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández each delivered an RBI single, and the Dodgers chased Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the third inning.

Buehler and six relievers combined for a five-hitter for Los Angeles on the eve of its second championship in five years and eighth in franchise history.

“Walker Buehler, he’s been doing this his whole career in big games and in big moments,” Freeman said. “Get up if you need him.”

Freeman’s two-run shot from three batters gave him a home run in five consecutive World Series games starting in 2021 with Atlanta, matching a Major League record set by George Springer with Houston.

Freeman looked much healthier after a sprained right ankle slowed him earlier this postseason and was part of the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win a dramatic opener in Los Angeles.

Since then it has been a one-sided battle.

Game 4 is Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. With three healthy starters remaining, the Dodgers plan their fourth bullpen game of this postseason. Rookie right-hander Luis Gil is going for New York.

The only team in big league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series was the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

“Hopefully we can tell this great story and shock the world,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “But at the moment it’s about trying to get a lead, take a game and force another one and go from there. But we have to get one first.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sparked the Red Sox’ stunning comeback with a crucial stolen base.

‘Don’t talk about that. Wrong guy. Way too early,” he said. “I don’t want to give away any secrets, but on the other hand I just think we have to stay focused and stay urgent.”

In the eleven previous World Series meetings between these old October rivals, the only sweep was by the Dodgers in 1963 behind Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

That was the only other time the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead in a World Series.

New York hasn’t been swept in a Fall Classic by the Cincinnati Reds since 1976. But on all five occasions they fell behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series, the Yankees losing Game 4.

Los Angeles has won seven straight World Series games against the Yankees dating back to the 1981 crown.

This was the first Series game at Yankee Stadium since New York won its 27th title against Philadelphia in 2009. But a return home didn’t help the skid for Aaron Judge and the stumpy Bronx Bombers, who have recorded four points and nine goals in the past two games.

New York didn’t score until Alex Verdugo’s two-run homer off Michael Kopech with two outs in the ninth inning. Kopech then retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it.

Buehler allowed two hits in five innings. His only previous win this year during an injury-interrupted season came May 18 against Cincinnati.

The two-time All-Star improved to 4-4 in 18 career postseason starts, including a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in three World Series appearances. He scored one run and seven hits with 22 strikeouts in 18 innings in those assignments: Game 3s against Boston (2018), Tampa Bay (2020) and the Yankees.

“It’s weird. For me, I think the playoffs, big games, that’s always been the only thing I really cared about,” Buehler said. “I was terrible all year. I think once you get to the playoffs, the adrenaline, I think whatever fear I had about my elbow or trying to throw a certain pitch or whatever goes away because it’s all over now. It helped me, I think.”

After the Yankees struggled at the plate during two losses in Los Angeles, Boone decided not to make any major lineup changes.

New York players held a brief meeting in the afternoon, and a recording of late Yankees announcer Bob Sheppard introduced five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter as he threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe got the sold-out crowd of 49,368 going with a pregame performance on the infield.

But it was the Dodgers who started fast.

Schmidt walked Ohtani on four pitches to start the game. One out later, Freeman sent a 1-2 cutter 350 feet into the lower deck in right field for his 13th career postseason homer.

He joined Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer (1958) and Giants slugger Barry Bonds (2002) as the only players to go deep in the first three games of a World Series.

“When you come into a road park, you want to try to strike early and quiet the crowd, and we were able to do that in the first inning,” Freeman said.

Ohtani finished 0 for 3 with that walk and was scraped on the foot by a pitch. He grimaced after several swings and held his collar with his left hand even as he took a lead from first base to protect his ailing shoulder.

But he got through the match fine.

“The pain has subsided, so I felt pretty good about it,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I was told I had to wear a device to keep my shoulder warm. So during the (pregame) ceremony and throughout the game, I wore that as recommended by the trainers. The reason I held myself while running is to make sure I wouldn’t use that same shoulder arm if I were to slide.”

No. 9 hitter Tommy Edman walked again from Schmidt as he led off the third inning and scored on Betts’ bloop single. Kiké Hernández added an RBI single in the sixth.

Schmidt walked four batters over 2 2/3 innings in his third postseason start. He lost his fifth straight decision after a May 16 victory in Minnesota.

New York scored a runner at the plate when Edman attempted a safety squeeze in the fourth, but the Dodgers showed sensational defense to stifle any Yankees momentum.

Betts made a diving grab into right field after Giancarlo Stanton doubled with one out in the fourth. Teoscar Hernández then fired up all his teammates with a perfect 90-mph throw to the plate on Anthony Volpe’s single, beating Stanton and maintaining a 3-0 cushion.

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Gil (15-7, 3.50 ERA) has made one postseason start, allowing two runs over four innings due to a no-decision in Game 4 of the ALCS in Cleveland.

He won seven consecutive starts before suffering a no-decision against the Dodgers on June 9 at Yankee Stadium, when he gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 6–4 victory over New York.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb