NEW YORK (AP) — After all that buildup, it’s been all Dodgers so far. Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler pitched another World Series gem as Los Angeles beat 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 moved within one victory 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 out a runner at home plate with a pinpoint peg 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.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin pulled Calvin Austin III aside before the undersized wide receiver took the field for a punt return in the third quarter of a somewhat lifeless game against the New York Giants. The Steelers were scuffling. The offense was moving the ball, just not into the end zone. Tomlin knew the 5-foot-9, 162-pound Austin had come close to breaking a big return several times this season. And the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach had a feeling. “I thought it was his time,” Tomlin said. “And he thought it was his time. And he delivered.” Not once, but twice. Austin — who texted his friends over the weekend that he was due to break a big one — sprinted across the field and raced 73 yards for a touchdown after Tomlin’s little pep talk. He later added a 29-yard, over-the-shoulder scoring grab to give the Steelers the boost they needed to beat the Giants 26-18 on Monday night.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry will miss at least the next two games for the Golden State Warriors nursing an injured ankle that he hurt in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. Curry had an MRI exam after the game and it showed no structural damage and revealed a left peroneal strain. The team said he would be reevaluated Friday. Golden State plays consecutive home games Tuesday and Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Their next game after Curry is examined again is Saturday at Houston. Curry exited for good with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 112-104 defeat. Curry had briefly returned to the game with 8:08 to play and was along the key being defended by Kris Dunn when he cut away from Dunn toward the baseline and reinjured the ankle when it appeared to roll outward. It happened near the end of Golden State’s bench and he limped into the tunnel that goes to the locker room.
Penn State coach James Franklin isn’t sure if starting quarterback Drew Allar will be ready to play when the third-ranked Nittany Lions host No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday. Allar suffered an apparent left knee injury late in the first half of Penn State’s 28-13 win over Wisconsin last weekend. He returned for the second half wearing a knee brace, but after a short, ineffective warm-up, yielded the offense to Beau Pribula. The strong-armed triggerman of Andy Kotelnicki’s dynamic offense, Allar has completed 117 of 164 passes for 1,640 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions this year. He hasn’t missed a game yet since taking over the starting job at the start of the 2023 season. “It’s too early to tell at this point, but he’s played enough football that I think the decision will go all the way up to game time,” Franklin said.
MONDAY SCORES
Major League Baseball
World Series
LA Dodgers 4, NY Yankees 2 (Dodgers lead best-of-seven series 3-0)
National Football League
Pittsburgh 26, NY Giants 18