Freddie Freeman (5) of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two-run home run against the New York Yankees in the first inning during Game 3 of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Luke Hales/Getty Images/TNS)

NEW YORK — Coming into the World Series, the Yankees had a serious edge over the Dodgers when it came to starting pitching. And yet somehow it’s been the Dodgers with the pitching advantage as Los Angeles has received three stellar starting pitching performances, with Walker Buehler living up to his big-game reputation in Game 3.

In an alternate universe, Buehler doesn’t even make the World Series roster. His second Tommy John surgery sidelined him for nearly two years and when he returned this season he was clearly not the same pitcher. But he turned in a vintage performance Monday night at Yankee Stadium, throwing five shutout innings in a 4-2 win.

The Dodgers are up 3-0 in the series and can win their second World Series since 2020 on Tuesday night.

The only bombs in the Bronx came from Freddie Freeman, who hit his third home run in as many games off Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt in the first inning to put Los Angeles up 2-0. Buehler only faced the order twice, but the New York hitters mostly flailed at a much-improved four-seam fastball. It had more life and movement than it did during the regular season, and even more than his last postseason start against the Mets when he blanked them over four innings.

The velocity was on-par with his season average (94-95 mph), and his spin rates were up, but not up enough to cause concern. Buehler was able to paint the zone with the four-seamer and did so often, throwing 34 fastballs and getting 13 swings on them with six whiffs.

One of those whiffs came from Aaron Judge in the first inning. With one on and one out in the first inning, the first pitch Buehler threw to the presumed AL MVP was a 95.5 mph fastball in the zone. Judge missed for strike one. He worked the count full on Buehler before missing on a cutter for strike three.

The knuckle curve was effective as well. It was the only pitch Buehler had to throw against Judge the second time he faced the slugger. Judge sent it right to Teoscar Hernandez in left field for the first out.

The Yankees almost got to Buehler in the fourth inning when Giancarlo Stanton doubled to left field after Judge’s at-bat, but his lack of speed on the base paths proved costly when he tried to score from second on a shallow single to left by Anthony Volpe. Third base coach Luis Rojas made a poor decision to send him around and he slid right into an out at home plate, with Hernandez connecting with catcher Will Smith for the out.

The Dodgers played it conservatively with Buehler, removing him after only 76 pitches. He allowed only two hits, walked two and struck out five. Though there were no signs of fatigue after a 1-2-3 fifth, by then he had given them what they needed: a chance to win.

In three World Series starts, Buehler has only allowed one earned run. This could have been his swan song with the Dodgers since the 30-year-old homegrown starter will be a free agent after the series ends. He gave the Dodgers what the Yankees expected to get from their own starters.

Any edge the Yankees once had has disappeared and they’ll need a tremendous effort from rookie Luis Gil in Game 4. Throwing a rookie in an elimination game in the World Series is a bold move, but the Dodgers are going bold themselves with a bullpen game.

Maybe one of these New York teams should sign Big Game Buehler for next fall.

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