Clarke Schmidt, Aaron Judge kill Yankee Stadium vibes with awful Game 3 start

It's do or die for the New York Yankees on Monday night. No, they technically aren't dead if they go down 3-0, but they'll be on life support delaying the inevitable. And they're already backed into a corner after the top of the first inning in Game 3 of the World Series.

The Bronx was absolutely rocking after Leslie Odom Jr. belted the National Anthem and Fat Joe pumped up the crowd (though for about three minutes too long). Everybody was on their feet for Clarke Schmidt vs Shohei Ohtani.

But the fans in attendance weren't rewarded with a moment to cheer. Schmidt threw four straight balls to Ohtani, who took first base almost automatically after suffering a partially dislocated shoulder on Saturday night.

After Mookie Betts popped out, Freddie Freeman, who is the hottest hitter on the planet right now, stepped into the batter's box. Schmidt cornered Freeman into a 1-2 count, but then served up a 93 MPH cutter up and in. Freeman deposited it over the short porch with ease, and the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead just one out into the game.

Yankee Stadium, as usual, was completely deflated before they could even let out a semblance of a roar. This is how it's been for a while.

Clarke Schmidt and Aaron Judge kill Yankee Stadium vibes in World Series

Derek Jeter threw out the first pitch on Monday night. It was the first World Series game in the Bronx since 2009. OK, bad start. But the Yankees have nine times to bat. How about a quick response in the first or second inning?

Gleyber Torres led off the bottom of the first with a walk and Juan Soto ripped a liner to left field that was caught in an awkward attempt by Teoscar Hernandez. Up came Aaron Judge, who got a standing ovation from the crowd as he's dealt with a horrific 2024 postseason that has cratered his October numbers. He's now hitting .199 with 85 strikeouts in 55 playoff games.

On a full count, Judge swung at a ball out of the zone and struck out for the seventh time in less than three full games. Yankee Stadium deflated, again.

Then everyone went down in order in the second. Perfect.

It just doesn't get worse than this. The Yankees badly needed a fast start in Game 3 to throw the Dodgers' pitching plans off the rails and to establish some sort of momentum. They did the exact opposite of that, and now they'll be tasked with battling back from a first-inning deficit, something they were very bad at doing in 2024.

You can hope for the best, but in your heart of hearts, you know how this is going to turn out.