Paul O'Neill reveals unforgivable Yankees failure that cost them World Series Game 3

The Bronx crowd hasn't been able to let loose in quite some time. And if we're counting the 2022 ALDS Game 5 win over the Cleveland Guardians, stick a fork in us. There's no reason to exist if that's what we're hanging our hat on.

From 2018-2024, the home crowd at Yankee Stadium has been let down consistently. Time after time, the Yankees have failed to deliver in new, surprising ways. It's like they're trying to fulfill a checklist of different methods to trip over their own shoelaces.

That continued on Monday night in Game 3 of the World Series — the first time the Fall Classic was back in New York since 2009. Derek Jeter threw out the ceremonial first pitch. A packed house was ready to erupt. The task was simple: get out to an early lead and apply pressure to the Dodgers' pitching staff.

But the Yankees did the exact opposite. Clarke Schmidt, who, both in hindsight and foresight, was erroneously tasked with starting Game 3, threw four straight balls to Shohei Ohtani to lead off the game before surrendering a two-run homer off the bat of Freddie Freeman. Jose Trevino was set up low and away on the 1-2 count, and Schmidt hung a 93 MPH cutter up and in to Freeman's hot zone. He crushed it over the short porch, and Yankee Stadium went silent.

Many fans knew that was the end, but they couldn't resort to accepting that reality in the first inning. After the game, Paul O'Neill told Michael Kay that moment was when the Yankees officially lost the game — the Dodgers took the crowd out of it, and that was that.

Deflated Yankee Stadium crowd ended up costing Bombers in World Series Game 3

One of the Yankees' biggest advantages over the rest of the league is their rabid fanbase. When Yankee Stadium is a zoo, opponents, historically, have a very tough time maintaining their composure. But this version of the Yankees has made all of that go away. If there's any pressure or novelty attached to a game, they either lose or make the win as excruciating as possible.

The last time we've seen this crowd at its peak powers was 2017 when the Yankees rattled off three straight wins in the ALCS against the Houston Astros to take a 3-2 lead before heading back out on the road. That was when their supposed World Series window of contention began. It was all up from there.

Since then? They are just 9-9 at home in the playoffs and didn't reach the World Series until this year, where they are already down 3-0 to the Dodgers. This all just reminds us of the Astros' last five trips to the Bronx in the ALCS. Gutting. Awful. Unfair. If the Yankees lose a series, fine. But to keep the crowd's energy bottled up, departing with nothing but resentment over and over again?

It's truly criminal. But just imagine how the players feel. They are gutted because they know how much the fans care. It's just terrible how the Yankees have failed to flex their unique positions of strength during this window. They've been unable to let their fans take control of the most important games of the season, and they've managed their payroll horribly.

See you for Game 4, we guess.