Can the Yankees save World Series against the Dodgers? - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — The New York Yankees came into the World Series carrying themselves like dawgs and have spent the first two games playing like dogs. To beat the Los Angeles Dodgers takes firm constitution, clean execution and an ability to meet the moment. The Yankees have crumbled, stumbled and bungled. They look like an American League team in a National League world. And unless New York figures out how to reawaken the best version of itself, this dream World Series will be over in time for kids to go trick-or-treating in Yankees uniforms with paper bags over their heads.

For the majority of Game 2 on Saturday night, a 4-2 Dodgers victory that gave Los Angeles a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series, the Yankees appeared overwhelmed. They mustered one hit over the first eight innings. Their captain's postseason disappearing act resulted in three more strikeouts. Their seeming starting-pitching advantage melted away with three home runs allowed. And it left them needing to do what few others have. Of the 54 teams that started the World Series with two-game deficits, only 10 recovered to win a ring.

«No one said it's going to be easy,» Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. «It's a long series, and we need to make it a long series now. We won't flinch. We've just got to keep at it.»

Keeping at it necessitates a number of fixes, all of which are possible. Doing so on the fly, against a team as complete as the Dodgers, takes «urgency, will, grit,» Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. «We're going to have to will it to happen.»

Rizzo understands this better than anyone in the Yankees' clubhouse. In 2016, his Chicago Cubs trailed Cleveland three games to one before rallying to win their first championship in 108 years. One