Boone hopes Yankees can 'shock the world' trailing 3-0
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone knows his team is facing long odds after going down 3-0 in the World Series with a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3.
But, as the Yankees embark on a quest to make history, Boone is simplifying his team's goals and just trying to survive one more day.
"We're trying to get a game tomorrow. That's where our focus lies," Boone said, per Yankees Videos. "Hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world, but right now it's about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game and force another one, and then on from there. But we gotta grab one first."
The Yankees looked listless at home during a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3, striking out 11 times with only five hits against seven L.A. pitchers.
The Yankees are on the verge of being swept in the World Series for the first time since 1976. In order to win another championship, they'll have to become the first team in World Series history to erase a 3-0 deficit. The 2004 Red Sox are the only team to accomplish the feat - they did it against the Yankees - in MLB playoff history, while the only team in MLB, NHL, and NBA history that pulled off a "reverse sweep" to win a championship was the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final.
Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo was part of the 2016 Chicago Cubs team that came back from 3-1 down to win the World Series. He's expecting his team to play with a sense of urgency on Tuesday.
"I don't see us just laying down tomorrow," he said. "I expect us to show up and be ready to go and just win one game, that's our mentality."
"It's not gonna be easy. We've got to pull some inspiration from somewhere," Rizzo added. "It's happened before, teams have come back before. It's gonna sting tonight, but tomorrow, when we show up, we'll be ready to play."