Down 2-0 to Dodgers in the World Series? Yanks have overcome it before

There wasn’t much to feel good about for the Yankees over the first two games of the World Series as they fell into an 0-2 series deficit to the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Following a gut-punch of a loss on Freddie Freeman’s historic walk-off grand slam in Game 1, New York dropped Game 2 on Saturday, 4-2.

But there’s a silver lining amid the gloom for the Yanks, and it comes from the last two times these teams matched up in the Fall Classic — 1978 and 1981. In both cases, the home team won Games 1 and 2 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic. But both times, the team that was faced with the deficit prevailed in the next four to win it all.

Here’s a look at how the Yankees pulled it off in 1978, and then how the Dodgers returned the favor three years later.

1978 World Series: Yankees over Dodgers, 4-2
For the second year in a row, the Yankees and Dodgers faced off in the Fall Classic, and Los Angeles hoped to avenge a six-game loss to New York from the prior year. Things looked good early on, with the Dodgers taking the first two games at home.

In the opening game at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers jumped out to a 7-0 lead thanks to an early barrage of home runs from Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes, with Lopes going deep twice and driving in five runs in an 11-5 win.

In Game 2 the following night, Reggie Jackson got the Yankees started with a two-run double in the third inning, but Dodgers third baseman Ron Cey delivered an RBI single in the fourth and a three-run homer in the sixth to drive in all of Los Angeles’ runs in a 4-3 victory.

As they did after Saturday night’s loss in Game 2 of this year’s World Series, the Yankees flew across the country to New York in an 0-2 hole. The change of scenery changed everything for the Bronx Bombers, who reeled off three straight wins at Yankee Stadium to force the series back to California.

Despite walking seven, Yankees left-hander Ron Guidry limited the Dodgers to one run in a 5-1 complete-game victory in Game 3. In Game 4, Reggie Smith launched a three-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead, but the Yanks chipped away with a pair of runs in the sixth and one in the eighth to force extra innings. In the 10th, Lou Piniella delivered a walk-off single to tie the series.

Game 5 was a 12-2 Yankees rout in which catcher Thurman Munson went 3-for-5 with a double and five RBIs. Bucky Dent and Brian Doyle also had three-hit performances to help the Yankees take a 3-2 series advantage back to the West Coast.

Catfish Hunter took the ball as the Yankees’ starter in Game 6 at Dodger Stadium, and he held the Dodgers to two runs over seven innings. Reggie Jackson smashed a two-run homer and Dent went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in a 7-2 win that clinched the title for New York.

1981 World Series: Dodgers over Yankees, 4-2
Three years later, the two clubs met for the 11th time in the World Series, and this time the Fall Classic opened at Yankee Stadium. First baseman Bob Watson hit a three-run homer and Guidry threw seven strong innings in a 5-3 Yankees win in Game 1. In Game 2, Tommy John (seven innings) and Goose Gossage (two) shut out Los Angeles in a 3-0 victory.

The Yanks were in a commanding position heading to California, but the Dodgers quickly changed that once they got back home. Ron Cey belted a three-run homer in the first inning to give Los Angeles a fast start in Game 3, and rookie left-hander Fernando Valenzuela tossed a complete game in a 5-4 win.

The Dodgers overcame a 4-0 deficit for a wild 8-7 win in Game 4, evening the series at two games apiece. In Game 5, back-to-back homers in the seventh inning by Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager were enough for starter Jerry Reuss, who was brilliant in a 2-1 complete-game win.

Following a cross-country flight back to New York, the Dodgers clinched the World Series title with a 9-2 win at Yankee Stadium in Game 6. Pedro Guerrero singled, tripled, homered and drove in five runs in the victory.

Guerrero (double, triple, two home runs and seven RBIs in the series), Cey (7-for-20 with a homer and six RBIs) and Yeager (a double, two homers and four RBIs) were named co-MVPs as the Dodgers won their first championship in 16 years.