Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Monday was a bad night to be a New York sports fan
Monday was a bad day to be a New York-area sports fan.
A historically bad day.
We can start in the NFL, where Brian Daboll and the New York Giants made the short trip across Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. Daboll and company lost by a final score of 26-18, the loss sealed with turnovers ending New York’s final two drives of the game. Their penultimate drive ended with a T.J. Watt strip-sack of quarterback Daniel Jones and on their final offensive play Monday night, a checkdown throw from the QB was high and intercepted:
Let’s move to the world of MLS. New York City FC was in action against FC Cincinnati in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal. FC Cincinnati pulled out the win on this goal from Yamil Asad, as his opportunistic header in the 51st minute propelled Cincinnati to the 1-0 victory:
On the hardwood, the New York Knicks were in action at Madison Square Garden, hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, a 110-104 loss dropped the Knicks to 1-2 on the young NBA season, and 1-1 at home this year.
Finally, that brings us to Game 3 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. The Dodgers took the first two games of the series, but with the matchup shifting back east to Yankee Stadium, the Yankees faced a pivotal Game 3.
Freddie Freeman remained red-hot, blasting a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to help stake the Dodgers to an early lead:
The blast made some World Series history for the Los Angeles slugger. With that home run Freeman has homered in each of the first three games of the 2024 World Series. Only two other players in MLB history — Hank Bauer in the 1958 Fall Classic, and Barry Bonds back in 2002 — have homered in the first three games of the World Series.
Freeman last appeared in a World Series back in 2021, when he was with the Atlanta Braves. He helped Atlanta close out a 4-2 series win over the Houston Astros with home runs in both Game 5 and Game 6. That means in his last five World Series games, Freeman has belted a home run.
George Springer is the only other player in MLB history, in both 2017 and 2019, to hit a home run in five straight World Series games:
Can Freeman break that tie tonight? Time will tell.
Now, why are we telling you all of this? Not to rub salt in the bitter wounds New York area sports fans are nursing this Tuesday morning, but to point out that those four losses combined to make a little sports history. According to Opta Stats, this is the first time in history that teams from the same metro area in the MLB, NFL, MLS, and NBA all lost a game on the same night:
NYC is the first metro area to lose a game in MLB, MLS, NBA & NFL on the same day (regular season or postseason).
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 29, 2024
On the bright side New York-area sports fans there is no NFL tonight, and the Knicks do not play again until Wednesday.
However, Game 3 of the World Series is tonight, and in the MLS the New York Red Bulls begin their quarterfinal series against the Columbus Crew.
Hopefully, things end better tonight for you all.
