On Wednesday evening, the Dodgers secured their second World Series title in five years by rallying from a five-run deficit to beat the New York Yankees 7-6 in the best-of-seven series, winning four games to one.
The Dodgers were losing 5-0 until they scored five runs in the fifth inning, all of which were a result of three fielding errors by the Yankees in one of the most terrible defensive games in World Series history for the team.
Although the Yankees regained the lead in the sixth inning, two sacrifice flies by Los Angeles in the eighth inning secured a lasting lead for the visitors.
Freddie Freeman was named the MVP of the Series after knocking in 12 runs, matching Bobby Richardson's record from the Yankees' defeat to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960, and becoming the first player to hit home runs in all four opening games of a Series.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Dodgers' comeback from a five-run deficit in their World Series-clinching win set a new record, surpassing the previous mark of four runs by the Pirates in their 9-7 triumph over the Washington Senators in Game 7 of the 1925 Series.
In the fifth inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases by starting off with a single from Kike Hernandez, followed by errors from Aaron Judge in center fielder, and Anthony Volpe, the shortstop, on hits by Tommy Edman and Will Smith.
Gerrit Cole managed to strike out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani, but the Dodgers extended the inning due to Cole's failure to cover first base on a ground ball hit by Mookie Betts. As a result, Betts was credited with a single, and Kiké Hernández scored the Dodgers' first run of the game.
Freeman hit a single to bring in Edman and Smith. The Dodgers leveled the score at 5-5 as Teoscar Hernández doubled to bring in Betts and Freeman.
In the sixth inning, the Yankees took the lead back after Giancarlo Stanton's sacrifice fly scored Juan Soto. Soto began with a walk, advanced to second on a walk to Judge, and then reached third as Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded into a force out.
In the eighth inning, Lux and Betts drove-in the tying and go-ahead runs with sacrifice flies.
Blake Treinen secured the victory for the Dodgers as the seventh pitcher to take the mound. He delivered 2 1/3 innings without allowing any runs, conceding just one hit, and striking out three batters.
Walker Buehler closed out the game with a flawless ninth inning, securing the save by striking out Austin Wells and Alex Verdugo.
Tommy Kahnle the third New York pitcher out of five, was credited with the loss after giving up two runs on two hits and a walk without retiring a single batter.
In the first inning, the Yankees secured a 3-0 advantage with consecutive home runs from Judge and Chisholm.
Their lead extended in the second as Volpe started with a double, advanced to third on Austin Wells' ground out, and then crossed the plate on Verdugo's single.
Verdugo's base hit led Dodger manager Dave Roberts to substitute starting pitcher Jack Flaherty with Anthony Banda. Banda proceeded to strike out Gleyber Torres for the second out but then walked Soto and Judge consecutively, loading the bases. Banda caused Chisholm to ground out, resulting in the end of the inning.
Upon entering the game in the bottom of the third inning, Ryan Brasier gave up a home run to Giancarlo Stanton on his very first pitch, extending New York's advantage to 5-0.
However, in the end, it was insignificant. Despite the Yankees outperforming in terms of hits during the World Series, they did not exhibit the best baseball performance, and overall, the Dodgers proved to be the best and more confident team.
With the win, the Dodgers have clinched two World Series victories within the past five years, including their triumph in the shortened 2020 season due to the pandemic. Prior to that, Los Angeles had not secured a title during a full season since 1988.
A number of players from the current Dodgers roster were part of the 2020 World Series team, such as Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández, and Walker Buehler. Freeman clinched a championship with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
Mookie Betts secured his third World Series title, having previously won with the Dodgers in 2020 and the Red Sox in 2018. He currently holds the highest number of titles among all active players.
Manager Dave Roberts has also clinched his third championship, having previously led the Dodgers to victory in 2020 and also securing a win as a player in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox.
In his rookie year, Cuban outfielder Andy Pagés secured his first World Series title. He was not involved in any of the World Series games, but belongs to a group of young players who appear to represent the team's future.
Meanwhile, both World Series participant teams had two players, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, who followed a similar path during the regular season and postseason. However, only one of them was able to win the title.
Ohtani, widely anticipated to be the NL MVP, clinched his first World Series title subsequent to inking a monumental 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
On the other hand, Aaron Judge, the clear favorite for the AL MVP title, demonstrated impressive performance in the regular season with 58 home runs and 144 RBIs. Nevertheless, he encountered difficulties in the postseason, recording only a .184 batting average with three home runs in 14 games. The Yankees secured his services with a lucrative 9-year, $360 million contract in their quest to win a championship for New York. As of 2025, it will have been 16 years since the Yankees last clinched a title.
World Series
Dodgers won the series 3-1
Friday 10/25 - 8:08 pm (ET) - Game 1: LAD 6, NYY 3 (10 INN)
Saturday 10/26/ - 8:08 pm (ET) - Game 2: LAD 4, NYY 2
Monday 10/28/ - 8:08 pm (ET) - Game 3: LAD 4, NYY 2
Tuesday 10/29/ - 8:08 pm (ET) - Game 4: NYY 11, LAD 4
Wednesday 10/30/ - 8:08 pm (ET) - Game 5: LAD 7, NYY 6
