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The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their win against the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the baseball World Series in New York on Wednesday. Image: AP/Godofredo A Vásque
baseball

Dodgers beat Yankees 7-6 to win World Series in 5 games

36 Comments
By RONALD BLUM

The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second, and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts' grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

Judge doubled off winner Blake Treinen with one out in the bottom half and Chisholm walked. Manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound with Treinen at 37 pitches.

“I looked in his eyes. I said how you feeling? How much more you got?" Roberts recalled. “He said: `I want it.' I trust him.”

Treinen retired Stanton on a flyout and struck out Anthony Rizzo.

Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

“We’re obviously resilient, but there’s so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today,” Betts said. “That’s what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I’m just proud of us and I’m happy for us.”

When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they won 98 games and finished with the best regular-season record.

With several thousand Dodgers fans remaining in a mostly empty stadium, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the trophy on a platform quickly erected over second base.

“There’s just a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars we have on our team and the discipline, it just kind of all adds up.”

Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960, and was voted Series MVP. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.

The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman & Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88 and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.

Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.

New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 one RBI in the Series heading into what will be intensely followed bidding on the open market.

Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs.

Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.

Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo. Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo to run to the bag as Betts outraced the first baseman.

Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double. Max Muncy walked before Kiké Hernández grounded into a force-out on Cole’s 48th pitch of the inning.

“We just take advantage of every mistake they made in that inning,” Teoscar Hernández said. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play.”

Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth.

Kiké Hernández singled off Tommy Kahnle leading off. Edman followed with an infield hit and Smith walked on four pitches. Lux’s sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver tied the score. Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference and Betts followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers their first lead.

Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.

Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.

Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


36 Comments
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Congratulations to the Dodgers. And thanks to the Yankees for gifting the Dodgers this game 5 and also the World Series with their costly, costly errors which allowed the Dodgers to come roaring back to tie the game and eventually win it all. Shohei was a non-factor this series, but his teammates stepped up big time especially Freeman.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

Budweiser is terrible beer, but loads of blokes screaming and jumping up and down and spraying each other with it makes me want to drink it. And then realise once again how terrible a beer it is.

Its a quite subdued compared to a Japanese beer-kake, maybe its the champagne, but looks fun all the same. Well done Dodgers!

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Time to party all day. Congratz on getting the world series ring. May you get many more in the future. The goal of getting a ring finally has been accomplished. Time to have a new goal. Let's break the record of winning more world series!

5 ( +9 / -4 )

I am not a diamond fan, I prefer the boards, but I reckon they finally invested in proven talent, and got the job done, Now where are the Tigers???

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

After the trouble with his interpreter early in the season, you have to admire the mental strength of Ohtani. It hasn't affected him at all on the field.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

Japanese baseball is so boring compared to MLB. So few outbursts of real emotion in Japan, no fights, the benches never clear, it's just so robotic and tedious.

-12 ( +8 / -20 )

Japanese baseball is so boring compared to MLB.

Pro ball, perhaps. Japanese high school baseball is more exciting than both...and has far fewer errors and bone-head mistakes than was seen in the 5th inning, such as an outfielder dropping a routine fly ball, a pitcher not covering 1st base on a ground ball to 1st, a short-stop throwing an easy force play at 3rd in the dirt and a pitcher throwing 4 straight balls with the game ties 5-5 and runners on 1st and 3rd. What a comedy of errors and nerves...perhaps not boring...but certainly crap ball. I've never seen that many errors in an entire Koshien game let alone in a single inning!

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

D.Brent, a question, during the recent Dodgers v Yankees World series how many bullpen clearouts, punch-ups deliberate body pitches (dangerous plays in my simple lingo) occurred???? Only game I ever watched was a Tigers game, 2019 I think, nobody tripping opponents, no shoulder charges, no head contacts. what a difference to other male sports examples NFL, Soccer, R.U.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I've never seen the Yankees make so many miscues in one inning in 50 years of watching them, and in an elimination game in the World Series no less! Congrats to the Dodgers on their eighth Series win. The greatest franchise in sports will just have to wait for that 28th championship

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I don't understand baseball,but why is it called The World Series?

It's only West Vs East coast American teams,right?

I know they released the song,"Feed the World",then shortly after,"We Are The World",but surely other countries teams should be included?

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Yup! DODGERS WON THE SERIES! Excellent job! Congratulations!

@piskian - Actually, it was originally called the The World Champship Series. However, by around the 1930s, the name was shortened to The World Series.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Pro ball, perhaps. Japanese high school baseball is more exciting than both...and has far fewer errors and bone-head mistakes than was seen in the 5th inning, such as an outfielder dropping a routine fly ball, a pitcher not covering 1st base on a ground ball to 1st, a short-stop throwing an easy force play at 3rd in the dirt and a pitcher throwing 4 straight balls with the game ties 5-5 and runners on 1st and 3rd. What a comedy of errors and nerves...perhaps not boring...but certainly crap ball. I've never seen that many errors in an entire Koshien game let alone in a single inning!

For me, actually, the farm leagues feel better to watch. Less stressful, while at the same time, the players are playing their hearts out to make it to the majors. There's also something for the family to enjoy and the tickets are much more affordable.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Congratulations to the L.A. Dodgers! Wow! What a team. After all the ups and downs they had to go through. With all the off-field drama and injuries to key players, they did it. Much credit must go to the top with the front office they have in assembling such a team, and to Dave Roberts for a masterclass in coaching. To the staff who supported this team. To the diverse players who came together and put their egos at the door to win as a team. And to the fans who came out and showed out. That Ice Cube intro in Game 2 gave me chills and I can't stop watching it over and over. This Game 5 seemed so weird. I felt as if the Yankees lost it as much as the Dodgers won it. Throughout, the Dodgers showed the proper way to play good pitching, defense, baserunning, coaching, and all the little things; while the Yankees were just plain sloppy on all fronts.

I really think the NLDS series against the Padres really was the ultimate test. I'm pretty sure that Padres team could've beaten anyone in the American League. Heck, I think a case could be made that the Mets was a better team than these Yankees.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Oh wow!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Hats off to the Dodgers! Complete series mismatch against the hapless Yankees. The American League is clearly very weak compared to the National League.

Definitely a season to remember for the GOAT of baseball, Ohtani!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I don't understand baseball,but why is it called The World Series?

You realise it was named after it's former sponsor, The World newspaper, right?

Stunned how many people are of the belief that the World Series is supposed to signify a World Championship or something. Bizarre.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Yanks' three errors in the 5th!! Unbelievable. Complete lack of fundamentals especially on the play at 1st base with the pitcher and 1st baseman confused on a routine grounder. They didn't deserve to win. Congrats to the Dodgers.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Wow. That’s unbelievable. It is the first season for the monster from Japan Otani. How many more will they win with him leading the way. He will go down as the greatest of all time.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Ironic that the leagues home run champ is the one who started the Dodgers rally by dropping a routine fly ball.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

kohakuebisu and Fighto!: "After the trouble with his interpreter early in the season, you have to admire the mental strength of Ohtani. It hasn't affected him at all on the field." / "Definitely a season to remember for the GOAT of baseball, Ohtani!"

Hate to break it to you, but Ohtani did next to nothing in this World Series at all, aside from further contributing the DL. The TEAM did it, not him. It was with his help, of course, but don't like it was him alone.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Congratulation LA, Tommy is probably smiling and pupping a bottle of champ. in his grave.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

and in keeping with tradition, mass looting of stores broke out in los angeles.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

@smithinjapan--Ohtani is the DH not DL.

@woodylee--hold another seance to see what Vin Scully and Fernando are up to.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Chico3 I totally agree I played minor league baseball and yes it was my dream to make it to the majors as a player the best part in minor league baseball was showing up game day and watching families come in with their kids. It was a family atmosphere up close and personal and a lot of player and fan involvement between innings.

Pro ball, perhaps. Japanese high school baseball is more exciting than both...and has far fewer errors and

For me, actually, the farm leagues feel better to watch. Less stressful, while at the same time, the players are playing their hearts out to make it to the majors. There's also something for the family to enjoy and the tickets are much more affordable.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As a longtime Mets fan, I wish my team had won. I'm happy the Yankees lost. Congratulations to the Dodgers!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Must feel amazing to know you have an entire nation and people who aren't even interested in your sport hoping and praying that you accomplish the greatest achievement of it. Well done, this is only the beginning.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ohtani didn't do much but still managed to get on base regularly

The Yankees only have themselves to blame for games 1 and 5

The Japan series is also a lot of fun this year

3 ( +3 / -0 )

TorafusuTorasan: "@smithinjapan--Ohtani is the DH not DL."

The only reason he may not be on the DL (disabled list) at the moment is because the season is over. You telling me he's never been on the DL? He has been at least three times and can no longer pitch. Or do you think he hasn't been?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Bakafugu: "Must feel amazing to know you have an entire nation and people who aren't even interested in your sport hoping and praying that you accomplish the greatest achievement of it."

I hope you're not talking about Japan. It's pretty much their biggest sport. In fact, I have heard more than a few Japanese claim they actually invented the sport and the US just copied it (incidentally the same people aslo think the US copied Japan's creation of Mother's and Father's Days).

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The Little League World Championship Series is truly a world series.

The one won by the Dodgers should be called the MBS Series as the world does not get to compete in them.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

The world is competing in the World Series. Look at the makeup of players in MLB. A dugout might have players from a dozen countries. The league is the best in the world. It earns the moniker of a World Series in that respect.

The only top talent missing from MLB are a few very young Japanese stars who, due to a protective monopoly arrangement, are prevented from playing in MLB for a certain number of years.

Japan vs. the U.S. in the WBC is competitive, even if some top stars sit out. But put the Dodgers against the Baystars in a series, and the level of quality is just not quite the same. The world’s talent all gathers in the U.S. This is true in baseball, basketball, or hockey.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@smithinjapan--MLB stopped calling it the Disabled List before the 2019 season. Obviously it sounded strange to say a short term injury was a disability, a word normally used for degenerative diseases, wounded veterans, etc. The current term is IL, injured list. Ohtani is on course to return as a pitcher next season, but it barely matters because even solely as a batter he earns enough WAR to make him MVP repeatedly.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It's a pity that Japanese kids don't do multisports because Ohtani could almost certainly have excelled at other sports and it would have been interesting to see him try. Him beating Ichiro's best season for stolen bases with that physique makes him an extreme specimen. I know he pitches too when healthy, for the home run leader to pitch and steal bases in itself is crazy good, but pitching takes a huge physical toll and is a position fraught with injury, limiting his appearances. With his speed, strength, arm, and mental strength in the clutch, you are talking physical gifts of someone who creates a legend. Someone like Michael Jordan, Jonah Lomu, or Patrick Mahomes. It can be argued that this is wasted on baseball and would be better applied to other sports with more artistry.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The World Series is dotted in history with superstars not coming through in the clutch. Both Ohtani and Judge were not too productive, but that doesn't mean they had no effect on the game. Both were stressful to pitch to and the pitchers were successful at keeping them from doing what they are capable of. Ralph Houk, a manager of the Yankees once said that Micky Mantle was worth his salary by just being on the bench. Mantle had a poor appearance against the Dodgers and Sandy Koufax back in the 60s. The presents of Ohtani and Judge had an effect on the series beyond their disappointing Series. Baseball's simply that way.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Little League World Championship Series is truly a world series.

The one won by the Dodgers should be called the MBS Series as the world does not get to compete in them.

Sigh. We've been through this so many times.

The MLB World Series has been known as such for around a century. It was sponsored by The World newspaper, and the name has stuck. It is NOTHING to do with being a World Championship.

Amazing how many people keep repeating this ignorance, despite the endless corrections.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hate to break it to you, but Ohtani did next to nothing in this World Series at all, aside from further contributing the DL. The TEAM did it, not him. It was with his help, of course, but don't like it was him alone.

Yes, while that may be true, as evidenced by Freddy Freeman winning the World Series MVP, and rightfully so, without Shohei's contributions during the regular season, you could make a case that they may not even have made the postseason. His WAR was at a 9.2, which means, statistically there are about 9 wins which he produced by himself with his inclusion on the team. Concretely, there are a number of games which can be noted (e.g. his walk-off grandslam to clinch his 40-40 number, his and Mookie Betts homeruns against Colorado, and his excellent clutch hits in the regular season ending series against the Padres). Now, if you minus 9 wins from the Dodgers final record, you would get 89 wins, which is exactly what the Diamondbacks had; and we all know they did not make the playoffs at all. At the very least, without the contributions of Ohtani, the Dodgers would not have the best record in baseball and would not have won the NL West. Would they have still been able to make a run to the World Series without homefield advantage? Maybe, but we'll never know.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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