NEW YORK – The long-awaited parade of champions is already in preparation. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the kings of baseball again.
With a legendary performance by Freddie Freeman, who demolished the Yankees with hits throughout the series, and a brave pitching staff that managed despite countless stars out due to injury, the Dodgers reach Major League glory by knocking out New York in five games of the 2024 World Series.
Mookie Betts broke a tie with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and Freeman drove in two runs in the game en route to being awarded World Series MVPas the Dodgers defeated the Yankees 7-6 on Wednesday night in New York after overcoming a five-score deficit.
The Dodgers, who had won the title in 2020, did not have a parade then due to the pandemic. But that will change after his eighth MLB crown and it is speculated that the big Los Angeles party will be on Friday or Monday.
Two sacrifice flies for Dodgers glory
Down 6-5 in the eighth, the Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Tommy Kahnle, who received singles from Enrique Hernandez and Tommy Edman before walking Will Smith. Manager Aaron Boone had to call up his closer, Luke Weaver, who threw 21 pitches a night earlier and had also pitched Monday in Game 3.
Gavin Lux tied the score at 6 with a sacrifice fly to the center on a full count and it was Shohei Ohtani’s turn, without a hit in four at-bats in the game and without a home run in his last 29 opportunities. The Japanese reached base on interference from catcher Austin Wells, whose glove made contact with Ohtani’s wood.
With the bases loaded again, Mookie Betts hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Edman and turn the score around: 7-6. Two golden runs with sacrifice flies.
Walker Buehler, manager Dave Roberts’ eighth pitcher who had started Game 3, took over the ninth inning.. The man who struggled so much with injuries this year was responsible for giving Los Angeles its sweetest coronation by striking out Alex Verdugo for the 27th out.
Dodgers rise with help from the Yankees
Everything seemed to be against the Dodgers midway through the game. Their starting pitcher exploded in the second inning, their offense was being handcuffed by the Yankees’ ace and New York’s guns were ringing for a 5-0 Los Angeles deficit.
But then came the big rally with the help of very poor home defense. Enrique Hernández led off with a single, Tommy Edman reached on an error by Aaron Judgewho dropped an easy fly ball to center field, and Will Smith also reached on a grounder when shortstop Anthony Volpe tried unsuccessfully to throw out the lead runner at third.
With the bases loaded, Gerrit Cole pushed to strike out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani, who was totally off. But Mookie Betts extended the inning with a tame grounder to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who couldn’t make the out because pitcher Cole didn’t run to cover first. Hernández scored 5-1 and the bases were still congested.
And along came Freeman, the man of the six straight World Series games hitting a home run, with a hit to center to drive two runs and bring Los Angeles closer to 5-3.. The rally continued with a double by Teoscar Hernández against the center wall to drive in both runners and dramatically tie the score at 5 while Yankee Stadium was stunned.
The Yankees regained the lead in the sixth against Venezuelan Brusdar Graterol, who paid the price of walking Juan Soto and Aaron Judge to begin his work. After a groundout that put Soto at third, Giancarlo Stanton elevated deep to center to make it 6-5.
Manager Dave Roberts, understanding that there was a great chance to win the series tonight, brought in his top replacement early this time, Blake Treinen. The right-hander dominated Anthony Volpe with two runners on board to extinguish the threat and also pitched the seventh and until the eighth, in which with two men on board he struck out Anthony Rizzo with his 42nd shot in an incredible effort.
Yankees starter Cole was pulled after walking Freeman with two outs in the seventh. He threw 108 pitches and all five runs he received were unearned.
Yankees took the lead very early
Gerrit Cole started well in the biggest start of his career. The man who has one of the largest contracts in history for a pitcher ($324 million for 9 years) he retired Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freedie Freeman in order in the first inning, something New York pitchers had not done in the series. Of course, Freeman had hit a two-run homer in each of the previous two games.
And then came the “Bronx Bombers” offense, which had awakened in game 4 with 11 scores. Juan Soto walked Jack Flaherty and then Aaron Judge rocked the Los Angeles right-handed starter on the first pitch with a bomb into the stands. from right-center field.
The favorite for MVP of the American League hit a 94-mile fastball through the center of the plate to open the score 2-0 and make the Yankees fans let out that euphoric and contained scream for a hit by their leader, who started the game with only 2 hits in 15 official at-bats.
Flaherty made the same mistake with the next batter, Jazz Chisholm Jr., a ball right in the center of the plate that the left-handed slugger did not waste to blow the right-hand wall and make it 3-0.
In the next inning, Anthony Volpe, hero of game 4 with his grand slam, doubled and scored two batters later with Alex Verdugo’s hit to right to make it 4-0 that ended Flaherty’s night after 1.1 innings. The Los Angeles native failed in his attempt to lead his childhood team to the championship.
The Yankees had their moments
The Yankees’ cannonball party continued in the third inning when Giancarlo Stanton greeted Ryan Brasier, LA’s third pitcher, with a home run to right-center to make it 5-0. It was the seventh home run of this postseason for the muscular slugger originally from Los Angeles.
The Dodgers showed signs of life in the fourth inning, but Judge once again excelled in defensive duties.
With a runner on board, Freeman hit a deep ball to center that the Yankees outfielder caught spectacularly by jumping against the wall. The ball was not going to hit a home run to continue Freeman’s amazing streak, but it did threaten to become an extra-base hit that would have shaped a possible Los Angeles rally.
News in development.
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