The historic City Hall in Los Angeles had been illuminated nights before in blue, the blue of the Dodgers. The city’s government house will not stop projecting that color for several more days. The lights in Hollywood won’t go out either, of course. The Dodgers go to the World Series.
And not only that. The Dodgers’ rival in the Fall Classic will be none other than the New York Yankees, in a new edition of the greatest rivalry in series for the title of the best baseball in the world.
Guided by the fiery bat of Tommy Edman and another splendid game from the bullpen, the Dodgers won the National League championship on Sunday night by beating the other New York team, the Mets, 10-5, and taking the best-of series. seven for 4-2. The Yankees advanced to the World Series a night earlier by beating Cleveland.
Dodgers and Yankees have met in the World Series 11 times, the last of them in 1981 when Los Angeles was crowned in six games guided by the Mexican rookie Fernando Valenzuelawhose brave performance in game 3 changed the course of that series.
The first game of a long-awaited October Classic is scheduled for Friday, October 25 at Dodger Stadium, when Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, the almost certain MVP winners in their respective leagues and the two biggest attractions in the sport, Make your presentation at the highest stage of the ball.
“It’s the place I dreamed of getting to all my life,” Ohtani said of reaching his first World Series, which comes in his first year with the Dodgers. “Having been able to reach this stage, being able to play and maybe win… is my next goal.”
The unexpected hero of the decisive game for Dodgers, Tommy Edman
Tommy Edman, one of the men acquired by the Dodgers management in the middle of the season, returned to do the job as he has done throughout the final stretch of the campaign and especially in the playoffs. He was named the MVP of the series.
In the first inning, after New York had taken a 1-0 lead on an error by second baseman Chris Taylor, The versatile Edman turned around with a two-run double to the left field corner to drive in Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernándezwho had singled off starter Sean Manaea.
In the third inning, Edman came to bat with a man on board and proceeded to blow the fence in left-center field to make the score 4-1 against the left-handed starter, the Mets’ best card.
Will Smith extended the lead in the same third inning by hitting another two-run home run already against reliever Phil Maton for the 6-1 that led Los Angeles to the World Series.
But these Mets never give up. In the fourth inning, they scored two runs for Mark Vientos’ home run with two outs against reliever Ryan Brasier, making the score 6-3.
In the sixth, the Dodgers put two on board with no outs and Ohtani hit a fly ball that fell in front of center fielder Tyrone Taylor, driving in Smith from second at 7-3.
Dodgers relievers deliver once again
A sacrifice fly by Francisco Álvarez brought New York within 7-4 in the seventh, but Daniel Hudson avoided further damage by striking out Francisco Lindor. One inning before, reliever Evan Phillips dominated Jesse Winker with the bases loaded and two outs.
Michael Kopech started for Los Angeles with one run allowed. He was followed by Ben Casparius (1.1), Anthony Banda (1.1), Brasier (1.1), Evan Phillips (1), Daniel Hudson (1) and the infallible Blake Treinen, who completed the work with two innings of work with one run
Treinen struck out his first four enemies and, after two straight hits that turned into a final New York run, dominated Álvarez for the 27th out, starting the celebration of the most consistent club in the Major Leagues in this era.
An RBI double by Mookie Betts, a sacrifice fly by Teoscar Hernández and an RBI hit by Kiké Hernández increased the lead to 10-4 in the eighth for the Dodgers to the delirium of their fans, who will witness another World Series, the fourth for the team. Dave Roberts since 2017, of which they only won the 2020 one.
News in development.