The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions again after a blowout victory over their historically bitter rivals, the New York Yankees.
As expected, and deserved, first baseman Freddie Vrijman was named Most Valuable Player of the World Series after the game. He was incredible throughout and started the series with a bang in the form of a walk-off grand slam in Game 1. During the locker room festivities, the World Series MVP had some heartfelt words for his team.
“From day one we knew we had a good group of guys,” Freeman said. “The group of guys in this clubhouse became very, very close and we showed that on the field.”
That home run started a streak of four straight World Series games with a long ball, which combined with his two home runs in the 2021 World Series with the Atlanta Braves, set a record.
He finished the series with six hits, four of which were home runs, and 12 RBIs.
“I don’t want it to calm down at all,” Freeman said as he celebrated. “We’re going to celebrate this for a long time because it’s just hard to do in this game – to win championships…with this group of guys we’re finally going to get a parade for LA.”
Before they could hoist their trophy, the Boys in Blue erased a five-point deficit to defeat New York, setting a World Series record for the largest comeback in the Fall Classic.
After giving up five runs early in the game, the Dodgers slowly chipped away at the Yankee lead. In contrast to the high-powered offense that got them to this point, the Dodgers relied on small-ball to pull out Wednesday night’s victory, using several sacrifice flies and crucial baserunning to slowly claw their way back and finish the eighth to win the franchise’s World Series title.
“Tonight was basically the epitome of our season,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “Get health a big hit early, come back. Get health another hit, come back. Tonight was basically our season in a nutshell.”
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Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty came right out of the gate, allowing back-to-back home runs to Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm in the first inning and an RBI single to Alex Verdugo in the second, leading to him getting the early hook .
The Yankees scored another run in the bottom of the third inning when Giancarlo Stanton crushed an opposite-field home run off reliever Ryan Brasier.
Despite a 5-0 lead, the Yankees faltered in the fifth inningallowing the Dodgers to tie the game after a pair of fielding blunders, a two-run single by Freddie Freeman and a two-run double off the bat of Teoscar Hernández.
With Flaherty out of the game after just four outs, the Dodgers were forced to suffer their second straight bullpen game, with manager Dave Roberts throwing seven arms in relief.
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With the game ahead in the sixth inning, Stanton drove in what was then the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring Juan Soto from third base, giving the Pinstripes the lead again.
Yankees starter Gerrit Cole threw almost seven innings and, despite the rough fifth inning, walked off the field with a lead and a standing ovation from the fans in New York.
In the top of the eighth, with their lead still intact, Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle loaded the bases without securing an out, making way for Luke Weaver, who was incredible in October. He managed to limit the damage, but still scored both the tying run and the leading runs on sacrifice flies.
Lux first made a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game and make way for Shohei Ohtani in a situation that looked like something out of a Hollywood movie. However, in a bizarre turn of events, he reached first base on just two pitches after catching New York backstop Austin Wells’ catcher’s interference. Outside of that at bat, Ohtani was quiet again, going 0-for-four with a strikeout.
With the bases once again loaded, star outfielder Mookie Betts hit his own sacrifice fly to drive in the go-ahead run, giving the Boys in Blue a 7-6 lead.
Roberts left right-handed reliever Blake Treinen in the game for 41 pitches, recording a whopping seven outs, sending the game into the ninth inning.
Although traditionally a starter, Roberts called on Walker Buehler in the bottom of the ninth inning to take on the Yankees lineup and he did just that, mowing down the bottom three batters and securing the title to set.
After the game the Dodgers made their plans to organize a parade for fans through the streets of downtown Los Angeles.
