Bronx, NY—- The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the World Series title on Wednesday, defeating the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 and winning the series four games to one.
Despite falling behind 5-0, the Dodgers rallied with five runs in the fifth inning, capitalizing on three costly fielding errors by the Yankees. Although New York briefly regained the lead in the sixth, the Dodgers secured victory with two sacrifice flies in the eighth.
“We capitalized on every mistake they made that inning,” said Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández regarding the pivotal fifth. “We had some strong at-bats and put the ball in play. A lot of people say that when you do that, things can happen. It definitely did for us, and we scored five runs.”
First baseman Freddie Freeman was named World Series MVP after an impressive performance, hitting four home runs and driving in 12 runs throughout the series. He homered in each of the first four games.
“Every spring training, this is our goal,” Freeman stated after the victory. “To see it come true with this group of guys is incredible. Holy cow.”
The Dodgers now boast two World Series championships in the last five years, having previously won in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Their last title before that was in 1988.
Throughout their postseason journey, the Dodgers showcased dominance at the plate and on the mound. They defeated the New York Mets in six games in the National League Championship Series, outscoring them 37-7 in their four wins. Against the Yankees, Los Angeles’ pitching staff effectively contained New York’s high-octane lineup, which ranked third in MLB with 815 runs during the regular season, holding them to just seven runs in the first three games of the series.
Several players from the 2020 championship team remained, including Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández, and Walker Buehler. Freeman, who was part of the Atlanta Braves’ 2021 title team, added depth to the lineup.
Manager Dave Roberts celebrated his third championship, having previously led the Dodgers to victory in 2020 and won as a player in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox.
“This team has zero quit in it,” remarked Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen after the game. “If we don’t get the outcome we want, there are always guys picking each other up and challenging ourselves to improve. That’s why we won tonight.”
This World Series victory marks the first for superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is expected to win the NL MVP award. Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers prior to the season and had never appeared in the playoffs before this year. He notably deferred $680 million of his salary to allow the team to invest more around him.
The Yankees, who led the American League with 94 regular-season wins, featured standout center fielder Aaron Judge, who hit 58 home runs and drove in 144 runs during the season. However, Judge struggled in the postseason, batting just .184 with three homers in 14 games.
The Bronx Bombers has not won a World Series Title since 2009.
