Dodgers win the World Series!

How are you feeling in Los Angeles?! The Dodgers became World Champions after defeating the Yankees Wednesday 7-6 in Game 5!

After game four was abandoned to the Yankees and game five was delayed, Dodger fans began to think the series was returning to Los Angeles

But instead… The Dodgers became the “Comeback Kids.” They actually had to do it twice. The inning in which they took the lead – the eighth inning, when Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly brought home Tommy Edman and the Dodgers led 7-6 and never looked back. Strong pitching from Blake Treinen and Walker Buehler in the bottom of the inning sealed the deal, and the Boys in Blue became world champions!

Key change in Game 5

The key inning was the fifth, when the Dodgers took advantage of two Yankees errors and scored five runs behind a single by Mookie Betts, a single by Freddie Freeman and a double by Teoscar Hernandez to tie it all.

How we got here

After 162 games and hard-fought victories over the Padres and Mets in the National League Division Series and National League Championship Series, respectively, the Dodgers left no doubt that they were the best team in baseball.

One of the main reasons, if not the main reason, that the Dodgers made the playoffs and ultimately won the World Series: Shohei Ohtani. Let’s face it. When you have the best baseball player in the world and maybe the greatest baseball player of all time, you’re going to be in the conversation no matter what. His magical season of 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases sparked the Dodgers’ offense and led to numerous victories.

When you have Shohei in your lineup, you’re already a step ahead of everyone else.

And oh yes – this band also includes Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman (aka Mr. October), Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman and Kike Hernandez. All of these players performed exceptionally during the regular season and playoffs.

However, the road to the playoffs was not easy. The injury bug plagued the Dodgers all season, decimating the starting pitching rotation. Can you imagine if Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone were healthy and part of the playoff rotation? Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone have been solid during the season. Together they had 20 wins on the mound. Kershaw didn’t play much as he spent the first half of the season on the injured list recovering from shoulder surgery. He finished with a 2-2 record and was placed on the injured list again after injuring his finger.

Starting to throw was the difference

But the Dodgers turned what was perceived as a weakness into a strength. Their initial playoff shooting was outstanding. Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler dominated to shut down the Yankees offense. Aaron Judge just struggled for the Yankees. The key is to pitch hard in the playoffs and especially in the World Series. You simply can’t win without it.

Dodger Legacy

This is the Dodgers’ eighth World Series – they have won titles in 2024, 2020, 1988, 1981, 1965, 1963, 1959 and 1955. They currently rank fifth on the all-time World Series titles list with the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers have appeared in 21 World Series, 12 of them since moving to Los Angeles in 1958.

While some non-Dodger fans argued that the 2020 championship was illegitimate because it occurred during the COVID 19 shortened season, there is no doubt that the Dodgers overcame all the difficulties necessary to win the title this season. No stars needed here.

The Dodgers have won 25 National League banners – 13 in Los Angeles and 12 in Brooklyn. Do you want a legacy? Try this: The Dodgers are currently in a tough spot dating back to 2013, when the Boys in Blue won two World Series titles, four National League pennants, made 12 postseason appearances and won 11 National League West titles.

Want more legacy? How about some new things? The most significant was the first – Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947, becoming the first black player in the modern era of Major League Baseball. The Dodgers were the first team on the West Coast to win the World Series in 1959 and, interestingly, were the first team to have numbers on the front of their uniforms in 1952.

This is a legacy, my friends.