The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday to win the World Series four games to one.
The Dodgers were trailing 5-0 before they scored five runs in the fifth inning — all of which came in the wake of three fielding miscues by the Yankees. New York retook the lead in the sixth inning, but two sacrifice flies by Los Angeles in the top of the eighth put the visitors ahead for good.
“We just took advantage of every mistake that they made that inning,” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández said of the fifth. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play. A lot of people say ‘when you put the ball in play, things might happen.’ It happened to us in that inning, and we scored five runs.”
First baseman Freddie Freeman won World Series MVP, hitting four homers and driving in 12 runs across the five games. Freeman homered once each in the first four games of the series.
“Every spring training this is our goal,” Freeman said after the win. “For it to come true with this group of guys, I couldn’t ask for a better year. Holy cow.”
The Dodgers have won two World Series in the last five years, having also won during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. Los Angeles’ last title after a full season was in 1988.
The Dodgers were dominant both in the batter’s box and on the mound during their postseason run.
Los Angeles beat the New York Mets in six games in the National League championship series, outscoring the Mets by a combined 37-7 in the four wins.
Against the Yankees, the Dodgers’ pitching staff continued to stifle a high-powered lineup, as Los Angeles held New York — which finished third in MLB with 815 runs in the regular season — to only seven runs combined in the first three games of the series.
Several players on this year’s Dodgers team were also on the World Series team in 2020, including Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández and Walker Buehler. Freeman won a title with the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
It’s the third championship for manager Dave Roberts, who led Los Angeles in 2020 and also won once as a player in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox.
“This team has zero quit in it,” Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen said postgame. “If we don’t have the outcome that we want, there are always guys out there picking each other up and challenging ourselves to be better. That’s why we won tonight.”
Meanwhile, it’s the first World Series win for Los Angeles superstar Shohei Ohtani, the presumptive NL MVP, who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers before the season. Ohtani had not appeared in the playoffs before this year. He deferred $680 million of his salary in part to help the franchise spend more around him.
The Yankees won 94 games during the regular season, best in the American League. Center fielder Aaron Judge, who hit 58 home runs and drove in 144 runs during the regular season, is expected to win AL MVP. But he struggled in the postseason, hitting only .184 with three homers in 14 games.
New York has not won a World Series since 2009.
Blake Treinen talks World Series victory
The Dodgers win the World Series!
Walker Buehler struck out Alex Verdugo for the final out and the Dodgers have won the World Series!
What a comeback for Los Angeles in Game 5, which trailed 5-0 before a five-run fifth inning.
It’s the Dodgers’ second championship in the last five seasons.
Apparently five is their lucky number.
Dodgers leave two on; Yankees down to their final three outs
Walker Buehler is in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Can he close this out for Los Angeles?
Yankees strand two in the bottom of the eighth
Aaron Judge hit a one-out double and Jazz Chisholm walked right after, but the Yankees couldn’t bring either of them home.
Giancarlo Stanton flew out to right before Anthony Rizzo struck out swinging to end the inning. That’s a double whammy for New York, which not only didn’t score but will need the bottom of the order to get the rally started next inning.
The Dodgers lead 7-6 as we go to the top of the ninth.
Yanks trailing as we go to the bottom of the eighth
The Dodgers are up 7-6 after two sac flies in the top of the eighth, but the Yankees will have a great opportunity to tie or take the lead as Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm are due up next.
Dodgers take their first lead of the night
After Shohei Ohtani got to first via catcher’s interference, Mookie Betts came up with the bases loaded and hit a sac fly to center.
The Dodgers now lead 7-6 — their first lead of Game 5.
Dodgers tie it up at 6
It’s a 6-6 game after a Gavin Lux sac fly to center.
The Dodgers hit two singles and drew a walk to load the bases and chase Tommy Kahnle.
After Luke Weaver came in, Lux drove home Kiké Hernández and moved Tommy Edman to third.
1-2-3 seventh for Blake Treinen
The bottom of the seventh was a rare uneventful inning for the Yankees, who were retired in order by Blake Treinen and his funky sweeper.
Kiké Hernández, who started the Dodgers’ fifth-inning rally with a single, is due up first in the top of the eighth.
Dodgers strand two in the seventh
Teoscar Hernández walked after Freddie Freeman did the same, but Clay Holmes struck out Max Muncy on seven pitches to end the top of the seventh.
The Yanks take a 6-5 lead to the bottom of the inning.
Gerrit Cole’s night is done
After walking Freddie Freeman with two outs in the seventh, Gerrit Cole’s night is done.
What a performance by him. He threw 108 pitches and struck out six. Cole allowed five runs, but none of them was earned as they all came during an error-filled fifth.