Final Score: Dodgers 7 Yankees 6
Why The Dodgers Won: Thanks to the worst fielding inning in World Series history the Dodgers were able to come back from a 5-0 deficit to win the 2024 Fall Classic in 5 games. Instead of 2 out lightening, the Dodgers had 5 out lightening as the Yankees handed them 5 runs all unearned in the 5th inning. The go-ahead run was set up by catcher’s interference in the year of catcher’s interference. The Dodgers took the lead for good in the top of the 8th on 2 sacrifice flies. Dave Roberts’s gamble paid off by giving the A squad bullpen a rest on a bullpen game. He brought in his big starter Walker Buehler in the 9th to nail down the win. This move is far from unprecedented, but Roberts started Buehler warming up in the top of the 8th inning, giving him plenty of time to loosen up. I think he had no intention of bringing him in the bottom of the 8th. He stuck with Blake Treinen when the Yankees threatened in the 8th inning and Treinen came through getting out of the jam. Buehler came in the 9th and mowed the Yankees down to give the Dodgers the World Series win.
The Key Moments Of The Game: Gerrit Cole was breezing along through 4 innings giving up 2 walks and 0 hits. Then the nightmare began. Kiki Hernandez started the inning off with a single to right field for the first hit of the game. Tommy Edman hit a little humpback liner to centerfield that Aaron Judge just dropped when he took his eye off the ball to check the runner. The drop surprised Judge so much that there was just enough of a hesitation to pick up the ball, that Hernandez avoided being forced at 2nd base. Will Smith hit a ground ball to the hole at short, and Anthony Volpe made a terrible throw to third base that Jazz Chisholm could not short hop and everybody was safe to load the bases. Then Cole bore down and struck out the next two batters on 8 pitches. Mookie Betts hit a ground ball to 1st that took a little bit of a strange hop that moved Rizzo to his right just a touch. On a play that Cole thought Rizzo was going to take it himself and Rizzo thought Cole was covering the bag the Yankees failed to get an out. This was the 5th out that the Yankees failed to get. The Dodgers then struck with 5 out lightening when Freddie Freeman singled to drive in 2 runs. Teoscar Hernandez then doubled off the left centerfield wall to drive in the tying runs and the Dodgers were eyeballing the Yankees 5-5. This was an inning that was gift wrapped by the Yankees and the Dodgers said thank you very much, see you next year.
Next Game: None, the season is over. This was the redemption post season for Dave Roberts of the Dodgers. He may not get manager of the year this year, but he was the manager of the post season. Going into the playoffs the Dodger pitching was going to be their big weakness. Roberts managed the bullpen superbly, always keeping his eye on the main goal which is to win each series. He was especially brilliant in the World Series saving his bullpen in game 4 when the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead in games. On the other side of the coin Aaron Boone continues to prove that you cannot go from the broadcast booth to managing a baseball team no matter how much talent they have. I am not all that familiar with the Yankee bench, but it looks like Boone is not either. He only used two pinch hitters the entire series and that was to interchange catchers both times. He put a pitcher in the game in the bottom of the 10th in game 1 that had not pitched in over a month and never relieved this late in a game in his career. Result, grand slam home run, game over. After it was all said and done, the Dodgers won this World Series because they made baseball plays, and the Yankees did not. Hopefully the Yankees will really have a spring training next year.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 