The 2024 World Series has come to an end. Two of the most prestigious and heavy-weight teams battled in a five-game series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers gained some of the best assets in the off-season such as generational superstar Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had a fantastic World Series. But the Dodgers were already loaded with talent, as the team had players such as Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
As for the Yankees, the team was able to acquire Juan Soto with a trade to the Padres, as well as former Marlins all-star Jazz Chisholm at the trade deadline.
Just like the Dodgers though, the team was filled with power. Names such as Aaron Judge, who will most likely be the AL MVP, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gerrit Cole.
So how did it end?
Game 1 (Dodgers Take 1-0 Lead in Series)
Game 1 would be all knotted up until the bottom of the fifth inning. Kike Hernandez would get it started for the Dodgers after he sent a ball into right field for a triple.
In the very next at-bat catcher Will Smith was able to get a sac fly for Hernandez to score, and the Dodgers struck first.
It wouldn’t be long until the Yankees struck right back with a two-run Stanton bomb, giving them the lead. Later in the inning, the Yankees loaded the bases with two outs and Alex Verdugo up to the plate. But Dodger reliever Anthony Bandana would close the inning striking out Verdugo and leaving the runners stranded.
Heading into the bottom of the eighth with the Dodgers still down a run, Ohtani stepped up to the plate. Ohtani launched a ball to right field where it bounced off the wall and got a double. But, the ball would escape as it kicked away from infielder Gleyber Torres, and Ohtani safely got to third.
Mookie Betts was next up in the lineup, as he hit a high fly-ball to center, deep enough for Ohtani to cash in a run, and tie the game.
Heading into the top of the ninth, the game was still tied, and second baseman Gleyber Torres came up with two outs. Torres would drive a ball to left field for what many thought was a home run, but fan interference changed it to a double. And because of that, Los Angeles was able to escape the inning clean.
The Yankees kept knocking though and were itching to score runs. With two runners on in the top of the tenth, shortstop Anthony Volpe hit a ground ball that the Dodgers just couldn’t get out in time.
The very next inning, the bottom of the tenth, the Dodgers with their backs, against the wall would spark something magical.
The inning would start off with a walk and a single for the Dodgers. Next came a pitcher’s worst fear, Shohei Ohtani, but the Yankees elected to bring in Nestor Cortes, who up until that point, hadn’t pitched in almost a month.
As Ohtani lifted a ball to left field, and the ball drifted over to the seats of Dodger Stadium, Verdugo was able to make a spectacular catch for the second out of the inning.
Following Ohtani, Betts was walked, now leaving the bases juiced for Freddie Freeman. The first pitch Freeman saw, he crushed, winning Game 1 for the Dodgers in a walk-off.
Game 2 (Dodgers Take 2-0 Lead)
Game 2 saw the Dodgers jump out to an early lead in the bottom of the second. Tommy Edman, who played at an elite level all postseason, notched in the first run for the Dodgers, as he hit a solo home run.
Yankees were once again quick to answer back, within the next inning, Soto tied the game, hitting his own solo bomb. The Dodgers responded in the third though, as Teoscar Hernandez mashed a two-run home run to right field to make it 3-1.
But the Dodgers weren’t done yet this inning, as Freeman demolished yet another ball to the seats right after.
But after that home run, the Dodgers didn’t score again. However, thanks to a solid Yamamoto and bullpen performance, they didn’t need to.
The Yankees only recorded two hits the entire game, as Judge continued his icy-cold streak.
Game 3 (Dodgers Take 3-0 Lead)
Game 3 saw scenery change as Los Angeles headed to Yankees Stadium. But that did not affect the Dodgers, as once again the team jumped out to an early lead, but this one came in the top of the first.
Ohtani drew a walk, and then for the third consecutive game, Freeman launched a ball into right field, jumpstarting Los Angeles to a 2-0 lead.
Heading into the top of the third, and with Edman on second, Betts poked a ball to right field, and with Edman flying around the bases, he was able to score, making it 3-0 Dodgers in the Yankees own home field. The bases then were loaded soon after, but the Yankees successfully got out of the jam.
The Dodgers added a run in the sixth and Alex Verdugo got the Yankees on the board in the eighth with a two-run home run, but it wasn’t;t enough, as Micheal Kopech shut the door on the Yankees, forcefully stopping any momentum the Yankees were gaining in the ninth.
Game 4 (Yankees Win, Series 3-1 Dodgers)
Game 4 didn’t start off any differently, as the Dodgers grabbed the lead early on. And once again, Freddie Freeman continued his magical World Series and belted a ball to take a first-inning 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the first, Torres popped up a ball that was not only heading near foul territory but heading to the fans as well. Mookie Betts made the catch at the wall, but fans grabbed at his glove and hands to pry the ball away from Betts’ glove.
After the incident, the Yankees drew two walks, with only just one out. But after Chisholm and Stanton grounded out, the Dodgers escaped what could’ve been a dangerous inning.
Following the first, the Yankees had Volpe in scoring position at second, with catcher Austin Wells coming up to the dish, and who before this at-bat, was hitting .093.
But Wells hit the ball to deep center, and the ball bounced off the wall, and Volpe somehow misread the play, and didn’t score. Verdugo then came up and shot the ball right to Freeman for the out, but Volpe managed to score.
The game reached the bottom of the third, and the young shortstop Anthony Volpe got a moment he’ll remember forever.
It started with Judge taking a pitch right to his wrist. Chisholm followed that up with a line drive sent to right field that was played beautifully by Betts, as Chisholm only reached first. Stanton also got walked, and now the bases were loaded.
On the first pitch he saw, Vople launched the ball to the left-field stands and gave the Yankees a 5-2 lead, hoping to provide a massive jolt to the team and crowd.
But yet once again, the Dodgers were quick to strike back. Will Smith hit a solo shot to put Los Angeles within two runs.
It wouldn’t be until the eighth that the Yankees would explode on offense, driving in five runs to pull away from the Dodgers to avoid the sweep.
Game 5 (Dodgers Win WS 4-1)
Gerrit Cole immediately set the tone in the first inning of Game 5, retiring the first three batters 1-2-3.
The Yankees were also able to get on board first when Aaron Judge, who’s been a black hole in the offense this postseason, crushed a fastball to right field to take an immediate 2-0 lead.
The first-inning party wasn’t over yet for the Yankees. Jazz Chisholm was able to add another run with a solo home run, and now very quickly, the Yankees have a 3-0 lead.
Just in the next inning, Volpe picked up where he left off yesterday, hitting the ball down the line for a leadoff double, where he was able to score thanks to an Alex Verdugo single.
Then, in the bottom of the third, Stanton sent a deep fly ball to right field to give the Yankees a 5-0 lead. But then, a great collapse would happen in the top of the fifth inning.
Kike Hernandez started out with a base hit for the first hit for the Dodgers.
Edman was due up, and poked the ball to center, which was an easy and routine catch for Judge, but he dropped it. Then Smith came up and hit a ground ball to Volpe. The young shortstop tried to get the out at third but the throw was too low and now everybody was safe. Bases loaded, no outs.
The next two hitters for the Dodgers in Lux and Ohtani would be sent down on strikes by Cole, and the Yankees just needed one more out to escape absolute chaos.
Mookie Betts grounded the ball to first, but no one was covering first, at all. And it not only led to Betts being safe, but a run scoring. Now Freeman, who had been on fire during the World Series was up, and he continued his hot streak with a base hit, and two more runs scored.
Teoscar Hernandez came up and hit the ball to center, and Judge didn’t get to it in time. Two more runs scored, and the game was tied at five. The Yankees responded quickly though, as a deep sac fly from Stanton was able to score Soto, and they regained the lead.
Los Angeles stayed persistent like they have been all series, and loaded the bases in the eighth. Gavin Lux’s sac fly scored Kike Hernandez, tying the game once again.
After another sac fly by Mookie Betts, the Dodgers found themselves with the lead for the first time all game. And it stayed like that.
Walker Buehler came into the ninth to end the series. Buehler got Volpe to ground out quickly on a breaking pitch. He then came right at Wells and Verdugo, striking them both out to win the Dodgers eighth World Series Championship.
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