The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the 2024 World Series after recovering from 5-0 down to beat the New York Yankees 7-6 at Yankee Stadium and seal a 4-1 series victory.
A topsy-turvy game was turned upside down at its halfway point as the Dodgers exploited Yankees fielding errors in the top of the fifth inning to level the scores.
“We just took advantage of every mistake they made in that inning and scored five runs,” left fielder Teoscar Hernandez said.
“The bullpen and the pitching staff gave us the chance to stay in the game. It’s a dream come true.”
It is a second title in five years for the National League champions, who had previously won in the Covid-shortened 2020 season.
Facing elimination, the Yankees came out swinging in the Bronx as back-to-back first-inning home runs by Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr put them 3-0 up.
When Alex Verdugo drove in Anthony Volpe in the second, Dodgers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty was hooked, and Giancarlo Stanton’s solo shot made it 5-0 in the third.
Yankees starter Gerrit Cole was flawless for four innings, but the Dodgers rallied after Judge fluffed a routine catch in centre field in the fifth, loading the bases with no outs before Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Hernandez all drove in runs to make it 5-5.
Stanton’s sacrifice fly in the sixth edged the Yankees in front again, but the Dodgers hit back in the eighth with two sacrifice flies of their own to lead 7-6.
Having burned through six relievers after Flaherty’s early exit, the Dodgers turned to game three’s starter Walker Buehler to pitch the ninth with a one-run lead, but he retired all three batters he faced to seal the title.
“Who wants a parade?” yelled manager Dave Roberts, referring to the pandemic that had limited their celebrations in 2020.
