Los Angeles celebrates after Dodgers win World Series

Andy Pages, Emmet Sheehan help Dodgers blank Reds, regain NL West lead

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Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers sent out a holler from the outfield on Monday night that was heard from the back row.

Much maligned this season, the Dodgers’ outfield roamed free as Andy Pages hit two home runs with four RBIs in a 7-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds that opened a three-game series and a six-game homestand.

Even former outfielder Mookie Betts got into the act, with a home run and a highlight-reel play in the hole at shortstop, all in the seventh inning.

Right-hander Emmet Sheehan (5-2) was the benefactor of a solid defensive night to log a career best seven innings without allowing a run. He tied a career best with 10 strikeouts.

In the process, the Dodgers moved back into sole possession of first place in the National League West after the San Diego Padres lost to the Seattle Mariners, 9-6.

“Competition should bring out the best in you,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about the team finding itself in a tight race with the Padres. “Where the margins are smaller and everything matters more vs. you have a big lead and you’re not playing with urgency, because you don’t need to, then have to kind of flip a switch, that’s tough.

“We’ve done both. But I’m not going to say, as we’re in a pennant race and say this is not good for us. This is very good for us.”

Michael Conforto, whose play has been the most dissected of anyone in the lineup this season, made a reaching catch up against the wall in left field to save a run in the second inning and added a pair of doubles.

Teoscar Hernandez, whose season has been slowed by leg injuries, made multiple running catches of his own to solidify the defense behind Sheehan.

“Yeah, a lot of great plays out there,” Conforto said. “It’s been a thing for us to tighten up a little bit. And obviously we’ve been working towards getting that goal achieved and doing extra (batting practice defense), tracking balls in the outfield, just making sure we’re out there, getting our reps in. Obviously, it’s paying off. All the guys out there do a great job.”

And Pages, who has been the least of the Dodgers’ outfield concerns, continued to deliver with his second multi-homer game of the season. Pages also hit a pair of home runs in a home win against the Padres earlier this season.

“Working on some things mechanically, making adjustments,” Pages said through an interpreter. “We obviously know how long the season is, so trying to make those adjustments in-season, going through some of those ruts and trying to make those adjustments to get better and have better at-bats.”

Pages’ 22nd home run of the season was a solo shot into the Dodgers’ bullpen in left field in the third inning for a 1-0 lead. His 23rd went over the short wall in left in the fifth inning immediately after Conforto’s double for a 3-0 advantage.

Both home runs came against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene, who was throwing 100 mph fastballs, while Pages took advantage of a pair of sliders.

Pages was just 1 for 10 in the just-completed three-game series in San Diego, but overall, he has appeared to get back on track with four home runs over his past nine games.

“I just think the energy all around was focused and was consistent,” Roberts said. “To grind the pitcher like Hunter Greene, you’ve got to do something offensively and to play defensively, to not give away outs. To allow Emmett to go deeper in a game that’s just what we need to do going forward.”

Sheehan offered his best outing of the season, allowing two hits with one walk to win his third consecutive decision.

Betts padded the lead in the seventh with his 14th home run and third of an August turnaround that has seen him deliver a .356 batting average over his last 18 games after dropping to .231 for the season during a series early in the month against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers’ final run came on a Pages sacrifice fly in the eighth.

“The past few days have been great,” Conforto said of the team. “I think just a little switch in mentality. Less about slugging the ball, more about grinding at-bats and being ready to hit. When you get your pitch, finish the at-bat, and just controlling the zone a little bit. Like I said, the past two days have been better, and we’re looking to keep that rolling, for sure.”

Lost in the mix was a Freddie Freeman double in the sixth inning that was the 541st of his career to tie him with Rogers Hornsby for 37th on MLB’s all-time list.

“I thought the offensive at-bats, one through nine, were great,” Roberts said. “It’s probably one of the better games, complete games that we’ve played in months, for me.”

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Doug Padilla

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August 25, 2025

Dave Roberts believes Dodgers’ best offensive baseball is yet to come

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SAN DIEGO — In the middle of last September, the Dodgers lost two games to open a series in Atlanta (part of a 3-6 slide) and Manager Dave Roberts sensed the team was feeling sorry for itself as injuries mounted.

So Roberts addressed the team, a rare occasion during the season. That team meeting stands as a key scene in the Dodgers’ 2024 championship.

Deep in a seven-week malaise that has seen them blow a nine-game lead in the division with an offense, in particular, underperforming, Roberts said he hasn’t resorted to the same tactic.

“I’ve talked to some hitters,” Roberts said before Sunday’s 8-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. “But I just don’t feel that, when you’re talking specifically to hitting, it doesn’t involve the pitchers, and that’s half your team. So I’m not about wasting peoples’ time as they’re getting ready for a ballgame.”

Absolving the pitching staff of culpability in the Dodgers’ fall from the top is understandable. But the Dodgers have not been able to count on any consistent production from their offense. On the seven-game road trip to Colorado and San Diego this week, the Dodgers scored 28 runs in their three wins but just eight in their four losses.

“Baseball – hitting goes in cycles,” Roberts said. “We haven’t really been in sync. It’s been disjointed a lot, as far as the offense, for the entire part of the year. So playing well at the right time is crucial. And that speaks to the offense as well. But I do think we’re gonna get things together and pieced together.

“I’ve said it for a while, I think our best offensive baseball is still ahead of us. So it’s gonna happen.”

To make it happen, Roberts said he just wants them to get back to “competing and playing to win a ballgame and taking good at-bats. That will kind of lend itself to the performance.”

After Saturday’s loss, Roberts bemoaned the lack of adjustments being made by Dodger hitters who seemed unwilling to change their swing for the moment. But don’t tell Roberts his players need to make drastic changes in their approach.

“I couldn’t disagree more, in the sense of what my belief is in this offensive team,” he said. “Certainly in the last two months, we haven’t performed close to expectations. I just feel we have the ability, the talent, as is it, to grind pitchers; to take some pressure off the starter, the ’pen.

“So I want my cake and eat it as well.”

SHO FIVE

After hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning (his 45th of the season), Ohtani made a slight detour on his way to the dugout, going over to the seats by the screen and forcing a high-five on a Padres fan wearing a Fernando Tatis Jr. jersey. Ohtani pointed back at the fan as he trotted down the dugout steps.

The fan had been trash-talking the Dodgers all game, Ohtani in particular. Ohtani was hitless in 10 at-bats in the series before his home run, giving the plan plenty of fuel.

“Very annoying as he’s in my right ear the entire game,” Roberts said. “It was out of character from Shohei. He was wearing him out the whole game. So it was good to see Shohei initiate a high-five from him. That was great. That was fun. It was good for Shohei to show his personality.”

REHAB ROUNDUP

Utility men Hyeseong Kim and Kiké Hernandez continued their rehab assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City over the weekend.

Kim went 1 for 5 as the DH on Saturday and 1 for 5 again while playing center field on Sunday. He is 4 for 16 in four games with OKC. Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a walk and played third base on Saturday, then went 1 for 2 with a double and a walk while playing left field on Sunday. He is 5 for 14 in five games and is on track to be activated from the injured list during the series against the Cincinnati Reds, which begins Monday night at Dodger Stadium.

Third baseman Max Muncy has progressed well enough in his recovery from a mild oblique strain to face live pitching at some point early this week. He could go on a rehab assignment soon after that.

UP NEXT

Reds (RHP Hunter Greene, 5-3, 2.63 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Emmet Sheehan, 4-2, 4.17 ERA), Monday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM

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Bill Plunkett

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August 24, 2025

The Dog Days of New York Baseball

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Edwin Díaz, the New York Mets’ All-Star closer, is no stranger to unusual injuries. A couple of years ago, he tore the patellar tendon in his right knee while jumping up and down to celebrate a win in the World Baseball Classic. Still, the condition he described after exiting a game in late April was one for the books. “Yesterday, my legs—one was longer than the other one,” he said, offhandedly, before adding that a trainer had “fixed it.” Asked to elaborate, he replied, “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. He just did it, and I was feeling better after.” His quotes circulated widely, shared by bloggers and fans on social media with a bit of puzzlement and delight but with little follow-up or explanation. The real story was perhaps not so strange—there was, evidently, a strength imbalance in his hips—but his more startling description probably seemed plausible enough to those who root for his team. Of course one of Díaz’s legs was longer than the other. He is, after all, a Met.

The Mets’ association with absurdity has long been inextricable from the team’s identity, something I spent a lot of time thinking about before the season, when I wrote a long story about the franchise, and its rivalry with New York’s other team, the Yankees. When Steve Cohen, the hedge-fund billionaire, bought the team, in 2020, he pledged to rebuild the organization so that New Yorkers could wear Mets hats with pride instead of vague embarrassment—the default sentiment for many Mets fans ever since the team’s founding, in 1962, but particularly after the previous owners, the Wilpon family, were discovered to be among Bernie Madoff’s biggest clients. And, recently, Cohen’s vision seemed to be coming to fruition. There was a thrilling run into October last season, then the signing of Juan Soto, who was lured away from the Yankees with the biggest contract in baseball history. There was a general sense of competency surrounding the team. Even Díaz’s mysterious condition and rehabilitation suggested a change—a weird thing had happened, but the training staff had addressed it! Almost immediately, his pitching became nearly untouchable. On June 12th, the team was at the top of the standings, with a five-and-a-half-game lead in the National League East.

Since then, the team has seen twenty-three wins, and thirty-six losses—one of the worst records in the majors. The starting pitching has been terrible. The bullpen has been unreliable. The bats have been anemic. The Mets have had more than twenty blown-lead losses since June 13th. Almost every part of the team has been underperforming. From time to time, there have been signs of the World Series contenders they used to be not so long ago: a seven-game win streak in July; a three-game unbeaten stretch just last week. On Friday night, they had twenty-one hits and scored twelve runs to beat the Atlanta Braves. But whatever momentum they manage to build quickly craters—most recently, in a series loss to the Washington Nationals, one of the worst teams in the M.L.B. “Feels very normal,” Nick O’Brien, a Mets fan whom I’d met on the berm in Port St. Lucie, at a spring-training game, in March, told me, when I spoke to him on the phone last week. “There’s a little bit of a trauma response in there,” he added. On Reddit, Mets fans were busy arguing about which squads in the franchise’s history had suffered the worst collapses.

Some of this is premature. Good teams have bad weeks, even bad months; the Mets started horribly last season, and romped into the National League Championship Series. Because of the team’s healthy start, their winning percentage remains comfortably above .500, and they’re clinging to a slim lead over the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Attendance at Citi Field has remained strong. When I reached out to another fan I met at spring training, he responded from Washington, D.C., where he’d brought his son to see the Mets on the road—he sent me pictures of the two of them, decked out in Mets gear, at the Nationals’ stadium. Kyle Gorjanc, O’Brien’s girlfriend, said, “Everybody’s doing their job, doing what they can, and it just sort of feels like, Well, you win some, you lose some! It doesn’t really feel like a disaster.” O’Brien interjected to say that it would be a disaster if the team failed to make the playoffs.

Still, there are silver linings, even as the losses pile up. There is a degree of reassurance, after all, in knowing that the team hasn’t become unrecognizable. “That underdog mentality is something that’s kind of indomitable,” O’Brien said. “There’s a little sense that you can’t buy your way out of it.” Gorjanc and O’Brien attended a game earlier this season during which David Wright, the team’s beloved former captain, had his jersey retired. “The David Wright thing was cool,” O’Brien said. “He mentioned the Wilpons during the speech, and everybody booed.”

If those fans needed any more reasons to boo—they only needed to look north, to the Bronx, where the Yankees were in the midst of an even more spectacular swoon. The Yankees entered the season as the second favorites to win the World Series, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. At the end of May, they held a seven-game lead in the American League East, over the Toronto Blue Jays. But since June 13th—also the date when the Mets’ major misfortunes began—the Yankees have had a losing record, and have tumbled out of first place. They are currently in a battle with the Boston Red Sox for the top wild-card spot. It’s been a disappointing season for a lot of supposed juggernauts: even the Dodgers are having a down year of sorts, relative to expectations, though they still lead their division. Every team that makes a credible attempt at the post-season is up against the vagaries of luck and the vulnerabilities of the human body. In this respect, the only teams that aren’t underdogs, you could say, are the ones whose fates are fixed because their owners are too stingy to even try.

Whatever comes in September and beyond, the Mets’ front office will face a tricky off-season. It’s rumored that Díaz, perhaps the team’s best player this season—at least since his mysterious condition was resolved—will test the free-agent market, and the Mets’ popular slugger Pete Alonso, who recently set the franchise record for most home runs, could opt out of his contract. How far Cohen is willing to go to change the team may depend on how far he’s willing to go to keep them. As for Soto, he’s having a “Met year,” as Gorjanc put it. But Francisco Lindor, the team’s shortstop who, until Soto’s arrival, had claim to the team’s richest contract, struggled at first, too, before turning into the team’s M.V.P. “Maybe Soto just needs a Met year before he ripens,” Gorjanc said. Or another fourteen, I offered—the length of the rest of his contract. ♦

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Louisa Thomas

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August 24, 2025

Dodgers’ Ohtani roughed up by Rockies, leaves game after getting hit on right thigh by line drive

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DENVER (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a forgettable outing in his first career pitching start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Ohtani left Wednesday’s game after giving up five earned runs and nine hits in four innings and getting hit in the leg by a comeback line drive.

With runners at second and third and one out in the fourth inning, Ohtani got hit by a 93-mph line drive off the bat of Colorado’s Orlando Arcia on his right leg that caused him to limp and grimace in pain. The liner struck the reigning National League MVP and ricocheted toward the first base line. Ohtani gave chase and grabbed the ball on the line, spun to make a throw, but had no play as a runner scored.

After a mound visit from manager Dave Roberts and team medical personnel, Ohtani stayed in the game and got the last two outs of the inning, with the Dodgers trailing 5-0 at the time. The Dodgers lost to Colorado 8-3.

Roberts said after the game that the line drive hit Ohtani on the thigh and managed to avoid his knee and any on-bone contact.

“I was just really relieved that it was the thigh, because it hit him flush,” Roberts said. “If you’re talking about the kneecap, that’s a different conversation. When I saw the ball mark on his thigh, I was very relieved, relative to the situation.”

Through a translator, Ohtani said he had recently been hit in the same spot on his leg by a pitch.

“I’m glad it didn’t hit the knee,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I think we avoided the worst-case scenario. So, I’m going to focus on the treatment.”

Ohtani was making his 10th start of the season after not pitching in the 2024 season while recovering from elbow surgery. The earned runs that he allowed matched the most he had permitted since July 2022, and the nine hits allowed matched a career high.

“I put the team in a bad spot,” Ohtani said. “It was just a very regrettable outing. I wish I could have done better.”

Even after getting hit by the line drive, Ohtani stayed in the game and drew a walk in his at-bat in the fifth inning. But, he did not bat in the eighth and was replaced by Alex Call, who struck out. Ohtani finished with a double and a walk and extended his on-base streak to 18 games.

Roberts said he’s “confident” Ohtani will play Friday against the San Diego Padres. Even before the injury, Ohtani was scheduled to sit out Thursday’s series finale against the Rockies.

He entered Wednesday without a decision and a 3.47 ERA. This season, he hasn’t thrown more than 4 ⅓ innings or 80 pitches. Against the MLB-worst Rockies, he threw 66 pitches, 49 for strikes.

Ohtani is batting .284 with 44 homers, one behind NL-leading Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, with 83 RBIs.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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August 20, 2025

The Road to the World Series: 2025 Playoff Contenders – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: Lesly Juarez/Unsplash

The 2025 MLB season is barreling toward its most electric stretch, the playoffs.

This is the time when rosters tighten, rotations shorten, and every pitch carries the weight of an entire city’s hopes. The margins are razor-thin, and only the most complete teams survive the October gauntlet.

While every playoff-bound club dreams of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy, a few stand out as legitimate front-runners. They combine deep pitching staffs, explosive offenses, and postseason-tested leadership.

Alongside them is a dark horse capable of derailing even the most carefully laid championship plans.

Atlanta Braves: The Relentless Machine

The Braves enter the postseason as one of baseball’s most consistent forces. Year after year, they produce one of the league’s best run differentials and dominate at the plate. In 2025, that balance between firepower and pitching depth puts them squarely among the favorites.

Why They’re a Contender

Atlanta’s offense remains an engine of destruction. Their lineup blends power, patience, and speed, making it a nightmare for opposing pitchers. The rotation is equally formidable.

Key Players

Ronald Acuña Jr.: Acuña Jr continues to redefine the leadoff role. His blend of 30+ home run power and elite baserunning forces pitchers to labor from the very first at-bat. He also sets the tone defensively, covering massive ground in right field.

Spencer Strider: Strider’s strikeout arsenal remains unmatched. With an upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider, he can dominate even the deepest playoff lineups.

It’s no surprise that discussions around the odds to win the World Series often feature Atlanta near the top; they’re a team built for both the 162-game grind and the win-or-go-home chaos of October.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Star-Powered Juggernaut

No team in recent memory blends star power and depth quite like the Dodgers. They’ve built an organization where losing a key starter doesn’t derail the season; it just means the next All-Star-caliber player steps up.

Why They’re a Contender

The Dodgers’ offensive depth is awe-inspiring. They can stack their lineup with hitters who each pose a legitimate long-ball threat, while their bench remains one of the league’s best. On the pitching side, their rotation boasts frontline dominance and a flexible bullpen.

Key Players

Mookie Betts: Betts remains one of the game’s most complete players, excelling in every facet, power, average, speed, defense, and leadership. His October track record is proof of his big-game pedigree.

Shohei Ohtani: While his two-way role is managed carefully, Ohtani’s ability to change a game with either his bat or arm makes him the ultimate postseason weapon. His presence alone alters opposing teams’ game plans.

If the Dodgers stay healthy, they’re as dangerous as any team in baseball, perhaps more so because of their adaptability across a long playoff run.

Houston Astros: The October Specialists

Year after year, the Astros prove that playoff baseball is in their DNA. Their core has been through deep runs, and their ability to execute in big moments remains unmatched.

Why They’re a Contender

Houston thrives under pressure. They’ve developed a reputation for clutch hitting and efficient pitching in October. Even as pieces of their championship core have changed, their winning culture endures.

Key Players

Yordan Álvarez: Few hitters in the game can match Álvarez’s combination of raw power and disciplined approach. His ability to deliver in high-leverage situations makes him one of the most feared bats in the postseason.

Framber Valdez: Valdez brings calm and control to the mound. His heavy sinker induces ground balls at a rate that frustrates power-heavy lineups, a valuable skill in tight postseason games.

The Astros’ blend of veteran leadership and postseason experience ensures they’re never intimidated by the October stage.

Dark Horse: Seattle Mariners

Seattle may not carry the same “favorite” label as Atlanta, Los Angeles, or Houston, but ignoring them would be a mistake. Their roster is young, athletic, and built around pitching depth, an ingredient that often sparks surprise playoff runs.

Why They Could Shock Everyone

The Mariners’ rotation is among the most underrated in baseball, capable of matching up with the game’s elite. Their offense, while streaky, has enough firepower to flip a game with a single swing. In a short series, that volatility can work in their favor.

Key Players

Julio Rodríguez: The face of the franchise and one of MLB’s brightest stars, Rodríguez brings dynamic offense and highlight-reel defense. His energy fuels the entire roster.

Logan Gilbert: Gilbert’s rise as a dependable frontline starter has given Seattle a true ace to match up in must-win games. His combination of velocity and command is tailor-made for success in October.

If Seattle catches fire early, they have the tools to become the postseason’s most dangerous underdog.

What Contenders Have in Common

While each of these teams has its own style, they share key characteristics that define championship-caliber baseball:

Star Power: Each club boasts multiple game-changers capable of deciding a series on their own.
Pitching Depth: From aces to lockdown relievers, they can control the strike zone in any situation.
Adaptability: They can win slugfests, grind out 2–1 nail-biters, and adjust to the unique demands of each opponent.

It’s these qualities, not just regular-season dominance, that tend to separate World Series winners from the rest.

Final Outlook on the 2025 Playoff Picture

As October approaches, the Braves, Dodgers, and Astros have positioned themselves as the most likely to navigate the postseason minefield. Their combination of talent, experience, and depth makes them formidable opponents for anyone. Yet, lurking just behind them, the Mariners stand ready to break the script.

Baseball history is full of unexpected October heroes and teams that defy the odds. In 2025, whether the favorites hold serve or the dark horse charges to the forefront, the road to the World Series promises drama, unpredictability, and unforgettable moments.

For fans, that’s the beauty of this sport, the certainty that nothing is specific, and the belief that any team still standing has a shot at glory.

Categorized:National Phillies WegENT Blog

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PHLSportsNation

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August 19, 2025

Dodgers Win! Here’s Where to Find the Team’s Official World Series Championship Merch Online

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If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

The Los Angeles Dodgers managed to close out Game 5 in a very dramatic come-from-behind win against the New York Yankees at Yankees Stadium in The Bronx, New York to win the 2024 World Series, in front of a star-studded crowd that included Rob Lowe, John Travolta, Tim McGraw and Alec Baldwin. The Dodgers won in a “gentleman’s sweep” going 4-1 in the series. And now, fans can celebrate and show off their love and pride for LA with the release of official Dodgers World Series merch.

Want to buy LA Dodgers World Series goods online? We rounded up the best World Series Championship merch and apparel from across the web, including from Nike, HOMAGE, Fanatics, FOCO, Amazon and Funko.

From tees to hats, we gathered together top apparel picks, including the LA Dodgers’ locker room T-shirt and ball cap. These were the same tees and hats worn during the team’s champaign celebration after closing out the World Series.

Additionally, we found fun collectibles for Dodger fans, such as a Topps Now baseball card of Freddie Freeman, who was named Willie Mays World Series MVP thanks to his walkoff grand slam home run during Game 1, and a Shohei Ohtani World Series bobblehead.

Scroll down and shop our picks for the best LA Dodgers 2024 World Series Championship merch, below:

Nike

Nike Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series Champions

Nike

Nike Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series Champions Roster

Topps

Topps Now Freddie Freeman Walk Off Grand Slam in World Series Baseball Card

#866

Fanatics

Los Angeles Dodgers Fanatics 2024 World Series Champions Locker Room Tee

New Era

Los Angeles Dodgers New Era 2024 World Series Champions Locker Room Hat

FOCO

Pre-Order

Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series Champions Bobblehead

Release date: Mar. 24, 2025

MLB Jam Dodgers Betts and Ohtani Tee

Pre-Order

Pop! Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 MLB World Series Champions 5-Pack

Release date: June 15, 2025

Meanwhile, you can keep the party and the celebration going with the LA Dodgers championship parade throughout downtown Los Angeles on Friday, Nov. 1. If you’re in the LA metro area, you can watch the parade live on KTLA 5 online without cable via DirecTV Stream, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV.

Want more? Shop more LA Dodgers World Series Championship merch, apparel and collectibles on fanatics.com.

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Rudie Obias

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October 31, 2024

Los Angeles celebrates after Dodgers win World Series

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Los Angeles celebrates after Dodgers win World Series – CBS News

Watch CBS News

The Los Angeles Dodgers are world champions after ending the World Series Wednesday night with a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees. CBS News Los Angeles reporter Amanda Starrantino has more.

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October 31, 2024

Dodgers win World Series in 5 games, overcome 5-run deficit with help of errors to beat Yankees 7-6

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The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second, and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts’ grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.Judge doubled off winner Blake Treinen with one out in the bottom half and Chisholm walked. Manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound with Treinen at 37 pitches.“I looked in his eyes. I said how you feeling? How much more you got?” Roberts recalled. “He said: `I want it.’ I trust him.”Treinen retired Stanton on a flyout and struck out Anthony Rizzo.Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.“We’re obviously resilient, but there’s so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today,” Betts said. “That’s what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I’m just proud of us and I’m happy for us.”When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they won 98 games and finished with the best regular-season record.With several thousand Dodgers fans remaining in a mostly empty stadium, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the trophy on a platform quickly erected over second base.“There’s just a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars we have on our team and the discipline, it just kind of all adds up.”Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960, and was voted Series MVP. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman & Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88 and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 one RBI in the Series heading into what will be intensely followed bidding on the open market.Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs.Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo. Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo to run to the bag as Betts outraced the first baseman.Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double. Max Muncy walked before Kiké Hernández grounded into a forceout on Cole’s 48th pitch of the inning.“We just take advantage of every mistake they made in that inning,” Teoscar Hernández said. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play.”Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth.Kiké Hernández singled off Tommy Kahnle leading off. Edman followed with an infield hit and Smith walked on four pitches. Lux’s sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver tied the score. Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference and Betts followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers their first lead.Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

NEW YORK —

The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second, and Giancarlo Stanton’s third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.

But errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first on Betts’ grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.

After Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against loser Tommy Kahnle in the eighth before the sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver.

Judge doubled off winner Blake Treinen with one out in the bottom half and Chisholm walked. Manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound with Treinen at 37 pitches.

“I looked in his eyes. I said how you feeling? How much more you got?” Roberts recalled. “He said: `I want it.’ I trust him.”

Treinen retired Stanton on a flyout and struck out Anthony Rizzo.

Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

“We’re obviously resilient, but there’s so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today,” Betts said. “That’s what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I’m just proud of us and I’m happy for us.”

When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers poured onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, capping a season in which they won 98 games and finished with the best regular-season record.

With several thousand Dodgers fans remaining in a mostly empty stadium, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the trophy on a platform quickly erected over second base.

“There’s just a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars we have on our team and the discipline, it just kind of all adds up.”

Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first 50-homer, 50-steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBIs and had one single after separating his shoulder during a stolen base attempt in Game 2.

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single to tie the Series record of 12 RBIs, set by Bobby Richardson over seven games in 1960, and was voted Series MVP. With the Dodgers one out from losing Friday’s opener, Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1988’s Game 1 that sparked Los Angeles to the title.

The Dodgers earned their eighth championship and seventh since leaving Brooklyn for Los Angeles — their first in a non-shortened season since 1988. They won a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 after a 60-game regular season and couldn’t have a parade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

These Dodgers of Ohtani, Freeman & Betts joined the 1955 Duke Snider and Roy Campanella Boys of Summer, the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale era that spanned the three titles from 1959-65, the Tommy Lasorda-led groups 1981 and ’88 and the Betts and Clayton Kershaw champions of 2020.

Roberts won his second championship in nine seasons as manager as the Dodgers, matching Lasorda and trailing the four of Walter Alston. The Dodgers won for the fourth time in 12 Series meetings with the Yankees.

New York remained without a title since winning its record 27th in 2009. The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from San Diego in December knowing he would be eligible for free agency after the 2024 Series. The 26-year-old star went 5 for 16 one RBI in the Series heading into what will be intensely followed bidding on the open market.

Judge finished 4 for 18 with three RBIs.

Cole didn’t allow a hit until Kiké Hernández singled leading off the fifth. Judge, who an inning earlier made a leaping catch at the wall to deny Freeman an extra-base hit, dropped Tommy Edman’s fly to center. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then bounced a throw to third on Will Smith’s grounder, allowing the Dodgers to load the bases with no outs.

Cole struck out Lux and Ohtani, and Betts hit a grounder to Rizzo. Cole didn’t cover first, pointing at Rizzo to run to the bag as Betts outraced the first baseman.

Freeman followed with a two-run single and Teoscar Hernández hit a tying two-run double. Max Muncy walked before Kiké Hernández grounded into a forceout on Cole’s 48th pitch of the inning.

“We just take advantage of every mistake they made in that inning,” Teoscar Hernández said. “We put some good at-bats together. We put the ball in play.”

Stanton’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Brusdar Graterol put the Yankees ahead 6-5, but the Dodgers rallied one last time in the eighth.

Kiké Hernández singled off Tommy Kahnle leading off. Edman followed with an infield hit and Smith walked on four pitches. Lux’s sacrifice fly off Luke Weaver tied the score. Ohtani reached on catcher’s interference and Betts followed with another sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers their first lead.

Purchased by Guggenheim Baseball Management in 2012, the Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman from Tampa Bay to head their baseball operations two years later. He boosted the front office with a multitude of analytics and performance science staff, and ownership supplied the cash.

Los Angeles went on an unprecedented $1.25 billion spending spree last offseason on deals with Ohtani, pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Much of the money was future obligations that raised the Dodgers’ deferred compensation to $915.5 million owed from 2028-44.

Faced with injuries, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty, Edman and reliever Michael Kopech ahead of the trade deadline, and all became important cogs in the title run. The additions boosted payroll to $266 million, third behind the Mets and the Yankees, plus a projected $43 million luxury tax.

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October 30, 2024

Dodgers beat Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win 2024 World Series

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The battle between Los Angeles and New York has been won by the former.

The Dodgers overcame a five-run deficit in Game 5 of the World Series Wednesday to beat the Yankees 7-6, sealing the 4-1 series win. Freddie Freeman claimed the MVP for his heroics across the five games, including a game-winning grand slam in Game 1 and routine homers.

Yankees star Gerrit Cole won the starting pitching duel after lasting 6 2/3 innings compared to an abysmal start for Jack Flaherty, who was pulled early in the second following New York’s 4-0 lead.

Los Angeles’ stars were retired in order for the first inning, but back-to-back homers from Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. made it 3-0 in the bottom of the first. An Alex Verdugo’s single to right made it 4-0 in the second when Anthony Volpe scored following an earlier double to left.

Giancarlo Stanton added another home run to make it 5-0 in the third, but everything collapsed for New York in the fifth.

The Dodgers beat the Yankees in five games to win the 2024 World Series, Here are five of the most incredible moments.

After Aaron Judge failed to catch an easy pop fly in the top of the fifth, the Dodgers gradually loaded the bases with no outs as the Yankees kept making errors on routine plays.

Mookie Betts reached safely on a grounder to first after Cole failed to cover the bag, allowing Kike Hernandez to score. With the bases loaded, Freeman then hit a two-run single to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to 5-3. Teoscar Hernandez followed with a game-tying double to deep center to cap a five-run inning for the Dodgers.

Stanton put the Yankees back on top the next inning, though. Soto and Judge were both walked by Brusdar Graterol to start the inning. Chisholm Jr. then hit a grounder to second for a fielder’s choice that left runners at the corners. Stanton then lifted a drive to center field, allowing Soto to score the go-ahead run.

But the Yankees couldn’t prevent more defensive errors, which cost them in the top of the eighth. Tommy Kahnle replaced Clay Holmes in the top of the eighth and didn’t last eight pitches.

Kahnle allowed a Kike Hernandez single to left, a Tommy Edman infield single and a Will Smith walk that loaded the bases with no outs and the Yankees holding a slim 6-5 lead. Luke Weaver came in for Kahnle, making it the third straight day he pitched, the first such stretch of his career.

But Weaver couldn’t get New York out of the jam as Kike Hernandez and Edman capitalized with runs to give L.A. its first lead of the game. A catchers’ interference call against Austin Wells with Shohei Ohtani at the plate loaded the bases, leading to a sac fly by Mookie Betts to give the Dodgers a 7-6 lead.

Mark Leiter Jr. closed the top of the ninth without allowing a run to L.A. following some woes caused by Luke Weaver. But Dodgers star Walker Buehler entered to close it out, recording outs on Volpe, Wells and Alex Verdugo.

The win marks the eighth World Series title for the Dodgers, their last coming in 2020. The Yankees’ drought extended another year as they last won the Fall Classic in 2009.

Here are all the details for the Dodgers’ World Series parade and stadium celebration set to take place on Friday, Nov. 1.

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Sanjesh Singh and Mike Gavin

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October 30, 2024

New York Yankees’ offense explodes against Los Angeles Dodgers in World Series Game 4 to stave off elimination

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(CNN) — The New York Yankees’ offense exploded Tuesday night after struggling through the first three games of the World Series, using three home runs to stave off elimination at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4, spoiling a historic night for Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman Freddie Freeman. The Bronx Bombers’ 11 runs were more than the team had scored in the prior three contests combined.

Down 2-1 in the third inning, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, a New York native playing for his childhood team, hit a go-ahead grand slam off Daniel Hudson that made the score 5-2. It was a lead the Yankees wouldn’t give up.

After the game, Volpe was asked about the grand slam.

“I think I pretty much blacked out as soon as I saw it go over the fence. We just want to keep putting pressure on them and I think everyone had confidence in everyone in the lineup that someone was going to get the big hit,” Volpe said.

“We’ve been having such good at-bats and putting such good swings on the ball, that we just felt like it was only a matter of time.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was happy for the fans following Volpe’s slam.

“I was just glad because it felt like the fans were so ready to erupt last night, and we just got behind and couldn’t punch things in. It’s like you finally got to see the top blow off Yankee Stadium in a World Series game,” Boone told reporters.

“When Anthony hits that ball, it was like fun to see Yankee Stadium erupt. It’s like they’ve been waiting for 48 hours to do that. Then just the way the game went on and on, it was just the energy, the noise, the excitement. It was Yankee Stadium World Series game.”

The Dodgers now lead the series three games to one. Los Angeles has another opportunity to clinch the franchise’s eighth championship on Wednesday when the two teams play Game 5 in New York.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team will be ready.

“I think that they beat us. Volpe took a good swing. They took advantage of a couple free passes. They tacked on later,” Roberts said afterwards. “I think we could have done some things to get in their pen a little bit earlier.

“Again, at the end of the day, we’re still in a pretty good spot, and we feel good. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

The contest started off promisingly for the visitors when Freeman continued his hot World Series run.

The first baseman set a World Series record after homering in his sixth consecutive Fall Classic game. Freeman hit a two-run homer off Yankees starter Luis Gil in the first inning to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. He finished 1-4 with three RBI.

Freeman homered in Games 5 and 6 as a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves against the Houston Astros. On Monday, he tied Astros outfielder George Springer as the only players to hit a homer in five straight games.

The 35-year-old is the first player to homer and have at least 10 RBIs in the first four games of a World Series.

The Dodgers would score two in the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-4, whittling down the lead provided by Volpe’s slam. But in the sixth, Yankees catcher Austin Wells connected on a solo homer to extend New York’s lead to 6-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, Volpe once again provided the heroics – this time with his speed. He turned a single into a double with his wheels before stealing third base. When left fielder Alex Verdugo hit a sharp ground ball to second base, Volpe sprinted for home and his head first slide beat the tag from catcher Will Smith to make the game 7-4.

One batter later, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres put the exclamation mark on the game with a three-run home run, scoring Wells – who had walked – and Verdugo to make the score 10-4.

But New York wasn’t done yet. Right fielder Juan Soto continued his solid series with a double following Torres’ homer and center fielder Aaron Judge – who has struggled mightily this series – drove him in with a hard base hit to the left field.

The offensive breakout provides hope for Yankees’ fans in one of the most highly anticipated editions of the Fall Classic in recent years between two of the sport’s most legendary franchises.

Wednesday, New York’s top starting pitcher, Gerrit Cole, will take the mound while Jack Flaherty, who pitched a stellar game for the Dodgers in Game 1, is in line to toe the rubber again.

Yankees ride stellar Anthony Volpe to World Series Game 4 win over the Dodgers

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It’s do or die for the Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series

02:55

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are still alive in the World Series, thanks in large part to their young homegrown shortstop.

Facing the specter of an embarrassing sweep, the Yankees got a grand slam from Anthony Volpe and stellar work from their bullpen in an 11-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 on Tuesday.

Game 5 is set for Wednesday night in the Bronx. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will take the mound against Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty.

Volpe was a thorn in the Dodgers’ side all night

Volpe did it all on a night New York needed everything it could get from everyone, finishing 2 for 3 with the aforementioned slam, three runs scored, two stolen bases, and several sparking plays in the field.

With the home side down 2-1 in the bottom of the third, Yankee Stadium, which was largely silent during Game 3 on Monday, finally erupted. The Dodgers had opted for a bullpen game and Daniel Hudson, their second pitcher of the night, hit Aaron Judge with one out. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a long single off the wall in right, sending Judge to third. Chisholm then stole second and Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo walked, setting the stage for Volpe.

The native of nearby Watchung, New Jersey, laced the first pitch he saw from Hudson five rows deep in the left-field seats, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

But the rout wasn’t on yet.

After a slow start, Yankees starter Luis Gil looked like he might get through the fifth inning, but he made a mistake leading off the frame and never regained his form. The Dodgers’ Will Smith smacked an 0-2 fastball up in the zone into the seats in right, cutting the Yankees’ lead to 5-3. Gil then walked Tommy Edman, prompting New York manager Aaron Boone to go to left-hander Tim Hill.

Hill, however, was greeted by a single to center by Shohei Ohtani. Mookie Betts then hit into a fielder’s choice, sending Edman to third. The Yankees looked like they were out of the inning when Freddie Freeman hit a double-play grounder to second, but he beat the relay throw, scoring Edman.

Bottom of the Yankees’ order finally came through

Much maligned over the first three game of the Series, New York’s bottom four hitters accounted for five hits and drove in seven runs in Game 4.

In the sixth, Austin Wells, who was batting eighth in the order, belted a Landon Knack fastball into the second deck in right, putting New York back up by two.

Then in the eighth, the Yankees batted around and put the game away. Volpe, their seventh-place hitter, got things going by beating the throw home on ninth-place hitter Alex Verdugo’s grounder to second.

Leaving nothing to chance, Gleyber Torres followed with a three-run homer to right, Juan Soto doubled to right, and struggling Judge delivered an RBI single to left, perhaps an indication that the Yankees’ superstar may have more to say in the Series moving forward.

New York’s bullpen continued its strong bounce back from a disastrous showing in Game 1. The combination of Tim Hill, Clay Holmes, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver and Tim Mayza surrendered just one hit over the final five innings.

Freeman again got the Dodgers off to a quick start

Much like he did in Game 3, Freeman had the Bronx faithful fearing the worst right off the bat as he hit a two-run home run to right in the first inning.

The Yankees seemed poised to get both runs back in the bottom half, but Chisholm and Stanton failed to get the job done, the latter with runners on second and third with two out.

The Dodgers had a chance to extend their lead in the second when Gavin Lux led off with a double down the first base line, but Gil got Smith to pop out and Edman to line into a double play.

The Yankees got on the board during their turn at-bat in the second on Verdugo’s run-scoring groundout.

Jeff Capellini

Jeff Capellini has been digital producer at CBS New York for 18 years. He previously worked for The Associated Press and several newspapers.

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October 29, 2024

Dodgers hold off Yankees for 3-0 World Series lead

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After all that buildup, it’s been all Dodgers so far.Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler pitched another World Series gem as Los Angeles beat the slumping New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night for a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic.Video above: Dodgers-Yankees World Series preview With superstar Shohei Ohtani playing despite a partially dislocated left shoulder, the Dodgers moved within one victory of a surprising sweep in this much-hyped matchup between traditional powers.“One more win. That’s all I care about right now,” Freeman said.Teoscar Hernández threw out a runner at home plate with a pinpoint peg from left field. Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández each delivered an RBI single, and the Dodgers chased Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the third inning.Buehler and six relievers combined on a five-hitter for Los Angeles, on the cusp of its second championship in five years and the eighth in franchise history.“Walker Buehler, he’s been doing this his whole career in big games, big moments,” Freeman said. “Steps up when you need him.”Freeman’s two-run shot three batters in gave him a home run in five consecutive World Series games dating to 2021 with Atlanta, matching a major league record set by George Springer with Houston.Looking much healthier after a sprained right ankle slowed him earlier this postseason, Freeman connected for the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win a dramatic opener in Los Angeles.Since then, it’s been a one-sided fight.Game 4 is Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Down to three healthy starters, the Dodgers plan their fourth bullpen game of this postseason. Rookie right-hander Luis Gil goes for New York.The only team in big league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series was the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.“Hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “But right now it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game, and force another one, and then on from there. But we’ve got to grab one first.”Dodgers manager Dave Roberts helped spark that stunning Red Sox comeback with a pivotal stolen base.“Don’t talk about that. Wrong guy. Way too early,” he said. “I don’t want to divulge any secrets, but from the other side, I just think that we have got to stay focused, stay urgent.”In the 11 previous World Series meetings between these old October rivals, the lone sweep was by the Dodgers in 1963 behind Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.That was the only other time the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead in a World Series.New York hasn’t been swept in a Fall Classic since 1976 by the Cincinnati Reds. But on all five occasions they fell behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series, the Yankees lost Game 4.Los Angeles has won seven World Series games in a row against the Yankees dating to its 1981 crown.This one marked the first Series game at Yankee Stadium since New York clinched its 27th title in 2009 against Philadelphia. But a return home didn’t help skidding Aaron Judge and the punchless Bronx Bombers, held to four runs and nine hits in the past two games.New York didn’t score until Alex Verdugo’s two-run homer off Michael Kopech with two outs in the ninth inning. Kopech then retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it.Buehler allowed two hits in five innings. His only previous win this year during an injury-interrupted season was May 18 against Cincinnati.The two-time All-Star improved to 4-4 in 18 career postseason starts, including a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in three World Series outings. He has yielded one run and seven hits with 22 strikeouts over 18 innings in those assignments — Game 3s against Boston (2018), Tampa Bay (2020) and the Yankees.“It’s weird. For me, I think the playoffs, big games, that’s always been the only thing I really cared about,” Buehler said. “I was kind of awful all year. I think once you get to the playoffs, the adrenaline, I think whatever fear I had about my elbow or trying to throw a certain pitch or whatever goes away, because it’s all now, it’s all go. It’s helped me I think.”After the Yankees struggled at the plate during two losses in Los Angeles, Boone decided against any major changes to the lineup.New York players held a short meeting in the afternoon, and a recording from late Yankees public-address announcer Bob Sheppard introduced five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe revved up the sold-out crowd of 49,368 with a pregame performance on the infield.But it was the Dodgers who started fast.Schmidt walked Ohtani on four pitches to begin the game. One out later, Freeman sent a 1-2 cutter 355 feet into the lower deck in right field for his 13th career postseason homer.He joined Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer (1958) and Giants slugger Barry Bonds (2002) as the only players to go deep in the first three games of a World Series.“When you come into a road park, you want to try to strike early and quiet the crowd, and we were able to do that in the first inning,” Freeman said.Ohtani finished 0 for 3 with that walk and was grazed on the foot by a pitch. He grimaced after several swings and clutched his collar with his left hand even when taking a lead off first base to protect his ailing shoulder.But he got through the game just fine.”The pain has subsided, so I felt pretty good about it,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I was told to wear a device that keeps my shoulder warm. So during the (pregame) ceremony and throughout the game, I was wearing that per recommended by the trainers. The reason why I was holding onto myself when I was running is to make sure that I wouldn’t use that same shoulder arm if I were to slide.”No. 9 batter Tommy Edman drew another four-pitch walk from Schmidt leading off the third and scored on Betts’ bloop single. Kiké Hernández added an RBI single in the sixth.Schmidt walked four over 2 2/3 innings in his third postseason start. He lost his fifth consecutive decision dating to a May 16 win at Minnesota.New York nailed a runner at home plate when Edman attempted a safety squeeze in the fourth, but the Dodgers flashed some sensational defense to stomp out any Yankees momentum.Betts made a diving grab in right field after Giancarlo Stanton doubled with one out in the fourth. Teoscar Hernández then fired up all his teammates with a perfect 94 mph throw to the plate on Anthony Volpe’s single, cutting down Stanton to preserve a 3-0 cushion.

NEW YORK —

After all that buildup, it’s been all Dodgers so far.

Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler pitched another World Series gem as Los Angeles beat the slumping New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night for a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

Video above: Dodgers-Yankees World Series preview

With superstar Shohei Ohtani playing despite a partially dislocated left shoulder, the Dodgers moved within one victory of a surprising sweep in this much-hyped matchup between traditional powers.

“One more win. That’s all I care about right now,” Freeman said.

Teoscar Hernández threw out a runner at home plate with a pinpoint peg from left field. Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernández each delivered an RBI single, and the Dodgers chased Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the third inning.

Buehler and six relievers combined on a five-hitter for Los Angeles, on the cusp of its second championship in five years and the eighth in franchise history.

“Walker Buehler, he’s been doing this his whole career in big games, big moments,” Freeman said. “Steps up when you need him.”

Freeman’s two-run shot three batters in gave him a home run in five consecutive World Series games dating to 2021 with Atlanta, matching a major league record set by George Springer with Houston.

Looking much healthier after a sprained right ankle slowed him earlier this postseason, Freeman connected for the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win a dramatic opener in Los Angeles.

Since then, it’s been a one-sided fight.

Game 4 is Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Down to three healthy starters, the Dodgers plan their fourth bullpen game of this postseason. Rookie right-hander Luis Gil goes for New York.

The only team in big league history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series was the Boston Red Sox against the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

“Hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “But right now it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game, and force another one, and then on from there. But we’ve got to grab one first.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts helped spark that stunning Red Sox comeback with a pivotal stolen base.

“Don’t talk about that. Wrong guy. Way too early,” he said. “I don’t want to divulge any secrets, but from the other side, I just think that we have got to stay focused, stay urgent.”

In the 11 previous World Series meetings between these old October rivals, the lone sweep was by the Dodgers in 1963 behind Hall of Fame pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

That was the only other time the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead in a World Series.

New York hasn’t been swept in a Fall Classic since 1976 by the Cincinnati Reds. But on all five occasions they fell behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series, the Yankees lost Game 4.

Los Angeles has won seven World Series games in a row against the Yankees dating to its 1981 crown.

This one marked the first Series game at Yankee Stadium since New York clinched its 27th title in 2009 against Philadelphia. But a return home didn’t help skidding Aaron Judge and the punchless Bronx Bombers, held to four runs and nine hits in the past two games.

New York didn’t score until Alex Verdugo’s two-run homer off Michael Kopech with two outs in the ninth inning. Kopech then retired Gleyber Torres on a grounder to end it.

Buehler allowed two hits in five innings. His only previous win this year during an injury-interrupted season was May 18 against Cincinnati.

The two-time All-Star improved to 4-4 in 18 career postseason starts, including a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA in three World Series outings. He has yielded one run and seven hits with 22 strikeouts over 18 innings in those assignments — Game 3s against Boston (2018), Tampa Bay (2020) and the Yankees.

“It’s weird. For me, I think the playoffs, big games, that’s always been the only thing I really cared about,” Buehler said. “I was kind of awful all year. I think once you get to the playoffs, the adrenaline, I think whatever fear I had about my elbow or trying to throw a certain pitch or whatever goes away, because it’s all now, it’s all go. It’s helped me I think.”

After the Yankees struggled at the plate during two losses in Los Angeles, Boone decided against any major changes to the lineup.

New York players held a short meeting in the afternoon, and a recording from late Yankees public-address announcer Bob Sheppard introduced five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe revved up the sold-out crowd of 49,368 with a pregame performance on the infield.

But it was the Dodgers who started fast.

Schmidt walked Ohtani on four pitches to begin the game. One out later, Freeman sent a 1-2 cutter 355 feet into the lower deck in right field for his 13th career postseason homer.

He joined Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer (1958) and Giants slugger Barry Bonds (2002) as the only players to go deep in the first three games of a World Series.

“When you come into a road park, you want to try to strike early and quiet the crowd, and we were able to do that in the first inning,” Freeman said.

Ohtani finished 0 for 3 with that walk and was grazed on the foot by a pitch. He grimaced after several swings and clutched his collar with his left hand even when taking a lead off first base to protect his ailing shoulder.

But he got through the game just fine.

“The pain has subsided, so I felt pretty good about it,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I was told to wear a device that keeps my shoulder warm. So during the (pregame) ceremony and throughout the game, I was wearing that per recommended by the trainers. The reason why I was holding onto myself when I was running is to make sure that I wouldn’t use that same shoulder arm if I were to slide.”

No. 9 batter Tommy Edman drew another four-pitch walk from Schmidt leading off the third and scored on Betts’ bloop single. Kiké Hernández added an RBI single in the sixth.

Schmidt walked four over 2 2/3 innings in his third postseason start. He lost his fifth consecutive decision dating to a May 16 win at Minnesota.

New York nailed a runner at home plate when Edman attempted a safety squeeze in the fourth, but the Dodgers flashed some sensational defense to stomp out any Yankees momentum.

Betts made a diving grab in right field after Giancarlo Stanton doubled with one out in the fourth. Teoscar Hernández then fired up all his teammates with a perfect 94 mph throw to the plate on Anthony Volpe’s single, cutting down Stanton to preserve a 3-0 cushion.

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October 28, 2024

Freddie Freeman’s record-tying home run propels Dodgers to commanding 3-0 World Series lead

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(CNN) — Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman tied a World Series record after homering in his fifth consecutive Fall Classic game Monday night as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2 in Game 3.

The Dodgers are now just one win away from the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.

Freeman connected on a two-run homer off Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the first inning at Yankee Stadium to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. The 35-year-old joins Houston Astros outfielder George Springer as the only players to accomplish the feat.

Freeman hit a home run in Games 5 and 6 as a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves against the Astros.

After the game, Freeman downplayed the accomplishment.

“When it’s all said and done, I can look at that. But the most important thing is one more win. That’s all I care about right now,” he said. “I don’t care how it happens. I just want to get one more win.”

Freeman is one of three players to homer in the first three games of the World Series following Barry Bonds for the San Francisco Giants in 2002 and Hank Bauer for the Yankees in 1958.

Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler baffled the Yankees’ hitters. Buehler struck out five across five scoreless innings while giving up two hits to pick up the victory.

“I think the playoffs or big games has always been the only thing I really cared about,” said Buehler, who returned midseason after missing almost two full years following elbow surgery.

”I was kind of awful all year, and I think that once you get to the playoffs – the adrenaline, the momentum – I think whatever fear I had about my elbow or trying to throw a certain pitch or whatever goes away because it’s all now. It’s all go.”

Schmidt gave up three runs on two hits while walking four in 2.2 innings and took the loss.

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani started following a shoulder injury scare in Game 2. During players’ introductions, it appeared that the Japanese superstar was wearing a sling as he ran onto the field. He batted in his usual spot at the top of the order.

Ohtani went hitless on the night, but reached base twice on a walk and a hit by pitch. He scored on Freeman’s home run. He appeared to wince in pain during multiple swings and held onto his jersey while on the base paths in an apparent attempt to limit how much his shoulder was moving.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani wasn’t feeling his best during an in-game interview in the fourth inning, but acknowledged the slugger being in the batter’s box was a presence for the team.

After the game, Roberts was appreciative of Ohtani’s effort.

“I thought he did a really nice job of competing. I don’t think that it got any worse,” Roberts said. “Obviously just him in the batter’s box starting the game off, getting on base by way of walk. I just really appreciate him posting tonight.”

There was a bit of late drama and a spark of hope for the Yankees when left fielder Alex Verdugo launched a two-run home run to bring the New Yorkers within two. But second basemen Gleyber Torres grounded out to shortstop to end the game during the next at-bat.

Los Angeles takes a commanding three games to none lead in the best-of-seven series into Tuesday night’s Game 4 in New York.

The Dodgers will be seeking the first World Series sweep since 2012.

“We’re trying to get a game tomorrow,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the defeat. “That’s where our focus lies. So hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world.

“But right now it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game and force another one and then on from there. But we got to grab one first.”

In a World Series built on stars, Shohei Ohtani’s absence would be diminishing

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LOS ANGELES – It’s too soon to panic, too soon to form any opinion, really. If the initial diagnosis the Los Angeles Dodgers offered on Shohei Ohtani proves correct, he could very well be in the lineup Monday night for Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Still, the injury Ohtani suffered to his left shoulder Saturday night cast a pall over Dodger Stadium, quieting the raucous crowd and creating an uneasiness rarely experienced by a team leading the Series two games to none.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani has a subluxation, a condition that occurs when the ball at the top of the upper arm bone comes out of the socket only partially, as opposed to completely, which happens during a dislocation.

If that’s all this is, it might not be a big deal, particularly short-term. Roberts said Ohtani’s strength was great, his range of motion good. But he cautioned that the Dodgers will not know more until Ohtani undergoes an MRI. Savvy fans understand that no diagnosis matters until the doctors check the scans. And given the Dodgers’ history with injuries, no one should assume Ohtani will be leading off Monday night at Yankee Stadium just yet.

The absence of Ohtani for even one game would diminish a series built on stars, from the likely MVPs, Ohtani and Aaron Judge, to the superstar right fielders, Mookie Betts and Juan Soto, to another likely Hall of Famer, Freddie Freeman, and a potential one, Giancarlo Stanton. The Series also features the two highest-paid pitchers in total value, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Gerrit Cole. Yamamoto, making his World Series debut Saturday night, allowed only one hit in 6 1/3 innings, a homer by Soto.

Ohtani, though, is at the center of it all. He suffered his injury Saturday night sliding into second base on an attempted steal in the seventh inning, with the Dodgers leading, 4-1. He was in obvious pain, rolling on the dirt, then slowly getting to his feet before an athletic trainer helped him walk off the field, supporting his left arm.

Ohtani is slow to get up after he attempted to steal 2nd. pic.twitter.com/T3Af5GRaiw

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 27, 2024

For a recent comparison, consider the San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr., who reportedly sustained at least four subluxations in 2021. Tatis initially did not undergo surgery, believing his shoulder to be stable. But he reversed course in September 2022 while serving an 80-game suspension for using a banned performance-enhancing substance. Doctors repaired the labrum in his left shoulder. Tatis recovered by the time he was reinstated in April 2023. And that season, he appeared in 141 games.

Might Ohtani eventually meet the same fate? Perhaps, if he endures repeated subluxations. Treatment for shoulder instability includes both non-operative and surgical options, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Ohtani, of course, is still recovering from major surgery on his right elbow, with the expectation he will pitch again in 2025. But even after stealing 59 bases this season as a full-time designated hitter, he almost certainly will limit his attempts once he returns to the mound, reducing the wear and tear on his body.

If Ohtani misses time during the Series, the Dodgers can adjust by moving Betts to the leadoff spot and making Freeman their DH. Max Muncy could move from third base to first and Kiké Hernández could play third. Roberts could round out his infield with some combination of Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas, with Andy Pages playing center on days Edman replaces Rojas at short.

Not a bad collection of players, even though Freeman is playing on a severely sprained right ankle and Rojas will require sports hernia surgery during the offseason. Ohtani was only 1-for-8 in the first two games of the Series, his one hit a ringing double off Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle in Game 1. But obviously, he’s an essential part of the Dodgers’ offense.

After striking out 10 times in 22 plate appearances in the Division Series, Ohtani broke out in the National League Championship Series, batting .364 with a 1.185 OPS. With runners in scoring position he has been an absolute terror in the postseason, going 15-for-22 in those situations.

With or without Ohtani, the Dodgers are in excellent position. The only way they will lose the Series is if they drop four of the next five games – not out of the question with the Series shifting to New York for Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary), but not all that likely, either. The Yankees have their own problems, most notably the performance of likely MVP Aaron Judge, who is batting .150 in the postseason with a .605 OPS and 19 strikeouts in 50 plate appearances.

The Dodgers being the Dodgers, they would use any absence by Ohtani as a rallying point. Betts was out nearly two months this season with a fractured left hand. Freeman was away for 10 days while his son Max, 3, dealt with Guillain-Barré syndrome, and later missed time with a broken finger and his ankle problem. And lest we forget, the Dodgers also placed 12 starting pitchers on the injured list.

No one should portray this team as an underdog, not when its estimated $325 million payroll was second only to the New York Mets. The Dodgers leveraged their financial might to build extraordinary depth. So even while somewhat depleted, their roster is strong enough for the club to be within two wins of its first World Series title since 2020, and its first in a full season since 1988.

The continuing presence of Ohtani would further enhance the Dodgers’ chances, and his return for Game 3 seemed quite possible, at least the way Roberts was talking. By now, we’ve all learned that underestimating Ohtani is foolish. Seriously, would anyone be surprised if he returned to hit the Series-clinching homer, and then defied the Dodgers’ insistence that he will not pitch again this season by earning the Series-clinching save?

All right, that’s a bit much to ask. Let’s just hope Ohtani plays again in the Series. Any time he misses will diminish baseball’s biggest spectacle in years. And as his past injuries have shown, every day he is out is a lesser day for the sport.

(Top photo of Shohei Ohtani exiting the field in Game 2: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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October 27, 2024

ABC7 Chicago anchor Judy Hsu hit by baseball at game 1 of World Series in Los Angeles

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ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Saturday, October 26, 2024 12:34PM

ABC7 Chicago’s Judy Hsu hit by baseball at game 1 of World SeriesABC7 Chicago anchor Judy Hsu was hit by a baseball Friday at game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees.

LOS ANGELES (WLS) — The World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off with game one on Friday.

ABC7 Chicago anchor Judy Hsu was at the game, but she was hit with a foul ball during batting practice before the game.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Judy is okay and was checked out by a medical team as a precaution.

Judy shared video afterward as she was rolled away on a stretcher to the stadium’s first aide station.

“Took one for the team,” Judy said in good spirits.

She even made it back in the stands to watch the game.

Judy and her husband are there celebrating their 27th wedding anniversary.

Judy’s husband is a die-hard Yankees fan. He said Judy was being a good mom, trying to get her daughters a baseball from the Yankees.

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October 26, 2024

World Series: Celebrities in the stands at Dodger Stadium

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In La La Land, there’s never a shortage of star power when the Dodgers are playing big games.

See which celebrities were spotted in the stands during Game 1 of the epic World Series matchup between the Dodgers and New York Yankees.

For up-to-the-minute updates on what’s happening in the game, check out our live blog.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: (L-R) Jim Gentleman, Jimmy Kimmel and Cleto Escobedo III watch during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 25: Bryan Cranston is seen on the field prior to Game 1 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 25: Bryan Cranston is seen on the field prior to Game 1 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Cookie Johnson and Magic Johnson look on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Cookie Johnson and Magic Johnson look on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Lil Wayne looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 25: Billie Jean King of the Los Angeles Dodgers is seen on the field prior to Game 1 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 25: Billie Jean King of the Los Angeles Dodgers is seen on the field prior to Game 1 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Billy Crudup looks on ahead of Game One of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Billy Crudup looks on ahead of Game One of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Billy Crudup, Jaseon Bateman and Flea watch during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Billy Crudup, Jaseon Bateman and Flea watch during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: John Legend looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: John Legend looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Will Arnett looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Will Arnett looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Orel Hershiser looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Orel Hershiser looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Dave Winfield looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Dave Winfield looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Brad Paisley (C) looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Brad Paisley (C) looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 25: Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos looks on during Game One of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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October 25, 2024

Yankees World Series star Johnny Damon on the keys to win against LA Dodgers

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The New York Yankees are on a quest to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win their 28th World Series, and former Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon believes his old club will have to use their lineup’s depth in order to capture another championship.

Damon spoke with NBC New York’s Linda Gaudino leading into the series.

Linda Gaudino: You being a part of the Yankees 2009 winning team, take me back to that moment. What was that like for you, and how do you relate now to the excitement the current players are going to have?

Johnny Damon: Well, being in the World Series is so exciting because this is what you play for the entire year. I was fortunate enough to win two World Series, but I made quite a bit of playoffs. When you lose, you lose a lot. You don’t just lose the games. You felt that you let the city down. You let your family down because you sacrificed the entire year for nothing.

Granted, yes, we get paid very well, but there’s so much that goes on for the season. The difference one person in the lineup can do for you.

Linda Gaudino: The winning team in 2009 had such a loaded roster full of talent, including yourself. How do you think the players this season match up?

Johnny Damon: I would like to think our team was one of the best lineups ever assembled. That’s how strong we felt about that team because we never had to change our lineup. We had Robinson Canó, Hideki Matsui, myself and, then, we also had those guys who can “switch hit,” like Jorge Posada, and Melky Cabrera.

But I see a lot of similarities with the 2024 Yankees. I think there’s just a lot of power. Those guys hitting two, three, and four are absolutely tremendous, and there is going to need to be someone who steps out,
who’s not the “big three,” and you have to be able to put quick runs on the board. Our team was able to do that.

NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 4: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees holds the Commissioner’s Trophy after the Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 World Series November 4, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Yankees won the series 4-2. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Linda Gaudino: What do the Yankees need to focus on right now?

Johnny Damon: I think the Yankees really need to win at least one game out west and come back at home. It’s going to be a crazy atmosphere at the games, which are going to start at 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time. The shadows are awful during those times at Dodger Stadium, not just from the outfield standpoint, but also from hitting, those arms go into the shadow, and it makes hitting a lot tougher.

I believe the games are going to be lower-scoring in Los Angeles. Hopefully, they got some good days of practice there, so they can adjust to what they need.

Linda Gaudino: If you could assemble an all-star team of current or previous players to be on your roster, who would it be?

Johnny Damon: I think the best player ever was Barry Bonds. As my left fielder, you got Willie Mays and center-right field, Hank Aaron.

There are so many great players. Roberto Clemente could fit in that, maybe Hank Aaron. Clemente is my right fielder. First base, Lou Gehrig. Derek Jeter, shortstop. Third base, A-Rod, just some of the best numbers ever.

Linda Gaudino: What would you tell someone, either a younger version of yourself or someone who’s really trying to come up in this game, what piece of advice would you say?

Johnny Damon: Yeah, I think the biggest advice I would tell everyone is that this is a failure sport. That you are going to be knocked down, but you have to learn how to battle and always compete. Always try to do your very best. If you talk about a baseball player, hitting-wise, you need to bring your best when you’re on the bases.

Don’t just barely take the lead, because if you beat a force play at second base, you can change the outcome of the inning, the game, your season or even being a world champ.

BRONX, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees bats during game agains the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York on Saturday, September 26, 2009. The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 3-0. (Photo by Jessica Foster/MLB via Getty Images) — BRONX, NY – SEPTEMBER 26: Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees bats during game agains the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York on Saturday, September 26, 2009. The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 3-0. (Photo by Jessica Foster/MLB via Getty Images)

Linda Gaudino: Talk to me about what you’re up to today.

Johnny Damon: Yeah. So A-Game is my company. I have a clean hydration drink with no artificial flavors, coloring, no forever chemicals. There are a lot of products out there that just aren’t good for you. And at the end of the day, we taste really great. Potassium, sodium ratio 7:1.

So just what the doctor ordered, and we’re gaining a lot of traction now. I know we are in a lot of bodegas around the city…Everyone, always bring your A-game. Hopefully, the Yankees bring their A-game, so they can get another one of these.

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October 25, 2024

Tag: Los Angeles Dodgers

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