Somehow, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won the World Series.
After falling behind 3-2 in the series, and having to win both games in Toronto, the “one game at a time” approach was in large amounts in Game 6, a nail-biter that came down to the final pitches. After an RBI single from Will Smith and an RBI double from Mookie Betts the 3rd inning, it seemed like LA was back to its old ways, and out of the offensive slump of Games 4 and 5. In the bottom of the inning, George Springer (cheater) scored Addison Barger from third with a single to centerfield, making it 3-1 Dodgers. It would stay that way for the rest of the game, but not without a late push from the Blue Jays in the ninth. A leadoff HBP from Alejandro Kirk started the inning off well, bringing the tying run to the plate still with 0 outs. Then, a line drive from Barger to left center field split the gap and went all the way to the wall, where it wedged between the padding and the ground. Justin Dean, a seldom played Outfielder may have made the play of his life just lifting both arms into the air, signaling a dead ball. The umpire agreed with that assessment, and a ground rule double was called, bringing Barger to second, and bringing back Myles Straw to third, saving a run. This is an odd and quirky baseball rule, but you can look it up on your own (rule 5.05 (a)(6)-(a)(9)). Pitcher Roki Sasaki was then promptly taken out of the game, and Tyler Glasnow was put in to finish the job. He got a pop-up from Ernie Clement and then Andres Gimenez lined out to left field and Kiké Hernandez threw to second to double up Barger to end it.
Many analysts from various networks or outlets had predicted LA to win game 6 and for Toronto to win in 7 games. That was looking realistic when Bo Bichette, who was out for most of the Postseason, hit a three run home run to Center to give the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The Dodgers would chip away with 2 sac flies from Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman in the 4th and 6th innings, but the Jays responded with an RBI double from Gimenez, driving in Clement to make it 4-2 in the 6th. Max Muncy then hit a solo shot down the line that stayed fair and cut the lead in half, 4-3.
If you were to tell someone that in the 9th inning where Shohei Ohtani was due up to bat, someone would hit a solo home run to tie Game 7 of the World Series, they would most certainly think one of the greatest to ever play would do it. Right? Right?
But no. Miguel Rojas, a man who averages less than 5 home runs a season, and who makes almost 6 times less the money of Ohtani, hit a home run that will live on forever. It was a low line drive to left that somehow kept on carrying into the bullpen for a Home Run, tying it in the ninth. Neither team converted in the tenth, and Will Smith hit a long home run to left field to give the Dodgers a narrow 1 run lead. Yoshinobu Yamamoto then came into the game, after pitching 6 innings the DAY BEFORE, and got the situation to first and third with one out. Alejandro Kirk then hit a broken-bat grounder up the middle to Mookie Betts, who secured the out at second and fired to first and the game was over. 5-4 final score. The World Series MVP award was of course given to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched a combined 16 innings in the World Series, including a complete game in game 2 and the icing on the cake in Game 7 to win the World Series.
