NEW YORK (KABC) — Dodgers are world champions for the 8th time!

They fell into a 5-0 hole against the Yankees early in Game 5 but staged an epic comeback to earn a 7-6 victory in New York on Wednesday.

Many Dodger fans in Southern California and New York City rejoiced at the end when Walker Buehler returned on just two days’ rest to pitch the ninth inning.

“Being down 5-0, hostile environment, Yankee Stadium… we just kept fighting,” manager Dave Roberts told ABC7’s Rob Fukuazki as champagne was sprayed all over the locker room. “We believed. We are now World Series champions!”

Game 5 featured a rematch of the starters from the series opener, Los Angeles’ Jack Flaherty and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole. Both are Southern California natives.

The Yankees feasted on Flaherty early, giving up four runs, including back-to-back home runs, before Dave Roberts pulled him in the second inning and sent out Anthony Banda.

Aaron Judge, who has been very quiet in this series, first made a shot to right along with Juan Soto. The next batter was Jazz Chisholm Jr., who singled Flaherty from deep to right-center.

Things weren’t looking good for the Dodgers, who entered the fifth inning down 5-0.

But then they finally understood Cole. A long streak of singles and doubles, aided by a pair of Yankee fielding errors, helped them turn the order and even get into the sixth with a 5-5 score.

The score was tied at 6 apiece at the start of the eighth inning.

With the bases loaded, Mookie Betts hit a deep fly to center and Tommy Edman followed to make it 7-6. This, along with the two men, brought out Freddie Freeman and his chance to be the hero of the game once again. But Freeman swung at bat, sending the Yankees back to the field.

Freeman, who scored consecutive home runs in the first four games of the series, was named the World Series MVP.

Walker Buehler, who pitched five scoreless innings in Game 3, came back on short rest to pitch the ninth inning.

“It’s more than I could have ever imagined,” Edman said later. “It was an amazing journey. The best feeling in the world.”

The Dodgers’ win was aided by numerous mistakes by the Yankees at key moments; these included errant fielding errors by center Aaron Judge and shortstop Anthony Volpe and Cole’s inability to score the first goal on a Betts field goal.

When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers spilled onto the field to celebrate between the mound and first base, ending a season in which they won 98 games and set their best regular season record.

“There are a lot of ways we can win baseball games,” Buehler said. “Obviously the superstars on our team and the discipline, it all comes together.”
Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record $700 million hitter and baseball’s first 50 home run, 50 steal player, went 2 for 19 with no RBI and a single after separating his shoulder on a stolen base attempt in Game 2.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.