What does Los Angeles feel like? The Dodgers became world champions by beating the Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday!

After dropping Game 4 to the Yankees and falling behind in Game 5, Dodger fans began to think the series was heading back to Los Angeles.

But instead the Dodgers became the “Comeback Boys.” They actually had to do this twice. The inning they took the lead — Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly in the eighth inning brought home Tommy Edman and the Dodgers took a 7-6 lead and never looked back. Strong shooting from Blake Treinen and Walker Buehler in the final innings sealed the deal and Boys in Blue became world champions!

5. The key hit of the game

The key inning was the fifth inning, where the Dodgers took advantage of two Yankees errors and scored five runs behind a Mookie Betts single, a Freddie Freeman single and a Teoscar Hernandez double to tie things up.

How did we get here

After 162 games with hard-fought victories over the Padres and Mets in the National League Division Series and National League Championship Series, respectively, the Dodgers left no doubt that they were the best team in baseball.

One of the biggest reasons, if not the biggest reason, why the Dodgers made the playoffs and eventually won the World Series: Shohei Ohtani. Let’s face it. When you have the best baseball player on the planet, and perhaps the best baseball player of all time, you’re going to be in the conversation no matter what. His magical season of 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases sparked the Dodgers’ offense and led to a slew of wins.

When you have Shohei in your squad, you are already a few steps ahead of everyone else.

And yes, this team also includes Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman (aka Mr. October), Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman and Kike Hernandez. All of these players did great things in the regular season and playoffs.

But the road to the play-offs was not easy at all. The injury bug bit the Dodgers throughout the season, disrupting their starting pitching rotation. Can you imagine if Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Gavin Stone were healthy and part of the playoff rotation? Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone were solid throughout the season. Together they had 20 wins on the mound. Kershaw did not play much as he spent the first half of the season on the injured list following shoulder surgery. He finished the match with a score of 2–2 and was placed on the injured list again after injuring his toe.

Starting the pitch made the difference

But the Dodgers turned what was seen as a weakness into a strength. Their starting pitching in the playoffs was spectacular. Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler were dominant and shut down the Yankees’ offense. Aaron Judge clearly struggled for the Yankees. Strong pitching is key in the playoffs and especially in the World Series. You can’t win without it.

Dodger’s legacy

This is the Dodgers’ eighth world championship; He won championships in 2024, 2020, 1988, 1981, 1965, 1963, 1959 and 1955. They are currently tied for fifth place with the San Francisco Giants on the all-time World Series championship list. . The Dodgers have appeared in 21 World Series, 12 since moving to Los Angeles in 1958.

While some non-Dodgers fans may argue that the 2020 title was illegitimate because it occurred during a shortened COVID 19 season, there is no doubt that the Dodgers overcame all the hurdles necessary to win this season’s title. No need for an asterisk here.

The Dodgers have won 25 National League pennants, 13 in Los Angeles and 12 in Brooklyn. Do you want an inheritance? Try this: The Dodgers are currently going through a stretch that dates back to 2013, when the Boys in Blue won two World Series championships, four National League pennants, made 12 postseason appearances and won 11 National League West titles.

Want more inheritance? How about some firsts? Most notable first: Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947 by becoming the first Black player in Major League Baseball’s modern era. The Dodgers were the first team on the West Coast to win the World Series in 1959. And it’s a great first; In 1952, they became the first team to have numbers on the front of their jerseys.

This is a legacy, my friends.