The Los Angeles Dodgers captured their second World Series title in five years, rallying from a five-run deficit to defeat the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
The win came thanks to a series of mistakes by the Yankees’ defense, including three errors and a missed play by pitcher Gerrit Cole, along with timely sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning.
New York jumped out to a 5-0 lead early in the game. Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the first, and an RBI single by Alex Verdugo in the second chased Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty. Giancarlo Stanton added a homer in the third off Ryan Brasier, putting the Yankees in control.
However, a disastrous fifth inning for the Yankees shifted the momentum. Judge misplayed a ball in center field, shortstop Anthony Volpe made a wild throw, and Cole failed to cover first base on a grounder hit by Betts. Those mistakes allowed the Dodgers to score five unearned runs, tying the game at 5-5. Freddie Freeman’s two-run single and a tying double from Teoscar Hernández were key hits in the rally.
The Yankees briefly regained the lead in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Stanton, but the Dodgers responded again in the eighth. With the bases loaded against reliever Tommy Kahnle, Lux’s sacrifice fly tied the game, and Ohtani reached base on catcher’s interference. Betts then delivered another clutch sacrifice fly to put Los Angeles ahead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Judge doubled with one out and Chisholm walked, putting the potential tying run on base. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a mound visit to check on Blake Treinen, who had already thrown 37 pitches. But Treinen responded by retiring Stanton on a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo to escape the jam.
In the ninth, Walker Buehler—making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018—retired the Yankees in order to seal the victory and earn his first career save.
“This is a team win,” said Betts. “It was love, grit, and just a beautiful thing. I’m proud of us.” When Buehler struck out Verdugo to end the game, the Dodgers rushed the field to celebrate their World Series victory, capping a season in which they won 98 regular-season games and finished with the best record in baseball.
With a few thousand Dodgers fans still in the stands, Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the championship trophy at second base, and the team’s eighth title—its seventh since relocating to Los Angeles—was officially secured. This was the Dodgers’ first full-season championship since 1988, following a neutral-site victory in 2020 during the pandemic-shortened season.
Freddie Freeman, who had a spectacular World Series performance, including a walk-off grand slam in Game 1, was named World Series MVP. Freeman tied the Series record for RBIs with 12, a mark set by Bobby Richardson in 1960. The win also marked the second championship for manager Dave Roberts, who has now matched Tommy Lasorda’s title count for the Dodgers and trails only Walter Alston.
While the Dodgers celebrated, the Yankees were left to reflect on another disappointing postseason. Despite trading for superstar Juan Soto in December, New York’s long title drought continued. Soto went 5-for-16 in the Series, and Judge finished 4-for-18.
The Yankees seemed to be in control early with Cole on the mound, as he didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning. But a series of defensive lapses helped the Dodgers claw their way back into the game. Judge’s miscue on a Tommy Edman fly ball and Volpe’s throwing error allowed Los Angeles to load the bases. Though Cole struck out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani, he couldn’t escape the inning unscathed, as Betts reached base on a grounder to first that Cole didn’t cover. Freeman then delivered the go-ahead hit, and the Dodgers never looked back.
The Dodgers’ victory capped off a season of high expectations, fueled by a historic offseason spending spree that saw the team sign Ohtani, as well as pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and James Paxton, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. The team’s $1.25 billion in spending further cemented its place as one of the most formidable teams in baseball, and their resilience throughout the postseason showed just how deep their talent pool runs.
Dodgers Win First World Series In 32 Years — Here’s All The Best Reactions
