The Los Angeles Dodgers swiftly defeated the New York Yankees in the 120th annual World Series. It took just five games, a gentleman’s sweep, for the new champion to be crowned.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” NHS alumni and Yankee fan Filippo Formica said.
Games one and two took place in Los Angeles and did not disappoint. The Dodgers won the first game on a walk-off grand slam from superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman, which was considered the “swing of his life,” by some media sources.
While their offense was held to just six total hits in Game 1 compared to the Yankees’ ten, an extra-inning rally (and Yankees bullpen implosion - 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 ER) capped off the wild night.
The Yankees bats did get hot. Juan Soto reached base three times, Gleyber Torres and Jazz Chisolm Jr. twice, and four other players tallied a hit against the Los Angeles staff.
Game 2, however, was not the same way. Yankees bats were limited to just four total hits, two via Juan Soto, and only generated two walks of the Dodgers staff en route to a 4-2 loss.
Dodgers bats woke up after their mediocre Game 1 performance, with three players (Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, and Tommy Edman) each recording multiple hits. Additionally, Freddie Freeman homered in his second consecutive game, this time just a solo shot.
Dodgers’ $300 million acquisition of the offseason, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, allowed just one hit and two walks over six and a third innings, striking out four and allowing just one earned run.
The final three games took place in the Bronx, NY, and Freddie Freeman once again left the building with a home run. Former Red Sox postseason heroes, Mookie Betts and Enrique Hernandez also racked up multiple RBI to aid the Dodgers’ victory.
The pitching staff, headlined by pending free agent and starting pitcher Walker Buehler, threw eight scoreless innings allowing just four hits and striking out ten batters.
On the brink of elimination, the Yankees took Game 4 behind an offensive explosion and shutdown performance from the bullpen.
Tim Hill, Clay Holmes, Tim Mayza, Luke Weaver, and Mark Leiter Jr. combined for 5 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just two total baserunners and striking out seven.
The offensive charge was led by the bottom of the order, Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, and Alex Verdugo, who combined to go 5-10 with two home runs, two walks, and 6 RBI. Even superstar Aaron Judge, who notoriously has been an awful postseason performer in his career, tacked on an RBI.
On the Dodgers’ side, Freddie Freeman homered again and accounted for three of LA’s four total runs. Will Smith also broke out of a slump with a HR of his own.
Game 5 was a World Series classic, with the Yankees coming out of the gate hot. They put up a four-spot against Jack Flaherty in just 1.1 IP in his second World Series start. Ace Gerrit Cole was dealing on the mound as well. It seemed like New York had this game won as well… until the dreaded fifth inning.
It started with a Hernandez single to right. Then, Judge dropped a Tommy Edman line drive to CF. Will Smith grounded into a sure-fire double play, but Anthony Volpe made a throwing error to third base, causing the bases to be loaded.
After back-to-back K’s from Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani, it seemed like Cole and the Yankees would get out of the jam. On a ground ball to first base, Cole failed to cover the base on a common PFP (pitcher fielding practice) and Anthony Rizzo did not tag the runner, causing everyone to be safe and a run to score.
“It’s ultra-common baseball knowledge that you cover first base on any ground ball hit down the line,” NHS senior Jonathan Moseman said. “I have practiced this since I played rec ball in second grade.”
That was not all. Freddie Freeman would later single to Judge in center field, allowing two runs to score, and pending free agent Teoscar Hernandez tied the game up at 5 with an extra base knock of his own.
Giancarlo Stanton, who had a terrific postseason after a lousy past couple of years in the regular season, hit a sacrifice fly in the 7th inning to take the lead. That did not last long, because an inning later, Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts both smashed sac flies out to center field, helping the Dodgers take the lead and eventually win the game.
Walker Buehler, who made quite a few extra bucks this postseason, entered on just two days’ rest and closed out the game, striking out the last two batters and giving a mean stare to the camera as the celebration began.
“I gave myself to the game, to the field. I did everything I could to get onto that field. And that's why this is really, really sweet,” Dodgers’ All-Star Freddie Freeman said via ESPN.
He notably battled a fractured finger, broken rib, and sprained ankle throughout the postseason, all en route to going 6-20 (.300 AVG) with 4 HR and 12 RBI and being named World Series MVP.
He physically could not get up and walk after Game 1 of the NLDS versus San Diego, and was almost placed on the Injured List. His father, Fred, told him not to play the rest of the postseason, to which he responded, “Dad, I'm never going to stop.”
“Freddie Freeman is a stud and deserves every penny of his six-year, $162 million contract,” NHS senior Andrew Faircloth said. “In fact, his $27 million AAV is cheap compared to the guy he is on and especially off the field.”
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