Dodgers take down Yankees in classic World Series matchup

The Los Angeles Dodgers captured their eighth World Series title and first since 2020 on Wednesday night, overcoming a five-run deficit to stun the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 of the Fall Classic.   The game represents the largest comeback in the World Series clincher in baseball history. 

Los Angeles trailed 5-0 after four innings, with New York slugger Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hitting back-to-back home runs in the first inning.  Giancarlo Stanton added a solo shot in the third. 

The major storyline coming out of the game from the Yankees perspective will surround the fifth inning, when costly New York errors and clutch Dodgers hitting combined for a five-run rally for the National League champions.   Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball off the bat of Tommy Edman, Anthony Volpe committed an error at shortstop on a grounder hit by Will Smith, and Gerrit Cole failed to cover first base on a grounder by Mookie Betts.  Series MVP Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single and Teoscar Hernandez had an RBI double to tie the game. 

A Stanton sacrifice fly briefly shifted the advantage back to New York at 6-5, but the Dodgers scored a pair of eighth inning runs on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts.  Walker Buehler, making a rare relief appearance, slammed the door on the Yankees with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth. 

Out of eight all-time championships won by the Dodgers franchise, four have come against the rival Yankees, including the only championship won by the Brooklyn Dodgers, in a seven-game classic in 1955, with wins for Los Angeles over New York in 1963, 1981, and now 2024.