[ad_1]
Dodgers beat Rays 3-1 to end 32-year World Series drought
(Agence France-Presse) – October 28, 2020 – 13:04
ARLINGTON – The Los Angeles Dodgers ended their 32-year wait for a World Series title on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time), beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to finally claim the Major League Baseball crown after of a series of agonizing near misses. .
Corey Seager drove in the lead run, Mookie Betts hit a late home run and a series of Los Angeles pitchers held firm as the Dodgers won the seventh World Series in club history, but the first since 1988.
Back in the Major League Championship showcase for the third time in four years, the Dodgers eased the disappointment of losing in the 2017 and 2018 series.
They beat the Rays by four games to two at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, where the first neutral World Series in modern baseball history culminated a campaign shortened by a pandemic.
“This is surreal,” catcher Austin Barnes said. “We worked very hard. They broke our hearts so many times. This group worked very hard.”
As the Dodgers celebrated on the field, a key contributor was missing as third baseman Justin Turner was recalled midgame after testing positive for coronavirus, a final grim reminder of the season’s shadow cast by the pandemic.
The Rays, who needed a win to force a decisive game seven, couldn’t take advantage of the dominating performance of starter Blake Snell, who allowed just two hits and no runs with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
He became the first pitcher to hit nine in four innings in a World Series game since Dodgers legend Sandy Koufax had a total of 15 in a complete victory in Game 1 against the New York Yankees in 1963. .
But Rays manager Kevin Cash opted to take Snell out with one out and another in the bottom of the sixth with the Rays leading by just one run thanks to Randy Arozarena’s home run in the first inning.
And that’s when the momentum changed.
Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts quickly doubled down the left-field line off Rays reliever Nick Anderson.
Barnes, who had singled to Snell, advanced to third and scored on a wild pitch.
Seager, who won the World Series Most Valuable Player honors, then rose to the top spot by choice of a fielder, with Betts winning the shot at home plate to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
“Snell was pitching a great game,” Betts said. “That’s all we needed.”
A parade of Dodgers pitchers – he would number seven in total – kept him close after rookie sensation Arozarena hit his 10th home run of the postseason extending the record of an 88 mph slider from Gonsolin, the rookie right-hander whose impressive numbers regular season have not translated into the playoffs.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had said he expected five or six innings from rookie Gonsolin, whose impressive regular-season numbers have not translated into the playoffs.
But it lasted only 1 2/3 innings before giving way to Dylan Floro.
Meanwhile, Snell retired the first six batters he faced before throwing an opening single to Chris Taylor in the third, then retired nine more for the Rays to maintain their one-run lead in five innings.
‘Simply amazing’
After Arozarena singled to left field with two outs in the top of the fifth off the Dodgers’ fourth pitcher of the night, Pedro Baez, Victor Gonzalez took over the mound and recorded the last out of the inning.
Gonzalez retired three straight games in the top of the sixth, and after the Dodgers took the lead at the bottom of the frame, Brusdar Graterol took over the mound for Los Angeles in the seventh.
With two outs in the inning, Graterol gave up a line single to Mike Zunino and was replaced by Game 4 starter Julio Urias of Mexico, who did not allow a running back to close out the win.
“Man, this was just unbelievable,” said Seager, who is among the core of players who experienced the Dodgers’ recent World Series losses, a group that also includes star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who ultimately added a title of World Series to its Summary Hall of Fame.
“It’s been fun being a part of the endurance, the energy, everything this team has done this year,” said Seager.
Betts was a newcomer this year, traded before the Boston Red Sox team season that broke the hearts of the Dodgers in 2018.
“I knew we could win from day one,” Betts said. “These guys have been in the postseason so many times that I became a part of it.”
[ad_2]
