The Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday won their first World Series championship since 1988, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1, to win the best-of-seven series four games to two.
“This is our year. We said it,” said Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts. “It’s just a special group of players, organization…just all that we’ve kind of overcome. I just new that we weren’t going to be denied this year.”
After a stellar performance by Rays pitcher Blake Snell who struck out nine and allowed two hits, Mookie Betts set up the tying run with a sixth-inning double, scored the go-ahead run and added an insurance run by homering on an 0-2 pitch leading off the bottom of the eighth at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Corey Seager was selected as the recipient of the Willie Mays World Series MVP Award. Seager reached base on 14 of his 26 plate appearances in the Series for a .538 on-base percentage, had a .400 batting average with eight hits in 20 at-bats with two home runs and five RBI.
Seager was also the MVP of the National League Championship Series. He is the first player to be the MVP of a league championship series and World Series in the same year.
Victor Gonzalez, the fifth of seven Dodger pitchers, was credited with the victory, retiring all four batters he faced, striking out three.
Julio Urias retired all seven batters he faced, striking out four, for the save.
Austin Barnes, the No. 9 hitter in the Dodgers’ lineup, singled off Snell with one out in the sixth. The hit prompted Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash to replace Snell with Nick Anderson.
Betts, the first batter to face Anderson, hit a 2-0 fastball for a double, advancing Barnes to third. Barnes scored the tying run on Anderson’s wild pitch.
Seager, the next batter, hit a ground ball to Rays’ first baseman Ji-Man Choi. Betts broke for home and beat Choi’s throw to the plate for what proved to be the winning run.
Dodger third baseman Justin Turner was removed from the game before the start of the eighth inning because of a positive coronavirus test, Commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed.
“Thanks to everyone reaching out! I feel great, no symptoms at all,” Turner tweeted at 9:28 p.m. PDT. “Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine. Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys! So proud of this team & unbelievably happy for the City of LA. #WorldSeriesChamps.”
Turner’s test from earlier Tuesday “was expedited, and when it came back positive, he was removed from the game,” tweeted Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Legendary sports announcer Vin Scully tweeted: “‘55, ‘59, ‘63, ‘65, ‘81, ‘88 and now 2020. What a year. What a season. What a team. Congratulations@Dodgers.”
