NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their second World Series title in just five years, staging a dramatic comeback to defeat the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The victory was marked by a significant rally, sparked by three defensive errors from the Yankees that allowed the Dodgers to recover from a five-run deficit. Key contributions came from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts, who both delivered crucial sacrifice flies in the eighth inning.
In an explosive start, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit consecutive home runs in the first inning, pushing the Yankees into an early lead. Following that, Alex Verdugo’s RBI single knocked Dodger pitcher Jack Flaherty out of the game in the second inning, and Giancarlo Stanton extended the Yankees’ advantage with a home run in the third, bringing the score to 5-0.
However, the game’s momentum shifted dramatically due to errors from Judge in center field and Anthony Volpe at shortstop. Additionally, pitcher Gerrit Cole failed to cover first base on a ground ball hit by Betts. These miscues led to the Dodgers capitalizing with five unearned runs in the fifth inning, effectively erasing the Yankees’ lead.
The Yankees managed to regain the edge when Stanton hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth, bringing the score to 6-5. Still, the Dodgers responded fiercely in the eighth inning, loading the bases against Tommy Kahnle before benefiting from a pair of sacrifice flies off pitcher Luke Weaver.
Blake Treinen, who secured the victory for the Dodgers, navigated a difficult situation in the bottom of the eighth, managing to retire Stanton with a flyout and striking out Anthony Rizzo with one out and two men on base. Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, closed out the game flawlessly in the ninth inning for the save.
