A battle of powerhouse teams, with star studded line ups and plenty of history between each other, the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series surely did not disappoint. For the Dodgers, this World Series win marks their second victory in five years, winning one in the shortened 2020 season. The Yankees, on the losing side of this battle, continued their World Series drought, last winning the series back in 2009. History was made, records broken, and memories were made, especially for Dodger fans throughout the world.
Game One of the World Series was the perfect introduction for what fans could expect from these two teams, with a close-knitted game that came down to the final inning with bases loaded. Those who watched the game know exactly what happened, with the Dodgers’ first baseman Freddy Freeman hitting a walk-off grand slam to win Game One, 6-3.
The Dodgers, at home in particular, showed no signs of letting off the gas pedal, with stars like Freddy Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez hitting home runs and center fielder Tommy Edman scoring in a run to help the Dodgers push past the Yankees 4-2. The Dodgers’ pitching was electric this game as well, as star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six innings, only allowing one run with four strikeouts. This was impressive, mostly due to the fact the Yankees are a known hitting machine, with star players like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Juan Soto.
With the Dodgers up 2-0 in the seven-game series, they would have to face their biggest challenge, playing games away. Yankee Stadium is notorious for being a difficult place to play in, with the fans being ruthless and the atmosphere for the home team always electric. The Yankees were overdue for a win, and at home was the perfect place to do it. This, however, would prove difficult, as the Dodgers started one of their ace pitchers in Walker Buehler. Similar to Yamamoto the game previously, Buehler played lights out, allowing no runs and striking out five batters in five innings of work. Freddy Freeman, too, had an amazing game, hitting another home run with Mookie Betts and Kike Hernandez each hitting in runs to give the Dodgers another 4-2 victory on the road, going up 3-0 in the series, poised for a sweep the next day.
Going into Game Four, the Dodgers led the series 3-0 and a win for them would make it a sweep against the Yankees. This would not fly for the Yankees, as they finally woke up from their daze and showed the exact reason why they made it to the World Series, putting up 11 runs in a smack down against the Dodgers, who could only put up four runs. The New York bats were electric this time around, with Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe hitting a grand slam, ultimately cementing the win and forcing a Game Five in the last game at Yankee Stadium.
Those who watched Game Five know exactly the roller coaster this game was. The stakes were high, as the Dodgers looked to get one last win to etch their name in the history books, and the one-win Yankees looked to continue their hot streak and bring the series back to LA. From the start, it looked as if the Yankees were still off their hot streak, putting up five runs by the third inning, putting the Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty out of work by the second inning. The game had seemed to repeat similar to Game Four, but the Dodgers looked to put this thing away once and for all. Although no home runs were hit in this game, Freddy Freeman, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, and Gavin Lux all knocked in runs, slowly working Dodgers runners in. In the fifth inning alone, the Dodgers tacked on five runs, tying it up with the Yankees. The two teams would go back and forth, with both teams pitching performances being solid against pretty well built lineups. In the end, the Dodgers squeaked past, putting up two runs in the eigth inning to push them past the Yankees, 7-6. Walker Buehler, a starting pitcher, was brought in to close out the game, striking out two batters and getting the final out to help LA win the series in five games.
With a promising young core of players, both LA and New York have promising futures in the MLB, with a possible rematch coming very soon. Although these two teams looked to be powerhouses, the MLB is slowly developing great, young players who will start to take the baseball world by storm. The next World Series may give us different teams, but the electric factor will never fade from the great game of baseball.
