After a 32-year drought and eight straight years of making it to the postseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2020 World Series.
This win comes at a time that is more special than ever for Los Angeles. The unusual 2020 season has brought L.A. not one, but two championship titles.
The Rays got off to a quick start in Game 6 as outfielder Randy Arozarena hit a solo home run off starter Tony Gonsolin to kick off the top of the first inning, but the Dodgers did not let that get them down.
After 5 ⅓ innings of scoreless baseball, Rays manager Kevin Cash pulled starting pitcher Blake Snell, which prompted the Dodgers comeback.
Catcher Austin Barnes and outfielder Mookie Betts were both in scoring position when Rays relief pitcher Nick Anderson threw a wild pitch to bring Barnes home to tie the game 1-1. Then Betts ran home on a fielder’s choice, to give the Dodgers a one-run lead to end the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, catcher Will Smith doubled to deep left field in what appeared to be a home run but eventually fell short. The Dodgers did not let the quick inning kill their spirit and came into the eighth ready to go.
Betts lived up to his powerhouse status at the beginning of the eighth inning with a home run to secure a two-run lead.
Left-handed pitcher Julio Urías entered in the seventh and struck out four Rays batters, including shortstop Willy Adames to end the series and seal the Dodgers' victory.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was named the World Series MVP after hitting .400 for the series, accounting for seven runs and also earning the NLCS MVP title.
News of Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner’s COVID-19 diagnosis shook the Dodgers' fan base after he was abruptly pulled from the game in the eighth inning. Turner’s diagnosis was announced on the FOX broadcast after the Dodgers claimed their long-awaited title.
Celebrations for the Dodgers' win are taking place throughout Los Angeles tonight, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. L.A. sports and Dodgers fans have proven their support by parading in Downtown Los Angeles, proving how they “bleed blue”.