The World Series rematch was a game rich in excitement, reminiscent of the World Series. Last year's World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers once again defeated the New York Yankees.
The Dodgers won 8-5 against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on the 31st.
The Yankees set their starting lineup with Trent Grisham (center fielder), Aaron Judge (right fielder), Cody Bellinger (left fielder), Paul Goldschmidt (first baseman), Ben Rice (designated hitter), Anthony Volpe (shortstop), Austin Wells (catcher), Yorbit Vivas (second baseman), and Oswald Peraza (third baseman). Max Fried took the mound as the starting pitcher.
Fried, who switched to the New York Yankees from the Atlanta Braves under an 8-year, $218 million contract—the highest for a left-handed pitcher—has gone 7-0 with a 1.29 earned run average (ERA) in 11 games this year. He is currently leading Major League Baseball in ERA.
The Dodgers started with Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter), Teoscar Hernández (right fielder), Will Smith (catcher), Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Andy Pahes (center fielder), Tommy Edman (second baseman), Kiké Hernández (third baseman), Michael Conforto (left fielder), and Miguel Rojas (shortstop). Tony Gonsolin began the game as the starting pitcher.
This was the first meeting since last year’s World Series, and it was a big match being referred to as a preview of this year’s World Series. The game opened with home runs from superstars right from the first inning.
In the first inning, Aaron Judge of the Yankees made the first move. With one out and no runners on, Judge stepped up and hit a solo home run over the center field wall on the third pitch, a four-seam fastball from Tony Gonsolin, at 89.7 mph. This was his 19th home run of the season, narrowing the gap with Ohtani by one.
In response, Ohtani strikingly matched Judge. In the bottom of the first, Ohtani, who led off, hit a solo home run over the center field wall on the first pitch from Yankees starter Max Fried, a 93.7 mph four-seamer. With Judge and Ohtani exchanging blows, the big match was set in motion.
However, the early momentum was on the Yankees' side. In the second inning, with the score tied at 1-1, leadoff hitter Austin Wells hit a solo home run to put the Yankees ahead again. Following that, with Oswald Peraza drawing a walk, the Yankees were in a 1 out, 1 on situation when Trent Grisham hit a two-run homer, extending their lead to 4-1. The Dodgers got one back in the bottom of the second with a double from Tommy Edman and a balk from Fried, managing to score one run, making it 2-4.
However, in the top of the third, Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run over the right-center wall, making it 5-2 and re-establishing the Yankees' lead. After Goldschmidt's home run, Ben Rice's single into right field provided another opportunity, but Anthony Volpe hit into a double play. Despite getting second and first in a two-out situation from Austin Wells' walk and Yorbit Vivas' hit by pitch, they failed to score.
The two teams, which had been intensely battling early on, briefly entered a lull. However, Ohtani once again made a significant impact on the game. In the bottom of the sixth, leading off, Ohtani launched a solo home run on a 92.5 mph four-seam fastball from Fried with a count of three balls and one strike. Fried leaned down as he expressed his frustration. Ohtani fired the signal for the Dodgers' comeback.
The momentum of the game turned oddly, and the Dodgers took control. With Teoscar Hernández's single into right field and Will Smith's single into center field, they created a situation with no outs and runners on first and second. Freddie Freeman hit a timely double over the left fielder's head to bring the score to 4-5, closing the gap to one run.
Continuing with no outs and runners on second and third, Andy Pahes broke through the Yankees' infield, driving in a single and successfully tying the game at 5-5. In a continued no outs and runners on first and third situation, Tommy Edman hit a ground ball to the first baseman, which got the runner on third base, but they maintained the opportunity with one out at second and third. The Yankees intentionally walked pinch hitter Max Muncy, opting to face Michael Conforto. However, Conforto earned a bases-loaded walk, putting the Dodgers ahead 6-5. Yet, Miguel Rojas hit into a double play, and they failed to extend their lead.
The Dodgers showcased their tenacity in the final moments. After two outs in the seventh, Will Smith's single into center field and Freddie Freeman's double to left field created a situation with two outs and runners on second and third. Andy Pahes then hit a two-RBI single into center field, extending the lead to 8-5.
In the ninth inning, Hyesung Kim was brought in as a defensive substitution. With no outs and a runner on first, Aaron Judge popped up a high fly ball, which Kim chased down, securing one out and laying the foundation for the team's victory.
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