Dodgers' comeback stuns the Yankees
LA wins World Series as New York suffers Halloween nightmare, blowing a 5-run lead in defensive meltdown
NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five seasons, overcoming a five-run deficit with the help of three Yankees defensive miscues and rallying on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts in the eighth inning to beat New York 7-6 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, Alex Verdugo's RBI single chased Jack Flaherty in the second, and Giancarlo Stanton's third-inning homer against Ryan Brasier built a 5-0 Yankees lead.
But, on Halloween eve, in an inning that will haunt Yankees fans forever, errors by Judge in center and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole failing to cover first base on a Betts grounder, helped Los Angeles score five unearned runs in the fifth.
After Stanton's sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Yankees back ahead 6-5, the Dodgers loaded the bases against relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle in the eighth, before the two sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver sealed it for LA.
Judge doubled off winner Blake Treinen with one out in the bottom half and Chisholm walked. Manager Dave Roberts walked to the mound with Treinen at 37 pitches.
"I looked in his eyes. I said how you feeling? How much more you got?" Roberts recalled. "He said: 'I want it.' I trust him."
Treinen retired Stanton on a flyout and struck out Anthony Rizzo.
Walker Buehler, making his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2018, pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league save.
"We're obviously resilient, but there's so much love in the clubhouse that won this game today," Betts said. "That's what it was. It was love, it was grit. I mean, it was just a beautiful thing. I'm just proud of us and I'm happy for us."
