Dodgers are 2024 World Series Champions

Photo by Major League Baseball

BRONX, NY: The Dodgers are World Series Champions. Last night, Los Angeles overcame a 5-0 deficit to win 7-6, taking it in five games, thanks in part to the Yankees' defense. In a decisive World Series game, no team had ever recovered from a five-run deficit. Freddie Freeman won the Series MVP award, as was to be expected.

In five seasons, this is their second championship. They will be able to stage a parade this time, even though the pandemic limitations in 2020 hampered their celebration. The Dodgers led MLB with 98 victories and outscored opponents by 179 runs throughout the regular season, making them the best club in baseball. Going into October, there were doubts about the durability of a pitching staff that had been beaten by injury.

The run to a championship wasn’t without adversity. L.A. found itself on the brink of elimination in its Division Series against the Padres. San Diego took a 2-1 series lead. The Friars had two chances to close it out, but Dodger pitching blanked them in consecutive games to advance. That was their only brush with elimination. Los Angeles took a 3-1 lead in the NL Championship Series against the Mets before closing it out in six.

Their start to the World Series was much better. They won Game 1 thanks to Freeman's walk-off grand slam against Nestor Cortes with two outs. In Game 2, they took a 2-0 lead to the Bronx after surviving a scare in the ninth inning. In a 4-2 victory that wasn't as close as the score indicated, Los Angeles won Game 3. Following Tuesday's crushing defeat, they had three more chances to win the series thanks to the grip.

It marks the Dodgers' first championship in a full season since 1988 and their eighth overall. The team is tied for fifth place on the all-time leaderboard with the Giants. The Red Sox and A's, who are tied for third place with nine rings each, are now one win away. The Cardinals are in second place with 11 titles, while the Yankees will continue to hold onto their 27 titles.