It was the perfect storm of mental errors and clutch plays to reveal what appeared to be a clear path to forcing a Game 6 return in Los Angeles. The Dodgers’ advantage in postseason experience has never been more evident than in their ability to come back in a lopsided game while their opponent buckled under pressure.

The Yankees regained the lead with a Giancarlo Stanton sacrifice fly, but the momentum never left the Dodgers dugout. At the start of the eighth, they took the lead definitively on sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Bets.

It is now the greatest comeback ever in a decisive World Series game.

Dave Roberts proves he is a great manager

Deadline pickup Jack Flaherty was thrust into the role of the Dodgers’ de facto postseason staff ace when Tyler Glasnow hit the injured list and Clayton Kershaw was unavailable. His performance was mixed throughout October.

He threw gems in Game 1 of the NLCS (7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER) and Game 1 of the World Series (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER), but was bombed out a second time against the New York Mets. Game 5 (3.0 IP, 8 H, 8 ER) and suffered a similar fate Wednesday night.

The 29-year-old recorded just four outs, allowing four hits and four earned runs. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was forced to mix and match the final 23 outs of the game.

• Anthony Banda: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Ryan Brasier: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Michael Kopech: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Alex Vesia: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Brusdar Graterol: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• Blake Treinen: F, 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Walker Buehler: SV, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

He trusted Blake Treinen to throw a record 42 pitches in 2.1 scoreless innings. He came out of a jam that Brusdar Graterol found himself in in the sixth, went 1-2-3 in the seventh and drained an eighth inning where the tying run was in scoring position.

He then put the ball in the hands of Game 3 starter Walker Buehler to get the final three outs, despite an inconsistent season from the former frontcourt starter returning from Tommy John surgery. He struck out two of the three batters he faced and needed 16 pitches to make the save.

Even looking back at Game 4, Roberts made the wise decision to let Landon Knack and Brent Honeywell soak up the innings in a lopsided loss, preserving all of his upper arms when he needed each of them.

It’s easy to put the spotlight on the manager when those pitching decisions don’t work, and Roberts has been on the wrong side of the stage in the past when the Dodgers have failed, but this was a master class from the manager. seat.

The World Series champions used a bullpen game instead of a No. 4 starter throughout the postseason with mixed results, but when an unexpected bullpen game was forced upon him in the fifth game, he didn’t flinch.

Redefining the Dodgers Legacy

The Dodgers have won the NL West title 11 times in the last 12 years, and while this was their fourth World Series appearance during that stretch, this was their first World Series victory. fall outside of the abbreviated 2020 season.

This title did not come with the usual celebration and parade, and haters largely interpreted it as less valuable than a full-season title.

The similarities to the Atlanta Braves teams that won 14 straight division titles in the 1990s and 2000s but only won one World Series during that span were too easy to make, but that narrative is dead.

The disappointment had been particularly biting in the last two seasons leading up to this year’s title race.

The 2022 Dodgers were a runaway freight train during the regular season, winning 111 games and posting a ridiculous plus-334 run differential, but they were dispatched by their rival San Diego Padres in four games in the NLDS.

They reached 100 wins again last season, only to fall to another NL West opponent, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who swept them in three games after emerging from the Wild Card Round.

That disappointment served as the starting point for a spending spree that eclipsed $1 billion during the offseason, but it was the moves made on the fringes of the roster that had just as big an impact during the playoffs.

From the deadline pickup of NLCS MVP winner Tommy Edman to the carefully assembled relief corps carrying a significant load throughout the postseason, all the pieces fell into place for this year’s Dodgers team to finally climb to the top of the baseball world.

On the other hand, Shohei Ohtani and his $700 million contract were largely non-factors in the World Series. He went 2-for-19 with an extra-base hit and no RBIs, clearly slowed by a shoulder injury he suffered in the second game. Slugger Max Muncy (0-for-16, 10 K) was also a non-factor.

With a loaded roster, money to spend, and Ohtani ready to return to the mound in 2025, the idea of ​​repeating seems entirely possible, as this could possibly be an even better team next year.

Every dynasty has to start somewhere.

Now it’s up to the Dodgers to continue living up to even higher expectations as they seek their 12th NL West title in 13 years and another title in 2025.