Dodgers Hoist Commissioner’s Trophy, Seager MVP Again
Domination. Cruise Control. One small mistake, but overall greatness. These are all ways to describe the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers’ season, and also the first five innings of Blake Snell’s fantastic World Series Game 6 performance.
The Dodgers rolled through the regular season, only losing one series to the Colorado Rockies (September 4-6), and breezed through the first two rounds of the MLB Postseason by handling the Brewers and Padres in consecutive sweeps. Their first true challenge arrived when they found themselves trailing the Atlanta Braves three games to one in the National League Championship Series. That was when shortstop Corey Seager smacked a pair of home runs to bring the Dodgers back into the series, only trailing by one game. Seager and veteran third baseman Justin Turner then hit back-to-back bombs in the first inning of the next game, which gave the Dodgers enough fuel to defeat Atlanta’s ace Max Fried and even the series to force a Game 7. Former NL MVP Cody Bellinger launched a monster home run to give the Dodgers the lead late in the winner-take-all game, as young left-hander Julio Urias tossed three shutout frames to close the NLCS out and place the Dodgers in their third World Series in four years. After winning three of the first five games against the Rays, here the Dodgers were, just one win away from Baseball Glory.
Blake Snell had other plans. Without wasting a second, the former Cy Young Award winner looked as good as ever. After Rays’ Postseason star Randy Arozarena hit his obligatory solo home run to score the first run of the game, shadows of doubt crept through the minds of Dodger Nation. The game continued with the general feeling that nothing could stop Snell from earning a win. The fastballs were zipping right past the bats of the Dodgers’ best sluggers, and the curveballs looked untouchable. Through two innings, Snell had struck out five and only allowed contact to Max Muncy, which did not even make it as far as the pitcher’s mound.
Chris Taylor was able to muster up the team’s first hit, a single, by hitting the top half of a Blake Snell curveball for a line drive in the bottom of the third. However, Taylor did not advance past second base as the Dodgers remained scoreless. This continued through five innings, but the Rays’ bats fell silent as well, so they maintained the slim 1-0 margin.
A.J. Pollock lined out to begin the bottom of the sixth inning and the Rays inched closer to taking this series the distance. The Dodgers’ nine-hole hitter, backup catcher Austin Barnes, was next up. As he dug into the right-handed batter’s box, Snell appeared unfazed. It was just another at-bat in a long line of matchups that Blake Snell was prepared for. But with right-handed reliever Nick Anderson warming up, there was pressure on Snell for the first time. Snell left a hanging breaking ball over the middle of the plate and Barnes smacked it to centerfield for a single, marking Snell’s first true mistake pitch of the game; and it would be his last. In a shocking sequence, Rays’ manager immediately jumped out of the dugout, signaled for Anderson, and walked to the pitcher’s mound to take the ball from Snell’s hand. The Dodgers’ dugout must have taken one collective sigh of relief. Blake Snell was visibly displeased, having struck out Mookie Betts (who was due up) in each of his at bats that night.
With a runner on first and one out, Betts laced a double down the left field line and Barnes moved to third base. The score was then evened on a wild pitch, with Betts advancing to third. Next, Corey Seager clubbed a ground ball at Rays’ first baseman Ji-Man Choi. Betts had a great read on the ball and was able to hook slide his way into home plate safely, just before the tag, which gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
The next surprise of the game occurred in the top of the 8th inning. Utility infielder Edwin Rios jogged out to the playing field and manned third base, meaning longtime Dodger Justin Turner was removed from the game. As it later turned out, Turner was mandated off the field due to a positive test for coronavirus.
Mookie Betts hit his second career home run in a World Series clinch game to expand the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1. Urias and the Dodgers did not look back, as the team secured its first World Series in 32 seasons.
The World Series MVP Award was granted to Corey Seager, who did everything to deserve it. With a slash line of .400/.556/1.256, two home runs, and a stolen base, he solidified himself in Dodgers’ history.