(1) Tampa Bay Rays vs (1) Los Angeles Dodgers – In the finale to a shortened season, the Rays and the Dodgers faced off to determine who would take home the championship.
In Game 1, the Dodgers had an easy 8-3 win. Cody Bellinger opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the top of the next inning, a solo home run by Kevin Kiermaier put the Rays within one run of the Dodgers. However, a four-run bottom of the fifth and a two run bottom of the six gave the Dodgers a seven run lead and despite the Rays scoring two runs in the top of the seventh, the Dodgers were able to get the win in Game 1 and get off to a 1-0 series lead.
After losing in Game 1, the Rays came into Game 2 motivated and won the game 6-4. Brandon Lowe opened the game with a solo home run in the top of the first inning giving the Rays a 1-0 lead. A two run RBI double by Joey Wendle in the top of the fourth and a two-home run by Brandon Lowe gave the Rays a 5-0 lead. The Dodgers responded in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run by Chris Taylor, putting them within three runs of the Rays. After an additional run by the Rays, two other runs by the Dodgers were not enough to give them the win, as the Rays won the game and tied the series at one game apiece.
The Game 3 scoring was nearly all done by Los Angeles as the Dodgers won 6-2. Justin Turner, Max Muncy, Austin Barnes and Mookie Betts, all had RBIs that gave the Dodgers their six runs in this game. While Willie Adames and Randy Arozarena gave the rays two RBIs, this was not enough to defeat the Dodgers as the Dodgers won the game and took a 2-1 series lead.
The Rays had a thrilling win in Game 4 as they beat the Dodgers 8-7. Justin Turner and Corey Seager opened the game for the Dodgers with two solo home runs in the top of the first and the top of the third respectively. Throughout the next five innings the scoring went back and forth until the bottom of the ninth when the Dodgers had a one run lead with two outs. Brett Phillips hit a two-run walk-off RBI single that gave the Rays an 8-7 win over the Dodgers and tied the series at two games each.
The Dodgers then won Game 5 by a score of 4-2. Two RBI singles by Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger gave the Dodgers a two-run lead before the first inning had even ended. Two innings later, a solo home run by Joc Pederson in the top of the third added on to the Dodgers lead. In the bottom of the third, the Rays had two RBIs that put them within one run of the Dodgers. However, a top of the fifth two run home run by Max Muncy gave the Dodgers a two-run lead and eventually the win. At this point, the Dodgers were just one win away from winning a World Series.
In a crucial Game 6, the Dodgers showed why they were the best team in baseball as they won the game 3-1. The second batter of the game, Randy Arozarena, hit a solo home run that immediately gave the Rays a 1-0 lead over the Dodgers. In the bottom of the fifth, Austin Barnes and Mookie Betts each scored to give the Dodgers a one run lead. Mookie Betts added to this lead in the bottom of the eighth when he hit a solo home run that put the Dodgers up by two runs with a score of 3-1, which was the final score as the Dodgers won the World Series.
Speaking to the media after the game, Corey Seager, the World Series MVP, said, “This team was incredible all throughout the year, all throughout the postseason, all throughout the quarantine. We never stopped. We were ready to go as soon as the bell was called. And once it did, we kept rolling.” This was the Dodgers first World Series win since 1988 and a great victory for the Dodgers as they were finally able to win the world series after eight years straight of winning the National League West.
