Dodgers Take 2-0 Lead in World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers did what every club that makes it to the World Series wants to do; they won the first two games in their home park to take a 2-0 series lead. Now it’s off to New York for Games 3, 4 and if necessary, 5 against the Yankees.

Game 1 on October 25th had comparisons to Game 1 of the 1988 Series between the Dodgers and Oakland Athletics. In that one, the Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson came off the bench to hit a pinch hit walk off home run to beat Oakland. This time, the Dodgers’ Freddy Freeman stepped to the plate with two out in the bottom of the 10th and the bases loaded, with L.A. trailing 3-2. Freeman crushed a Nestor Cortes pitch 409 feet into the right field bleacher, hitting the first walk off grand slam home run in World Series history to give L.A. a 6-3 victory.

Game 2 on October 26th was more about pitching. New York starter Carlos Rodon allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings, but the Yankees bullpen shut down the Dodgers’ bats after that. L.A. starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto was outstanding, allowing just one run and one hit—a home run to Juan Soto—in six and 1/3 innings. The bullpen allowed just three more hits and one more run the rest of the way. Freddy Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez both homered off Rodon to lead the offense for L.A. The Dodgers won 4-2.