In one of the most thrilling comebacks in World Series history, the Los Angeles Dodgers clawed their way back from a five-run deficit to take Game 5 over the New York Yankees, winning 7-6 at Yankee Stadium. With the victory, the Dodgers moved closer to yet another championship, marking a night filled with both heroics and heartbreak.
The Yankees started hot with Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. igniting the offense by hitting back-to-back home runs in the first inning. The early fireworks continued in the second as Alex Verdugo’s RBI single off Jack Flaherty extended New York’s lead. Giancarlo Stanton added to the Yankees’ scoring with a towering solo home run in the third inning, building what appeared to be an unbreakable 5-0 lead by the fifth.
In the Dodgers’ dugout, however, there was no sign of panic. Los Angeles kept grinding, staying focused and poised. The turning point came in the fifth inning, when the Yankees’ defense unraveled. A series of errors from Judge in center field and shortstop Anthony Volpe, combined with pitcher Gerrit Cole’s failure to cover first on Mookie Betts’ grounder, led to five unearned runs that erased the Yankees’ advantage in a stunning collapse.
Stanton gave the Yankees a temporary reprieve with a sacrifice fly in the sixth to put New York back on top 6-5. But the Dodgers, showing the resilience that had defined their season, loaded the bases in the eighth inning against Tommy Kahnle. Gavin Lux and Betts capitalized with back-to-back sacrifice flies off Luke Weaver, flipping the script to a 7-6 Dodgers lead.
Blake Treinen found himself in a tight spot in the bottom of the eighth when Judge doubled, followed by a walk to Chisholm. Manager Dave Roberts showed confidence in Treinen, who delivered by retiring Stanton and striking out Anthony Rizzo to escape the inning.
Dodgers ace Walker Buehler then took the mound in the ninth, making his first relief appearance since his rookie year in 2018. In a high-stakes moment, he pitched a flawless inning, ending the game by striking out Verdugo. As the final out was recorded, the Dodgers charged onto the field, celebrating between the mound and first base as jubilant fans cheered from the stands.
The Dodgers’ win came with historical significance, marking them as only the seventh team out of 234 to win a World Series game after trailing by five or more runs. Commissioner Rob Manfred presented the championship trophy to the Dodgers on a platform hastily constructed over second base, a fitting stage for the storied franchise to claim its eighth title and seventh since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
Despite his struggles in the series, Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ record-setting $700 million signing and baseball’s first player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season, celebrated alongside his teammates. Having separated his shoulder on a stolen base attempt in Game 2, Ohtani went 2 for 19 with one single in the series, but his presence in the lineup was key to the Dodgers’ depth.
Freddie Freeman, who had tied the Series RBI record of 12 set by Bobby Richardson in 1960, was named Series MVP. Freeman’s memorable Game 1 grand slam, which evoked memories of Kirk Gibson’s iconic 1988 home run, helped set the tone for the series and solidified his place in Dodgers lore.
For the Dodgers, the Game 5 comeback highlighted the resilience and determination that had driven their 98-win season. As they celebrated on the field and poured champagne in the clubhouse, their journey to this point was complete—a journey that ended with yet another championship added to their illustrious history.