By TATUM MAPES

After a 32 year drought, the LA Dodgers have finally taken home their seventh World Series title. This Game 6 win was worth the wait for Dodger fans, who have consecutively witnessed World Series losses against the Houston Astros and Boston Redsox. With a final score of 3-1, the Dodgers solidified their powerhouse status in the Major Leagues.

The Dodgers celebrate their first World Series win after 32 years (Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos).

Redlands students are celebrating the win as well. Redlands East Valley senior, Matt Marinkovich, shares his reactions “The Dodgers have consistently been to the postseason for years, and this year — really when the community needed it — this team pulled through and really gave us something to cheer for.”

The Tampa Bay Rays opened the first inning with a run by left fielder Randy Arozarena, leaving the Dodgers behind 0-1. The game went runless until Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts and center fielder Austin Barnes scored in the 6th inning. Mookie Betts further contributed to a Dodgers 3-1 win with a solo home run in the 8th inning.

While the contributions of Betts and Barnes are not to be take lightly, the biggest contributing factor to the Dodgers win was their pitching strategy. They put into practice what is known as “pitching by committee.” Also known as bullpen pitching, pitching by committee does not involve utilizing a set starter. Instead, multiple pitchers are used to get in and out of innings. This strategy proved to be effective, as the Rays were kept from scoring more than one run. It was deemed by announcers to be the “Defensive Play of the Game.”

While pitching proved to be the Dodgers’ advantage, it ended up being the Rays’ disadvantage. In the 6th inning, the Rays’ manager Kevin Cash pulled out their star pitcher, Blake Snell, after 73 pitches and 9 strikeouts because of only 2 hits by the Dodgers. It can be easily argued that Cash’s bullpen management was a major contributor to a Rays’ defeat.

It is worthy to note that Dodgers player Justin Turner had to leave the stadium in the 8th inning due to him testing positive for COVID-19. This was the first positive coronavirus test in the MLB’s bubble in two months.

By the 9th inning, 24 year old pitcher Julio Urías threw the final strikeout to clinch a Dodgers’ victory. It is worth noting that not only is Urías the first Mexican-born pitcher to save the deciding game of a World Series, but he is also the first to appear in five World Series games.

Rudy Beltran, a senior at REV, says “I’d just like to say it was a great game, very scary knowing how we play in the World Series, but I had to believe in my boys and have my doubts. But at the end, they came up. I’m proud of them and couldn’t be happier.”