As professional baseball players around the world continue to reach the high-salary major leagues, the World Series has taken on a more international flavor. Some of the game’s greatest players have come from Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Rim. The World Series has even included a few defectors from Communist Cuba. The series also has a strong military presence, with many players in the military.
The Dodgers are one win away from clinching their first World Series title since 2020. Freddie Freeman has been their hero in this Series, blasting home runs in games two, three and four to give Los Angeles a 3-1 lead. The team has also benefited from five scoreless innings from starter Walker Buehler and the bullpen’s ability to hold off the Yankees.
With a 1-0 lead in the top of the eighth, the Dodgers sent their last man to the mound for the final three outs. Right-hander Brent Honeywell threw 18 pitches to walk Shohei Ohtani and allow Jazz Chisholm to reach base on an error by shortstop Tommy Edman. Manager Aaron Boone then opted to intentionally walk Mookie Betts and load the bases for Freddie Freeman.
Freeman swung at the first pitch he saw from Cortes and sent it 423 feet into the bleachers at Dodger Stadium for a grand slam that tied the game at 6-6. That brought the crowd to its feet, and the Dodgers held on to clinch their first World Series since 2024.