Dodgers Defeat Blue Jays in World Series Game 7
DODGERS ADVANCE TO WORLD SERIES AFTER DRAMATIC 3-1 WIN OVER BLUE JAYS
Los Angeles – The Los angeles Dodgers are heading to the World Series after a stunning 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, secured by a historic game-ending double play.In the bottom of the ninth inning, with the game tied and the World Series on the line, Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández made a remarkable catch running between left and center field on a hit by Addison Barger. He then fired to second base,where Venezuelan Miguel Rojas completed a arduous play,collecting the ball on a bounce to force out Barger and end the game.
The improbable play capped a tense finish to Game 6. The Blue Jays had threatened in the ninth after Max Scherzer was named the Game 7 starter for Toronto, and Alejandro Kirk was hit by a pitch from Dodgers reliever Glasnow to begin the inning. Barger then hit a ground double to left-center field that briefly became lodged in the outfield padding. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts opted to bring in Glasnow,believing he could generate more swings and misses than starter Roki,who roberts felt “wasn’t as sharp.”
“I was playing a little further forward than I was required to,” Hernández said. “But given the situation, with a really fast guy at second base, I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to play really, really forward. If he hits it over my head, good for him.’ I feel like his power is more toward the pulling side.” Hernández described the difficulty of tracking the ball, stating, “Somehow I could hear the bat break even with that crowd. The crazy thing is, I had no idea where the ball was as it was in the lights the whole time. But given the situation in the game, the world Series on the line and how well he was hitting tonight, I thought, ‘He’s going to hit me in the face, but I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to stop.’ And the ball came out of the lights and went into my glove.”
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 7-4 double play was the first to end a game in postseason history. Hernández downplayed his role, saying, “I gave him a really tough throw to catch. I think it was a better catch than a good play on my part.”
The Dodgers took a 3-1 lead in the series, with Game 7 scheduled for Saturday night. Key offensive performances included Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going 3-1 for the Blue jays, and Teoscar Hernández, Puerto Rican Hernández, and Venezuelan Rojas each going 4-0 for the dodgers.