courtesy of NBC 4
It was the top of the ninth, and Julio Urias was on the mound. Los Angeles was up 3-1 with 2 outs. One more out and the Dodgers would end a 32-year long drought and become World Series champions once again. Willy Adames stood firmly between Los Angeles and their victory. Strike 1. Strike 2. One more pitch and Urias would bring a spectacular series to its end. He wound up and lunged forward to launch a 97 miles per hour fastball. Strike 3! The Los Angeles Dodgers had won the series 4-2. Urias’ teammates rushed towards him in celebration of their triumph.
The series, which took place in Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, had been a wild rollercoaster of emotion. Both teams left baseball fans everywhere impressed throughout all of it. The Dodgers won Game 1, while the Rays were quick to tie the series in the following game. Similarly, with the next two games, Los Angeles took control of Game 3 while Tampa Bay came back in Game 4. Through exceptional feats of athleticism, the Dodgers crew was able to clinch the next two games and bring the title home to the City of Angels. In a post-game interview with The Athletic, Julio Urias spoke about how he felt during the final minutes of the game.
“It’s the most important out of my life. It’s a dream come true for everyone, not just for me. It was a pitch that the whole team and all the fans were waiting on. This is for the fans of Los Angeles. We weren’t going to rest until we achieved the victory, and thank God we did,” said Urias.
This title is a result of the major efforts of all coaches, staff and, of course, players. Each and every member of the Dodgers team left it all on the field in order to bring this title home. Many players stood out in this series and throughout the entire season: Julio Urias, Victor Gonzales, Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw and Cory Seager, to name a few. During the post-game trophy ceremony, team manager Dave Roberts expressed his excitement about the victory and his appreciation towards his team.
“This is our year. Everyone in this ballpark wearing Dodger blue, everyone all over the world wearing Dodger blue, never waivered. This is our year! And these players right here showed what toughness is all about,” Roberts said. He went on to state, “I’ve never been around a group that’s closer, that’s tougher, and that I love more.”
It had been a long year for the Dodgers. Though the regular Major League Baseball (MLB) season begins late March, the start date was pushed back many times. The season began on July 23, 2020. Many teams suffered horrible COVID-19 outbreaks. Many players chose to opt-out of the season as a whole, as well as some staff including some umpires. Taking all necessary precautions, the efforts of the entire Los Angeles team have paid off. Los Angeles holds two titles, both the NBA and MLB titles. After a vastly unpredictable year, it seems that the tides of 2020 have begun to change.
