It wasn’t quite as significant as the fifth inning of Game 5.
But, in the opening game of a World Series rematch at Chavez Ravine on Friday night, the Dodgers mounted a sixth-inning rally against the New York Yankees that carried its own profound importance.
The only real difference: They didn’t need the Yankees’ help to do it.
Seven months to the day since the Dodgers’ historic comeback against the New York Yankees in last year’s World Series finale — when three Yankees errors keyed an infamous five-run fifth that propelled the Dodgers to their eighth championship in franchise history — the team produced an inning of similarly unexpected magic in the opener of this weekend’s Fall Classic rematch, scoring four times in the bottom of the sixth to turn a three-run deficit into an eventual 8-5 win at a sold-out Dodger Stadium.
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The inning started with a Shohei Ohtani home run, his second of the night and MLB-leading 22nd of the season. It included a momentum-swinging double from Freddie Freeman, the MVP of last year’s Fall Classic reprising the role of Yankees killer again. What had once been a three-run New York lead officially evaporated when Andy Pages lined a tying single against a drawn-in infield. The Dodgers then went in front for the first time all night when Michael Conforto drew a bases-loaded walk three at-bats later, giving the Dodgers a lead they continued to add on.
For the Dodgers, nothing will compare to the ecstasy of last year’s fifth inning in Game 5; when a dropped ball from Aaron Judge, errant throw from Anthony Volpe and calamitous miscommunication between Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rizzo keyed the largest comeback in a title-clinching game in World Series history.
But, given the team’s sub-.500 play over the last three weeks, and a rash of injuries that got worse Friday when Mookie Betts was scratched with a fractured toe and Evan Phillips was ruled out for the rest of the season because he’ll need Tommy John surgery, Friday injected this trying stretch of the regular season with a sorely needed jolt of life.
For much of Friday, the Dodgers seemed headed to the kind of loss that had become commonplace over their 10-11 slide entering the night.
Their starting pitcher struggled, with Tony Gonsolin giving up four home runs in the first four innings — including a mammoth blast from Judge two batters into the game — to hand the Yankees a 5-2 lead.
Their lineup was struggling against a premium pitcher, putting major-league ERA leader Max Fried under little stress after an Ohtani homer to start the night.
And when the sixth inning began, there were few signs the tide was about to turn; the surging Yankees seemingly on a glide path to their 17th win in their last 21 games.
But then, as they did so many times during last year’s World Series, the Dodgers (35-22) flipped the script.
Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages reacts after he hits an RBI single against the Yankees in the sixth inning Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
It started with Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP hitting a sky-high fly ball to right that just kept carrying for his 15th home run in the month of May (tying Pedro Guerrero in June 1985 and Duke Snider in August 1953 for the most in a single month in Dodgers history).
Then, the Dodgers just kept chipping away. Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith lined back-to-back singles. Freeman chased Fried from the game with an RBI double to left that got over Cody Bellinger’s head. Then, after the Yankees turned to right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga to face Pages, he hammered a ground ball single through a drawn-in infield to bring home the tying run.
A chess match ensued from there.
Tommy Edman hit into a fielder’s choice grounder in the next at-bat, but some heads-up baserunning by Freeman in a rundown between third base and home plate still got the team’s other two baserunners into scoring position.
Dodgers baserunner Freddie Freeman, right, beats the tag of New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells to score in the seventh inning Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
With first base open, the Yankees intentionally walked Max Muncy, and summoned left-hander Tim Hill to face the left-handed hitting Conforto. But Conforto drew a full-count walk to plate the go-ahead score — giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night at 6-5.
The sixth inning ended on a Miguel Rojas double play. Yet, the Dodgers tacked on again in the seventh, when another double from Freeman set up Pages for a two-out, two-run single, Freeman racing home on his battered right ankle to score on a bang-bang play.
The Dodgers’ bullpen, meanwhile, skirted danger a couple of times, throwing three scoreless innings after Gonsolin (who settled down after his early long ball struggles) got through the sixth.
Judge hit a one-out double against Jack Dreyer in the seventh, but Dreyer and fellow rookie Ben Casparius combined to get through the inning.
The Yankees put runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh against Casparius, but embattled closer Tanner Scott escaped it by getting pinch-hitter DJ LeMahieu to fly out.
Then, in the ninth, Alex Vesia atoned for the deciding three-run homer he surrendered in Cleveland on Wednesday by picking up his second save of the season — and securing one of the Dodgers’ most important, and unlikely, victories of the season.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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