After a heartbreaking loss on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers got back on track with a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the World Series.
Facing Tyler Glasnow for the second time this series, the Dodgers’ offense did not waste any time getting going. Mookie Betts led off the game with a double down the left-field line and then quickly scored on a single to right by Corey Seager.
After some savvy base running by Seager to take second and third base on wild pitches, he was then able to score on an infield single by Cody Bellinger to give L.A. an early 2-0 lead.
The Dodgers added to that in the second inning when Joc Pederson launched a solo home run to left-center field off Glasnow. “He throws the ball really hard. Just honestly looking to put the ball in play,” Pederson said.
“He got me in Game 1, so it was nice to be able to return the favor.”
While Pederson got all of that blast, it wasn’t the hardest-hit ball of the night. Max Muncy took that crown with a towering solo home run to right off Glasnow in the fifth. The homers marked the first of the series for Pederson and Muncy, respectively.
Kershaw turns in another strong outing
While the Dodgers offense was not able to score any more runs after the Muncy homer, that was enough for the pitching staff, which led by Clayton Kershaw, limited Tampa Bay to two runs.
Kershaw improved to 2-0 in the World Series with another strong start, going 5.2 innings while allowing five hits and two runs with six strikeouts and two walks.
His biggest jam of the night came in the fourth inning as the Rays had runners at the corners with no outs. He stayed calm and got a pop-up and strikeout to get within one out of getting out of it.
Then instead of waiting for his teammates to potentially drive him in, Manuel Margot took matters into his own hands by trying to steal home. Again, Kershaw stayed calm and stepped off the mound, firing it to Austin Barnes, who was able to apply the tag on Margot to end the inning.
The bullpen was then flawless in relief of Kershaw as Dustin May, Victor Gonzalez and Blake Treinen combined to toss 3.1 scoreless innings to close it out.
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