The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from being crowned champions after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the World Series.
The club jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against Tyler Glasnow after two innings, which was all the run support the pitching staff needed. Clayton Kershaw hurled 5.2 innings of two-run ball before the bullpen put the finishing touches on the victory with 3.1 scoreless frames.
The trio of Dustin May, Victor Gonzalez and Blake Treinen combined to allow just three baserunners while accumulating four strikeouts. For May, it was his first appearance since Game 2, when he yielded three runs on four hits over 1.1 innings of work.
The right-hander was much more effective this time around, limiting the Rays to only one hit in 1.2 shutout innings. “I just had to make some mechanical cues in my delivery to kind of smoothen it out and get back to the norm,” May said.
“I definitely felt more normal and more composed throwing the ball.”
It was evident early on that May had a better feel for his stuff in Game 5. A significant number of his pitches clocked in at 100 mph.
“I definitely think it was mechanical,” May explained of his velocity increase. “Just being able to sync my legs a little bit more and not just fall towards home plate but kind of drive, it definitely allowed me to have more strength going forward.”
While it surprised some when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took the ball from Kershaw with two outs in the sixth, May knew beforehand he would be entering the game to face Manuel Margot.
“Not before the game, but I went into the sixth inning knowing that I was going to get Margot,” May said. “After [Kershaw] got the two quick outs I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m gonna get him.’ They stuck with the plan and I went out there.”
For May, it was a rewarding experience to follow Kershaw in a pivotal swing game. “It just shows me that they have a lot of confidence and trust in me to go out and get the job done,” May said.
“Being able to go out and execute pitches, close the door behind Kersh was a pretty phenomenal feeling.”
May ‘ready’ to go if needed in Game 6
As the Dodgers look to close out their first World Series title since 1988, May noted that he will be available in Game 6 if needed. “I bounce back pretty quick, so I should be ready,” he said.
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