The Game

On Tuesday, October 27th, the Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays faced each other in an exciting sixth match of the finals for the 2020 Fall Classic (aka The World Series). The Dodgers went into that game with a 3-2 lead against their opponent. The series was best out of a possible seven games. At the start of the match, the Rays were up 1-0 with pitcher Blake Snell on fire, striking out nine of the Dodgers hitters, arguably being his best game of the season. However, manager Kevin Cash soon pulled out his starter. Cash said that his reasoning behind this was because Mookie Betts was coming up to bat, and Cash wanted to avoid having Snell come up a third time in the lineup. This was a huge factor that contributed to the Rays loss. Even though it was upsetting for them and their fans, the Dodgers were ecstatic! This was the first time in 32 years that the Dodgers won the World Series.

About the Teams

 Both teams were very talented in different ways, although the Dodgers were the more experienced team, in addition to having one of the best pitchers in the league, Clayton Kershaw, plus Mookie Betts, and many other talented players. Unlike the Dodgers, the Rays were more of a small market team, and have only made one other appearance in the World Series, in 2008 where they lost against the Philadelphia Phillies. They had been gaining momentum throughout the shortened MLB season.

So, Who Won the MVP Award?

Cody Seager is a shortstop who had a great season this year, especially in these last few final games. He had impressive stats and home runs in games 2 and 4, along in the regular 2020 season, with 15 home runs in 52 games, which ultimately earned him this award. Seager became the ninth Dodger to win a World Series MVP title!

Where did it take place?

The 2020 MLB World Series was hosted at the Texas Rangers’ new Globe Life Field in Arlington. This year was unlike others due to COVID-19. Typically, the games are held at various home-fields, but because it was an odd time with sports and Coronavirus, playing was restricted to the one site. 

What about the fans?

At the start of the season, faithful supporters were not allowed to be in the stands to watch their favorite teams play because of the risk of spreading the virus. However, instead of physically getting fans in the bleachers, there were cardboard cut-outs of them in the seats, so that the stadium didn’t feel so lonely. Although, the MLB made an exception to allow some supporters to come to the stadium to watch the playoff games in person for the 2020 World Series!

Final Thoughts

Even though this is a very weird  time due to the Coronavirus, the MLB dealt with the unusual circumstances well. The final games were exciting to watch, and left many fans excited and disappointed. The Dodgers ultimately played better and more consistently throughout the Fall Classic.