LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy Edman and Will Smith hit home runs to send Shohei Ohtani to the World Series for the first time, and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 10-5 on Sunday in the sixth game of the National League Championship Series.
The Dodgers secured their 25th National League pennant, which is a record, and the first at home since 1988, when they also defeated the Mets in seven games. They advanced to their 22nd World Series, the first since 2020, when they defeated Tampa Bay during the pandemic-delayed season.
Yankees vs Dodgers: the series everyone wanted
The next step for Ohtani and company is Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees, who are back in the World Series for the 41st time and the first time in 15 years. Game 1 is on Friday at Dodger Stadium, featuring Judge (58) and Ohtani (54), the top home run hitters in MLB this season.
"It's what the people wanted, what we all wanted," said Dodgers star Mookie Betts. "It will be a battle between two good teams, with many long trips across the country."
This will be the 12th time the franchises face each other in the World Series and the first time in 43 years. The Yankees have defeated the Dodgers eight times, while the Dodgers' three championships against the "Bronx Bombers" came in 1955 (the only one in Brooklyn), 1963, and 1981.
"It is the place I have dreamed of playing my whole life," said Ohtani through a translator, "and being able to finally reach this stage and play, and hopefully win, is my next goal."
Ohtani, who played his first season with the Dodgers after accepting a record contract in free agency, connected for two hits and scored two runs in the sixth game. He batted .364 with two home runs and six RBIs in the National League Championship Series.
Not bad for his first postseason after spending six years with the Los Angeles Angels, a mediocre team that never had a winning record or made it to the playoffs during his time there.