Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Wednesday, October 29.

MLB

They’ve done it! The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series Champions, taking down the New York Yankees in five games. Although it was a quick series, the Fall Classic did not lack in entertainment. Game one was one of the greatest games in World Series history, and the closing effort last night was spectacular in it’s own jaw-dropping way. Here are the Five ways that the number 5 impacted Game Five:

Yankees jump to a 5 run Lead

The New York Yankees came out firing on all cylinders. After a Juan Soto walk, Aaron Judge crushed a first-pitch fastball from Dodger starter Jack Flaherty. Jazz Chisholm went back-to-back the captain by mashing a solo home run of his own, and right out of the gate, it was 3-0 New York. The Yankees chased Flaherty from the game with another run in the second inning. After Giancarlo Stanton led of the third with a solo homer and Judge made an awesome catch in center field, it felt like the game was over. New York led 5-0, the Dodgers had a depleted bullpen, and Gerrit Cole was cruising. And then…

New York and the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad 5th Inning

First, it should be noted that Gerrit Cole pitched a fantastic baseball game. 6.2 innings, six strikeouts, and no earned runs on 108 pitches is exactly what you want from your ace. Not to mention that entering the fifth inning, Cole had yet to allow a hit. But after Kiké Hernandez led off with a single, the Yankees imploded. First, Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball. Next, Anthony Volpe short-hopped a throw on a force out at third base. Out of nowhere, the Dodgers had the bases loaded with no one out. Cole struck out the next two batters on nasty pitches and it looked like he may escape the situation without allowing a run. But then, the play of the game:

You can blame Anthony Rizzo for not charging. You can blame Cole for not covering first. You can credit Mookie Betts for running hard up the first base line. Regardless, the third fielding blunder of the inning was all LA needed. The next batter was Freddie Freeman, who delivered a two-strike, two-RBI single. Teoscar Hernandez followed him with a bases-clearing double. And just like that, the Dodgers had tied the ballgame. You could a hear a pin drop at Yankee stadium.

The Yankees regained a 6-5 lead in the 6th, but the Dodgers fought back with two runs in the 7th. Once again, it was the little things that made a difference. The winning rally consisted of a single, a broken-bat infield single, a walk, a catcher’s interference, and two sac-flies. After Blake Treinen pitched two scoreless (and very tense) innings, LA took a 7-6 lead into the ninth…

Walker Buehler saves the day after 5 scoreless on Monday

Absolutely no one expected Walker Buehler to record his first career save in the World Series on two-days rest. And yet that’s exactly what happened, as the Dodgers starter rose to the occasion and slammed the door on the Yankees with two strikeouts in the ninth inning. Buehler didn’t pitch in 2023 after Tommy John surgery. He started just seven games this year, struggling to find his form and health. And after shutting down the New York lineup for five innings in game three, Buehler had earned a day off. But with a depleted bullpen and just three outs away for a championship, manager Dave Roberts called Buehler’s number. The decision, like the majority of Roberts’ postseason moves, paid off.

Freddie Freeman– number 5– wins the MVP

Who else? LA’s first baseman authored one of the greatest moments in baseball history in game one. He finished the series with four home runs and tied a World Series record with 12 RBIs. And all of this production after barely playing in the NLCS due to an injured ankle. In a matchup filled with stars, Freddie Freeman shined the brightest.

5 months till we do it all again…

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but Opening Day 2025 is March 18th in Tokyo, when the Dodgers take on the Cubs. But first, Dodger fans get to celebrate tomorrow with a parade through the streets of Los Angeles. Congratulations to the 2024 World Series champions!

NBA

Now that baseball season is over, get ready for some more NBA highlights. Just a few from last night:

• Karl-Anthony Towns had a monster night for the New York Knicks, recording a 44 point, 13 rebound double-double. The new Knicks big man led his team to a 116-107 victory over the Miami Heat.

• What a game in Indianapolis! After a 24-point comeback, Jayson Tatum hit a game-tying three with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter to send the Celtics and Pacers to overtime. But Pascal Siakam answered with clutch buckets in the extra period, including this three-pointer with 6.1 seconds left that ultimately proved to be the game-winner. The Pacers beat the Celtics 135-132, handing Boston their first loss of the year. Two teams remain undefeated this season– the Oklahoma City Thunder (who beat the Spurs last night) and the…

• Cleveland Cavaliers. Evan Mobley scored 25 points and Donovan Mitchell dropped 24 as the Cavs trounced the Lakers 134-110. Aside from Cleveland’s impressive start to the season, the big story from this one was the first basket made by one particular Laker rookie. It’s expected that Bronny will be sent to the G-League after the Lakers end this road trip. I think it’s good for him to get all these firsts out the way– now he can go to a less scrutinized environment and focus on becoming a better player:

NHL

Another win for LA, as the Kings beat the Golden Knights 6-3. The big story in hockey last night was Kings forward Anze Kopitar, who recorded his 800th career assist. He’s the sixth European player to reach the milestone in the NHL. And yet somehow, Kopitar’s teammate had an even cooler assist in the win (although Kopitar scored the goal):

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Two injuries to report– Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid will be out for a few weeks with an ankle injury. And Toronto Raptors leading man Scottie Barnes will be out for at least three weeks with an orbital fracture. Rough day for Canada.

Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson announced his retirement after the conclusion of the World Series last night. A 15-year MLB veteran, Hudson got to go out as a champion. Pretty cool.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

NBA: It’s a four-game Thursday in the Association:

• Bucks @ Grizzlies, 8 PM on NBA TV

• Rockets @ Mavericks, 8:30 PM

• Spurs @ Jazz, 9 PM

• Suns @ Clippers, 10:30 PM on NBA TV

NHL: Three fun matchups on the ice tonight:

• Kraken @ Maple Leafs, 7 PM

• Canadiens @ Capitals, 7 PM

• Bruins @ Hurricanes, 7 PM

NFL: Welcome to Thursday Night Football! We’ve got an injury-plagued team with a struggling offense taking on a team with a bad kicker, an interim head coach, and the worst vibes in the league. The NFL must be in the Halloween spirit– I’m scared to watch!

• Texans @ Jets, 8:15 PM on Amazon Prime

“People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” –Rogers Hornsby