The Los Angeles Dodgers have found ways to win each and every game of the 2014 World Series against the New York Yankees. They have turned their weaknesses into strengths and have reduced the AL champs to an ordinary team in the first three contests.
Logic indicated that starting pitching was the Dodgers’ Achilles heel, but throughout the first three games, LA starters have allowed just three earned runs in 16.2 frames.
The World Series, however, has been decided to this point (it’s not over yet) by one particular aspect: power.
“The Dodgers are hitting .213 in the WS, the Yankees .186. Barely indistinguishable flavors of “bad.” The Dodgers are slugging .457 and the Yankees .294. That’s the entire Series right there. One team has 11 XBH and the other, 5,” MLB analyst Mike Petriello posted on X.
Batting average favors the Dodgers, but like Petriello says, the gap is marginal. The power, on the other hand, favors LA by a wide margin and it’s the one element that has swung the Fall Classic in LA’s favor so far.
Power and starting pitching excellence have fueled the Dodgers
Both squads reached the World Series with equally imposing and dangerous lineups. So far, however, the Dodgers have been more consistent in the power department, and Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani haven’t even homered yet.
Freddie Freeman, with three long balls, has been carrying their offense, with the help of Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman, with one each. That’s just the homers.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers have a golden opportunity behind their bullpen to wrap up what looked like a tough series on paper, but one that has been shockingly one-sided.
Thanks to superior slug and great starting pitching (against all odds!) the Dodgers are on the verge of winning their first World Series title since 2020.