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Elephant Rumblings: Los Angeles Dodgers win 2020 World Series

MLB news roundup

By Alex Hall
World Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game Six Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Good morning, Athletics Nation!

The Los Angeles Dodgers are 2020 World Series champions. They clinched the title by winning Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, by a 3-1 score.

The enduring story line from the game will revolve around Blake Snell. The Rays starter was in full 2018 Cy Young form, dominating into the 6th inning with a 1-0 lead, but Tampa Bay inexplicably pulled him early and the bullpen immediately blew it within the first two batters they faced. It’s instantly on the short list of all-time World Series blunders.

Ironically, the Dodgers won using a bullpen game, with starter Tony Gonsolin basically serving as an opener in a strategy pioneered by the Rays themselves on a day in which Tampa Bay needed to do the exact opposite.

The Series MVP award goes to Corey Seager, who batted .400/.556/.700 with two homers overall and also drove in the go-ahead run in Game 6.

The championship is the first for the Dodgers since 1988, breaking a drought of more than three decades since they last won — in an upset over the Oakland A’s. That moves the A’s up to the 10th-longest drought in the majors, at 31 seasons.

Of course, this is 2020, so we couldn’t even get five minutes into a championship celebration without a new scandal emerging. Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was pulled during the game due to a positive coronavirus test, but despite being under isolation orders he still came back out to breathe in the moment with his teammates and everyone else on the field.

Snell decision

About as diplomatic as you could hope for, especially for a guy who has let loose in comments on other topics before (click here for video of Snell’s post-game interview)

A more candid reaction

If you ever hear the opponent say this, then you probably messed up

Ask Grady Little about that (though his wrong call was the opposite in nature, leaving a pitcher in too long)

Worth keeping in mind

But also crucially important

A pattern forming

Just a textbook example of over-thinking

Maybe a slight overstatement but still valid. I’d more fully agree that there’s not a single analytic for pulling Snell for Nick Anderson there.

I nominate Melvin for best manager in the 2020 postseason based on his dominance of Rick Renteria, and the fact that both World Series managers did poor jobs

Turner controversy

The timeline

... continued

Welp

Wait, zoom in on that guy next to Turner

From the man himself

A’s Coverage

MLB News & Interest

Best of Twitter

Gotta love that the Dodgers won in time for 92-year-old Vin Scully to still be around

LA being LA

It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Twitter videos became binding legal contracts at some point over the last couple years. Someone should look into this.

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