Nobody saw Game 5 ending like that. Seriously. If you’d turned off your TV in the fourth inning because the Yankees were up 5-0 and Gerrit Cole looked like a god, nobody would’ve blamed you. But baseball is weird. The world series score 2024 ended up being a 4-1 series victory for the Los Angeles Dodgers, punctuated by a 7-6 nail-biter in the finale that felt more like a fever dream than a professional ballgame.
It wasn't just about the runs. It was about how those runs happened. The Yankees basically handed the Dodgers the keys to the kingdom in a single, disastrous inning of defensive meltdowns.
The Final World Series Score 2024 and Game-by-Game Breakdown
If you're just looking for the raw numbers, the Dodgers took the crown in five games. It sounds like a blowout on paper, but three of these games were decided by two runs or fewer. It was way closer than the "4-1" suggests.
- Game 1: Dodgers 6, Yankees 3 (10 innings) – The Freddie Freeman grand slam game.
- Game 2: Dodgers 4, Yankees 2 – Yamamoto dominates, Ohtani hurts his shoulder.
- Game 3: Dodgers 4, Yankees 2 – Walker Buehler silences the Bronx.
- Game 4: Yankees 11, Dodgers 4 – Volpe hits a grand slam and New York lives for a day.
- Game 5: Dodgers 7, Yankees 6 – The legendary 5-run comeback.
The Dodgers didn't just win; they broke hearts in New York. Winning it at Yankee Stadium made it hurt even worse for the pinstripe faithful who thought they were forcing a Game 6.
Why Game 5 Changed Everything
The Yankees were cruising. Aaron Judge finally hit a home run. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed him up. It was 5-0 in the fifth. Then, the wheels didn't just come off; the whole car exploded.
A dropped fly ball by Judge—who almost never misses those—started the avalanche. Then a throwing error. Then Gerrit Cole forgot to cover first base on a routine grounder. You can't do that against a lineup with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers scored five unearned runs in that inning alone. They basically erased a four-hour lead in fifteen minutes of chaos.
Freddie Freeman and the Most Ridiculous MVP Run Ever
Let's talk about Freddie. The guy was playing on one good ankle. He could barely walk a week before the series started. All he did was hit a home run in each of the first four games.
His Game 1 walk-off grand slam is already being compared to Kirk Gibson’s 1988 legendary blast. Honestly? It might be better. Freeman finished the series with 12 RBIs, tying a record set back in 1960. When people search for the world series score 2024, they’re really seeing the Freeman show.
The Ohtani Factor
Shohei Ohtani didn't have a "monster" series at the plate. He hit .230. He partially dislocated his shoulder in Game 2 while trying to steal second. Most players would’ve sat out. He kept playing. Even if he wasn't hitting home runs, his presence forced the Yankees to pitch differently.
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The Bullpen Game That Actually Worked
Dave Roberts gets a lot of flak for how he handles pitchers. But in Game 5, he used eight different pitchers to get 27 outs. It was frantic. It was stressful.
Walker Buehler, who had started and won Game 3, came out of the bullpen in the 9th inning on short rest. He looked like the 2018 version of himself. He mowed down the side to clinch the title. It was the first save of his career, and it just happened to be for a World Series ring.
Defensive Meltdowns vs. Clinical Execution
The Yankees' defense was their undoing. You'll hear analysts talk about "swing paths" and "exit velocity," but this series was won on fundamentals. The Dodgers took the extra base. They caught the fly balls. The Yankees, specifically in that 5th inning of Game 5, forgot how to play catch.
- Aaron Judge's error: A routine fly ball to center. Dropped.
- Anthony Volpe’s throw: A wide throw to third that loaded the bases.
- Gerrit Cole’s mental lapse: Not covering first on a ball hit to the right side.
If any one of those three things doesn't happen, we’re probably talking about a Game 6 in Los Angeles. Instead, the Dodgers were popping champagne in the visitor's clubhouse.
Historical Significance of the 2024 Result
This was the eighth title for the Dodgers. It's their second in five years, which sorta cements them as the "Team of the 2020s." For the Yankees, it’s a long winter of "what ifs." Juan Soto is a free agent now. Aaron Judge has to live with that dropped ball all offseason.
The world series score 2024 tells a story of a team that was deeper and more resilient. The Dodgers dealt with injuries to their entire starting rotation—Glasnow, Kershaw, Stone, Gonsolin—and they still found a way.
What to Watch for Next
If you're a fan of the numbers, keep an eye on how the 2024 postseason affects the "clutch" narrative for players like Judge vs. Freeman. Freeman is now a first-ballot Hall of Famer. No doubt.
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Actionable Insights for Baseball Fans:
- Review the Game 5 5th Inning: If you want to understand modern baseball pressure, watch the "all-access" footage of that inning. It shows how mental fatigue ruins even the best players.
- Study the Bullpen Usage: Managers are moving away from traditional "closers." Roberts' use of Buehler in the 9th is a blueprint for future postseason strategy.
- Check the Free Agency Wire: The 2024 score directly impacts how much teams will bid for Juan Soto. If the Yankees had won, the pressure to re-sign him might be different. Now, it's a desperate necessity.
The 2024 season is in the books. The Dodgers are on top, and the score reflects a series that was as much about grit and mistakes as it was about talent.