World Series 2020: Dodgers Trophy Celebration Highlights, Comments and More
Oct 28, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Mookie Betts, who beat the Dodgers in 2018 and was acquired from Boston in the offseason, scored the winning run and provided late insurance for Julio Urias with an eighth-inning home run.
Betts had nothing but praise for the hard work the team put in from Spring Training on to capture the elusive title, per Dodger Insider's Cary Osborne.
"We've worked so hard from Spring Training to now," Betts said. "We prepared for all these situations that came. We executed when it was time to execute. When our backs were against the wall we came back. We overcame adversity. Everything's special about this group of guys, and you know we love each other."
Betts tweeted after the title-clinching win that winning the 2020 World Series is expected to just be the start of what this group can achieve.
THE JOB IS FINISHED!!!!! This one's for you LA - the City of Champions! Enjoy the hell out of it, but you know these boys aren't done chasing rings!!! pic.twitter.com/rifShjVtke
Los Angeles called on seven pitchers to work in Game 6. Urias, who picked up the save, was on the mound for the longest amount of time. He went 2.1 innings. Alex Wood was the only other hurler to get six outs.
Urias said after the game that he did not expect to get one out in the seventh and pitch the eighth and ninth innings, per Sportsnet LA.
"No, I just focused on getting the one out and little by little I went batter by batter, and when I least expected it, I was getting the final out," Urias said through a translator.
Urias was one of three Dodgers pitchers to record over 10 strikeouts in the series. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw were the others.
For Kershaw, the World Series ring completes a resume that should put him in the Hall of Fame when his career is over.
The 32-year-old southpaw went through the emotions of finally winning a World Series crown with the Fox studio team.
"It's hard to describe. You work so hard. I've been to the postseason and lost every single year. And now to look up, I wish it was Dodger Stadium, but it feels like it now with all these Dodger fans around. To get to see how happy these fans are, they've been waiting a long time too, I just have a lot of emotions right now and it's a special feeling," Kershaw said.
The 2020 World Series marked the 19th postseason round Kershaw participated in. That is why Roberts was specifically happy for the southpaw and players, like Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner, that experienced so much playoff heartbreak, per MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
"For guys like Clayton, I couldn't be happier for you, couldn't be happier," Roberts said. "You want to talk about a narrative? How about being a champion? He's a champion forever. Kenley Jansen, what you've done, thank you. Justin Turner, thank you."
Tuesday's victory finished off a span in which the Dodgers produced the highest winning percentage over four years in the wild-card era, per MLB Stats:
Corey Seager was named World Series Most Valuable Player after he led the Dodgers in runs scored and hits and tied with Betts and Turner for the most home runs.
MLB Stats detailed the shortstop's dominant run throughout the postseason:
The Dodgers should be in the mix to repeat as champions in 2021, with Betts and many other key figures locked down for the future. They will try to become the first repeat champions since the New York Yankees' three-peat from 1998-2000.
2021 World Series Odds: Dodgers, Yankees Betting Favorites Entering Offseason
Oct 28, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
After winning the 2020 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are favorites to win the title once again in 2021 based on the latest odds from DraftKings:
The Dodgers were the best team in baseball this year, producing a 43-17 regular-season record before an impressive run through the playoffs that concluded with a 4-2 series win over the Tampa Bay Rays. They are now listed at +480 to win again, meaning a $100 bet could win $480.
Los Angeles does have some free-agency question marks, with Justin Turner, Joc Pederson and Kike Hernandez among those ready to hit the open market, but key players like Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler will return ready to lead the team to another title.
The New York Yankees have the second-best odds (+525) despite only reaching the ALDS before losing to the Rays.
Oddsmakers are banking on better health in 2021 after a season where Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, James Paxton and Luis Severino missed significant time because of injury. DJ LeMahieu is a free agent, but this team is talented enough to contend for a championship at full strength.
The Atlanta Braves (10-1 odds) and Tampa Bay Rays (12-1) are also highly rated after a deep run in the playoffs, while the San Diego Padres (13-1) could take a big step with the young roster after going 37-23 this past season, the third-best record in all of baseball.
The Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates are the biggest longshots to win a championship after miserable 2020 seasons.
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Dodgers Announce World Series Parade 'Will Have to Wait' Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Oct 28, 2020
Baseball fans sit in their cars outside Dodger Stadium and watch the television broadcast of Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
They've been waiting for their chance to celebrate a World Series since their last one in 1988, and after failing in 2017 and 2018 in the midst of what has been an eight-year run atop their division, the time has finally come.
But the celebration will have to wait a bit longer, the team announced Wednesday:
J.P Hoornstra of the Orange County Register reported Tuesday that Los Angeles County reported 1,586 new cases of COVID-19, meaning it remains in the purple tier, the state's highest-risk designation.
Per Hoornstra, counties within the purple tier can only open to "vital public gatherings," which include shopping and doctors' visits. As such, the Dodgers will not be able to celebrate immediately with a typical parade or rally.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a similar fate this month as they took the NBA title. The team announced that "a joyful and inclusive public celebration will take place as soon as it is safe to do so."
Justin Turner Celebrating After Positive COVID-19 Test Discussed by Dodgers GM
Oct 28, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and third baseman Justin Turner pose for a group picture after the Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 in Game 6 to win the baseball World Series, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Andrew Friedman commented on third baseman Justin Turner joining his teammates on the field for the World Series championship celebration Tuesday night despite being forced to exit Game 6 of the World Series after his COVID-19 test came back positive.
According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Friedman said Turner had "a mask on and [was] staying socially distanced."
As seen in photos taken of the celebration, however, Turner was next to his teammates and coaches without a mask:
Justin Turner on the field celebrating with the team after testing positive for coronavirus 😬 pic.twitter.com/bb7JlLllHN
Per Bradford William Davis of the New York Daily News, Friedman added: "He wanted to be on the field and take a picture with the trophy. ... I don't think there was anyone that was going to stop him from going out."
Friedman was later asked why the team didn't follow proper protocols with Turner, but he said, "We did. When he came out of the game he was quarantined in a doctor's office over to the side."
The GM noted that interaction between Dodgers players was "pretty high" since they were in the bubble together in Arlington, Texas, and added: "Now it's important to make sure we don't spread it."
According to ESPN'sJeff Passan, Turner's COVID-19 test from Monday came back as inconclusive during the second inning of Game 2. The lab then ran Turner's test from Tuesday immediately, and it returned a positive result.
Major League Baseball then contacted the Dodgers and told them to pull Turner from the game, with Edwin Rios replacing Turner in the eighth inning.
Turner tweeted the following after the World Series-clinching game:
Thanks to everyone reaching out! I feel great, no symptoms at all. Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine. Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys! So proud of this team & unbelievably happy for the City of LA#WorldSeriesChamps
Passan noted that while Turner was asked to isolate after his test came back positive, he was not stopped from going on the field after the game.
Turner was seen embracing teammates and holding the Commissioner's Trophy while wearing a mask, but he briefly had no mask on while a part of the team photo.
When asked about those around Turner not wearing a mask for part of the celebration, Friedman said: "If there's people around him without a mask, that's not good optics at all."
The 35-year-old Turner has spent the past seven seasons with the Dodgers, who picked him up on the cheap in 2014 after the New York Mets parted ways with the then-utility man.
Turner quickly became the Dodgers' starting third baseman and a key part of all the success they have enjoyed in recent years. He became L.A.'s career leader in playoff home runs this postseason with 12, and he hit .320 with two homers in the Dodgers' World Series win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Dodgers' World Series win was their first from 1988, but MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred called the moment "bittersweet" after Turner's positive COVID test overshadowed the accomplishment to some degree.
Dodgers Seal the Deal as Champions in Shocking, Bizarre World Series Finale
Oct 28, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
ARLINGTON, Tex. — Blue Heaven officially descended on Los Angeles at 10:37 p.m. Central Time when Julio Urias, the Los Angeles Dodgers' seventh pitcher of the evening, blew a 96.7 mph fastball past a gawking Willy Adames, snapping a 32-year World Series drought in their first year AM—After Mookie.
In a stunning, sad, yet fitting ending to a season like no other, Justin Turner, the heartbeat of the Dodgers, was pulled in the eighth inning of the 3-1 Game 6 clincher after a positive test for COVID-19. An uproar then erupted afterward when Turner nevertheless joined his teammates for the on-field celebration and was shown on television removing his mask.
It was a chaotic and unpredictable ending to a season that once appeared as if it might never happen, and for a team that was still raw from losing the 2017 World Series to the cheating Houston Astros.
The Dodgers tumbled onto the field in a swirl of blue at the end, screaming, waving, hooting, hollering, and good for them. No longer do Turner, Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger and the rest have to hear all about Kirk Gibson, Orel Hershiser and their 1988 underdog predecessors. They did it themselves. They are the champions, and in years to come, it will be Kershaw returning to throw out a ceremonial first pitch. If there is any justice in this pandemic-scarred world, following that pitch, Kershaw will then nestle into a Dodger Stadium seat in retirement right next to his good friend Sandy Koufax.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts found Kershaw on the field during the celebration and hugged him tight. When the embrace ended, he firmly gripped Kershaw's shoulders, looked him in the eye and exclaimed, "I'm so happy for you, man!"
As for Turner, who fought for this moment since coming to the Dodgers as a free agent before the 2014 season, there will be a lasting sting that he was unable to be on the field at the moment of victory.
"To have that happen to a guy like that, a guy who reinvented himself when he came here, what he's meant to the organization, to the franchise, to the community, it's gut-wrenching," said shortstop Corey Seager, the World Series MVP. "If I could switch places with him, I would.
"... I heard them talking about the move [in the dugout after the seventh inning] and, even in the moment, it's gut-wrenching. You don't know what to do. I've played a lot of innings with that man beside me. To not have him there, it hurts. It hurts a lot."
Outrage quickly ricocheted around the country when Turner later joined the postgame celebration and was clearly visible not wearing a mask—and others were maskless around him—and wasn't social distancing.
"I haven't seen the pictures. I totally understand the question," Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, said. "If people around him were without masks, that's not good optics at all."
Late Tuesday night, the newly minted world champions were planning to return to their Texas hotel and undergo more COVID-19 testing before they determined their next move. Depending on whether any positives came back, and how many, they were either going to fly home to Los Angeles or go into quarantine in Texas.
Friedman said he learned about the positive test in the seventh inning, and that once Turner was removed from the game, he was quarantined in a doctor's office off to the side of the clubhouse.
"He wanted to come out and take a picture with the trophy," Friedman said. "I can't state strongly enough how big of a role he played in the success of this organization, and with him being a free agent, not knowing how that will play out, I don't think there was anyone who was going to stop him from coming out."
We knew this season was going to be different, and was it ever. This night nearly wasn't even big enough to contain an ending.
Before the Dodgers went into postgame quarantine, the biggest storyline was Tampa Bay prematurely pulling a dealing Blake Snell in one of the worst decisions in the history of the World Series.
Not that the Dodgers were thrilled to see Snell's departure, but they practically started their celebration in the top of the sixth when they were still trailing 1-0.
Instead of bringing a champagne bottle to the plate along with his bat right then and there, as he well should have, Mookie Betts simply looked over at manager Dave Roberts and gave him a knowing smile.
"Man, it was kind of like a sigh of relief," Betts said of Snell's exit. "Had he stayed in the game, he may have pitched a complete game. I don't know exactly what would have happened, but he was rolling. He was pitching really, really well. That was the Cy Young Snell tonight. Once he came out of the game, it was a breath of fresh air."
Betts, Turner and Seagernot only had gone 0-for-6 against Snell to that point, but all six at-bats were strikeouts. They couldn't touch him.
But the Rays subscribe to the Gospel of Don't Trust Starting Pitchers A Third Time Through the Batting Order. Instead of trusting his eyes, manager Kevin Cash went with the numbers. It's how the Rays operate, and it got them to the World Series.
This time, it was a horrendous mistake.Betts immediately ripped a double on reliever Nick Anderson's third pitch, and by inning's end, the Dodgers had seized a 2-1 lead. Betts tacked on a solo homer in the eighth and it was all over but the genuflecting.
"The only motive was that the lineup the Dodgers feature is as potent as any in the league," Cash said. "Personally, I felt Blake had done his job and then some. Mookie coming around the third time, I totally value and respect the questions that come with it."
Snell would have all winter to rest. There would be no more starts until next year. Yet, gone.
Everything about the Dodgers changed in an instant. Their body language snapped to attention, they dug in more, they took far more confident swings.
"I was pretty happy because he was dominating us and we just weren't seeing him," Roberts said.
"He threw one hell of a ballgame," Seager said. "He had us off-balance.
"Once he came out, it uplifted us a little bit, for sure."
Friedman chuckled at the question, explained that Tampa Bay was just doing what Tampa Bay does but then conceded, "From our standpoint, I think our hitters got a real jolt by that."
Understand: None of this diminishes the Dodgers' accomplishment. Crown them, and plan the parade. They are the best team this year, clearly. They ran the table, powered through the expanded playoffs, raced over more obstacles than maybe any team ever has given the wrenching difficulties in 2020, the Year of the Pandemic.
It's just that, as baseball and the world evolved, this has become a much different game. Unrecognizable to some.
In fact, the Dodgers' seven pitchers were the most used in a clinching game (nine innings) in the history of the World Series.
Kershaw was in the bullpen for the final out and slowly trotted in to join the celebration, looking around the stadium the whole time, trying to soak as much of it in as he could. It was a beautiful moment.
"I've been saying 'World Series champs' in my head over and over again just to see if it will sink in," Kershaw said. "No, I can't put it into words yet. I'm just so very thankful to be with this group of guys, so very thankful we get to be on the team bringing the World Series trophy back to Dodgers fans after 32 years.
"You can't ask anything more, it's incredible."
Their season started in February, before the coronavirus pandemic upended life as we knew it. On the night before their first full-squad workout, Betts contacted Roberts and asked whether he would mind if he addressed the team. Roberts surely didn't mind, but he pointed Betts toward Kershaw and suggested checking with him.
Kershaw signed off on it, and the next morning, Betts gave an impassioned talk about doing the little things right and keeping a World Series title in focus every single day. It opened a lot of guys' eyes, especially veteran pitcher David Price, who had come over from Boston in the Betts deal and had not seen the take-charge side of Betts yet.
Then spring training was suspended in March, Price became one of the players opting out of the season, and when everything came back together mid-summer, Betts signed a 12-year, $365 million deal and played like the MVP that he is.
"We got a steal," Roberts said this week of the trade with Boston. "And I'm just so grateful that the deal was done because it's not only helping us this year, it's going to help us for the next wave of young players and really enhance what we have as a culture going forward.
"And it's going to affect players that haven't been drafted by the Dodgers yet."
Said Kershaw: "Mookie's unbelievable. He's an incredible baseball player. He does everything so well. He strives to be perfect, strives to be excellent every single time out there. That focus, that consistency, I don't know how much better it made other guys in this clubhouse, but I know it did. I know it did some."
Roberts has said this particular Dodgers team is "as close a group as any team I've been around, and the [postseason] bubble circumstances aided that."
Life this month in the bubble became one enormous loop of days at the hotel, bus rides to the stadium, postseason games, return to the hotel, rinse and repeat. Little rituals either became ultra-boring or something to anticipate. Roberts talked about how each morning in the hotel, his breakfast consisted of a bowl of oatmeal, brown sugar, 2 percent milk and some berries, along with three eggs over medium, a side of bacon and a cup of coffee.
"I look forward to it every morning," he said.
Through the month in Texas, the Dodgers devoured the Padres, Braves and, finally, the Rays. They went 43-17 during the regular season, won their eighth consecutive NL West title and played in their third World Series in four years.
And this time, finally, they authored a different, storybook ending.
Under Roberts since 2016, the Dodgers have produced MLB's best record at 436-273 (.615). In 60 games this season, he used 55 different lineups while winning at a .717 clip.
Since Friedman became president of baseball operations, the Dodgers have gone 528-343 (.606). In 2019, they won a franchise-record 106 games.
But until now, they were wearing out the 1988 video clips in Dodger Stadium. Kirk Gibson this, Orel Hershiser that.
As Kershaw repeated that magical phrase in his head—"World Series champs! World Series champs!"—finally, he could be content. For the first time in his life with the Dodgers, finally, he was king of the hill.
"I was trying to take it all in the best I could," he said. "You can never really script what you're going to do, how you're going to feel, but it's a content feeling, just like the job is done. We did it. We ran our race, we completed our mission."
Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter to talk baseball.
Clayton Kershaw: Dodgers 'Won the World Series; I Don't Care About Legacy'
Oct 28, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
With that in mind, Kershaw is not concerned about his legacy amid his team capping its World Series title with a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 6 on Tuesday.
"We won the World Series," Kershaw said, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. "I don't care about legacy. I don't care about what happened last year. I don't care about what people think. ...The 2020 Dodgers won the World Series. Who cares about all that other stuff?"
Kershaw sports one of the game's best pitching resumes but has routinely received criticism for his postseason performance (4.19 ERA) versus his regular-season output (2.43 ERA).
That doesn't take away from the fact that he's arguably the game's best pitcher this century, and he got a well-deserved shout-out from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James afterward:
Oh and yeah Put some RESPECT ON @ClaytonKersh22 name!! Now and FOREVER!!
The left-hander's legacy was clearly Hall of Fame worthy even if he didn't win a World Series, but the title adds yet another line to his sterling resume:
He also dominated throughout the 2020 postseason, striking out 37 batters over five starts en route to a 4-1 record and 2.93 ERA.
Los Angeles won both of his World Series starts in Games 1 and 5.
Corey Seager Wins 2020 World Series MVP Award
Oct 28, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers' Corey Seager watches his home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning in Game 2 of the baseball World Series Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop was named the 2020 World Series MVP after his team defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 in Tuesday's Game 6. While he went hitless in the final game, he was excellent throughout the series and a major reason the franchise took home its first championship since the 1988 campaign.
It is also a testament to the depth of the Dodgers that a handful of players could have realistically taken home the MVP award.
Mookie Betts set the tone when he hit a home run, stole two bases and scored two runs in Game 1 and then played a key role in the clincher, knocking a double and scoring the go-ahead run in the decisive sixth inning before providing some insurance with a solo blast in the eighth.
Clayton Kershaw tallied two wins while pitching brilliantly and firmly putting the narrative that he cannot win in the postseason behind him. And even the bullpen deserves major props after throwing 7.1 shutout innings in Tuesday's win.
Yet it was Seager who won the top individual award of the Fall Classic.
He drilled a home run during a multi-hit performance in Game 2 and was unstoppable in Game 4 when he went 4-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI. He also had a key RBI single in Game 5 as the Dodgers bounced back from a stunning loss on the final play of Game 4 and seized control of the series for good.
Seager is just 26 years old but already has a National League Rookie of the Year, two Silver Sluggers and two All-Star appearances on his resume.
You can add World Series MVP and Dodgers legend to that list following his 2020 efforts.
Dodgers Win 2020 World Series: Highlights, Twitter Reaction to Celebration
Oct 28, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to win the baseball World Series in Game 6 Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
For the first time since 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the World Series champions. And for the first time since...well, two weeks ago when the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship, the city of Los Angeles has something to celebrate.
The Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Tuesday night to clinch the title in six games. The bullpen was brilliant, giving them 7.1 innings of two-hit, no-run ball. World Series MVP Corey Seager posted another RBI, continuing his torrid play (.400 with two homers and five RBI in the Fall Classic). Mookie Betts gave the team an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run.
The Dodgers deserved this title. They were the best team in baseball all season long, finishing with a 43-17 record. Anything less than a title for a team with this much talent—and the corresponding payroll needed to keep that talent—would have been a disappointment.
The tributes came pouring in on Twitter, and the Dodgers received their trophy:
So happy for my Dodgers fan friends! And happy for the small number of fans there to witness it in person.
A little bummed for those who I know would’ve been there at the games & would’ve been at the parade. Tough to finally get it done & not get every bit of magic.
A season unlike any other. ends with triumph for the mighty Dodgers. Congrats to them and the plucky Rays. A very good series. I close my eyes and savor the joys of baseball. For a moment, life is normal and explainable. We cannot give up on this vision. #WhatUnitesUs
For the first time in 32 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won the World Series.
They stumbled through the '90s. They survived Frank McCourt and bankruptcy. They weathered the pain of 2017 and 2018. And under the most trying conditions, they are the champions of baseball.
But for all of their excellence, the major storyline from Game 6 may always be the bizarre decision from Rays manager Kevin Cash to pull starter Blake Snell in the sixth inning. Snell was absolutely cruising, with nine strikeouts and just two hits allowed through 5.1 innings.
Blake Snell was dominating before he was pulled from the game, recording 9 strikeouts on in 5.1 IP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZZHJrrjlLN
The Rays generally don't let Snell go through a lineup three times. He hasn't pitched a full six innings once this season. The Rays have gotten this far trusting the numbers.
But on Tuesday, the numbers didn't work in their favor. Snell came out of the game, Nick Anderson promptly let two runs cross the plate and the Rays will be left to question the decision all winter (and probably longer than that).
Here's everything that happened after Blake Snell was pulled: - Mookie Betts double - Run scores on Wild Pitch - RBI infield single, Dodgers take lead pic.twitter.com/lwVnoeA7P0
Another Analytical Meltdown!! Total Disaster for Tampa. Blake Snell was your only chance of winning a tight game tonight. 73 pitches are you kidding me!
And so the fireworks light up the sky across Los Angeles as the city's baseball fans celebrate the Dodgers title they've been waiting so long to see. The best team in baseball won a championship in 2020. It just so happened to be one hell of a story for a franchise that hasn't been able to get over the hump in recent years.
Dodgers' Justin Turner Pulled from Game 6 Due to Positive COVID-19 Test
Oct 28, 2020
Tampa Bay Rays' Manuel Margot is safe at third past Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner after a Los Angeles Dodgers fielding error by Chris Taylor during the fourth inning in Game 5 of the baseball World Series Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled third baseman Justin Turner from the lineup during their World Series-winning victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Fox Sports studio host Kevin Burkhardt led the postgame broadcast by breaking the news:
"After the completion of the game tonight, we were informed by MLB that Justin Turner received a positive COVID test and that's why he was removed from the game." pic.twitter.com/EOxcMlNs5R
ESPN's Jeff Passan also confirmed the report on Turner, who was lifted before the top of the eighth inning for Enrique Hernandez.
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported Turner had tested positive twice, that he did not receive a "false positive," and that he was asked not to join the Dodgers on the field, but Turner and the team insisted, per ESPN's Sarah Spain.
Rosenthal added a clarification on Twitter afterward:
"One correction to what I said on FS1 about Turner timeline," Rosenthal wrote.
"First result, on the test from yesterday, came back in the second inning, not in the afternoon. His test from earlier today was then expedited, and when it came back positive, he was removed from the game."
Turner went hitless in three at-bats and played seven innings in the field during the Dodgers' 3-1 win Tuesday. L.A. defeated Tampa Bay four games to two in the best-of-seven series.
After the game, Turner posted a tweet thanking those who reached out and updating his health status:
Thanks to everyone reaching out! I feel great, no symptoms at all. Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine. Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys! So proud of this team & unbelievably happy for the City of LA#WorldSeriesChamps
Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts explained the team's thought process in having Turner on the field, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
#Dodgers Mookie Betts was asked about Justin Turner being on field for photos: "He's part of the team. Forget all that. He's part of the team. We're not excluding him from anything."
There were far more questions than answers immediately after the news broke, with Aaron Rupar of Vox and Maria Martin of 11Alive News in Atlanta positing a few:
1) This is the first positive coronavirus test for MLB player in months & it came during last game of season
2) How did Justin Turner contract coronavirus in the bubble?
3) Why are test results being received during games & not before? He could’ve exposed others while playing https://t.co/9cmY8wPkH1
Trying to understand: • how test results were coming in during the game • who all is now exposed • how they’ll be able to go to a parade • where the heck Justin Turner is in the stadium right now pic.twitter.com/6LKlFCETMB
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a postgame interview with Fox Sports' Tom Verducci that the league was informed of the positive test during the game.
Passan tried to provide some answers regarding the testing process, why Turner wasn't informed before the game and what's next for the Dodgers:
When the Dodgers return to their hotel tonight, everybody will be given a rapid PCR test. On the field right now, as they celebrate, the Dodgers are wearing masks. Unclear as to whether they’ll stay in Dallas area before traveling back to Los Angeles. Situation fluid right now.
Lindsay Jones of The Athletic and Will Brinson of CBS Sports questioned why MLB wouldn't be able to get test results in advance of Game 6, and ex-MLB pitcher Dan Haren noted that the results have been coming in around 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT from the previous day:
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Turner was the first MLB player to test positive for COVID-19 in six weeks.
The MLB moved to a de facto bubble format for the playoffs beginning in early October, with teams playing in neutral locations and required to restrict movements to the field, hotel or traveling in between. The World Series was played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Dodgers' Mookie Betts: I Thought I Was Going to Be with Red Sox for Life
Oct 27, 2020
Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts runs to first after a RBI single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning in Game 3 of the baseball World Series Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Betts told Sox legend David Ortiz in a video posted to Instagram that he didn't expect to spend his career in Los Angeles.
"I had initially thought that I was going to be a Red Sox for life, but you know, God always has a plan for things," said the 28-year-old, who was drafted by Boston in 2011 and debuted with the Red Sox in 2014.
The Red Sox sent the four-time All-Star, David Price and cash considerations to the Dodgers in exchange for Jeter Downs, Connor Wong and Alex Verdugo as the team was urgent to make a move to avoid paying the 2018 American League MVP a massive extension before he hit free agency. Los Angeles eventually locked down the outfielder with a 12-year, $365 million deal.
Boston struggled without Betts, falling to last place in the AL East this season with a 24-36 record. The Dodgers are now one win away from their first World Series title since 1988 and hold a 3-2 series lead over the Tampa Bay Rays. Game 6 starts at 8:08 p.m. ET Tuesday.
