Dodgers Dugout: And there was much rejoicing throughout the land

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. And some said it couldn’t be done.

Well, here we are, awaiting another World Series. This time, the Dodgers will be in it.

The Dodgers certainly did everything they could to give their fan base a collective heart attack in Game 6. I believe the Mets left 82 runners on base, but I’m awaiting official word.

As always, these are stream-of-consciousness thoughts written as each game is happening.

Game 6

—Starting Michael Kopech was an interesting choice. I would have gone with someone else.

—And the Mets score early. Chris Taylor had a lot more time to make that throw than he thought.

—Why is Taylor even playing?, many asked me. He hit .303 after the All-Star break, the second-best average on the team, behind Gavin Lux.

—The key to tonight, and perhaps tomorrow, is Teoscar Hernández. He has to start hitting.

—I guess he was listening. Hernández gets a long single that would have been a double if he had been running as soon as he hit.

—Luckily, he makes up for it by scoring from first on Tommy Edman‘s double.

—If the series ends today, Edman could be MVP.

—And two-run homer for Edman. Definitely the MVP.

—I’m very comfortable with Ben Casparius being part of the bullpen rotation, particularly if Alex Vesia can’t return.

—The Mets get it to 6-3. They aren’t going to go quietly.

—The booking.com commercial with the Yankees fans in Boston is great. “Those aren’t our kids.” “We’re not?”

—Dodgers lead 6-3 after the top of the fifth. Evan Phillips, Daniel Hudson and Blake Treinen the rest of the way?

—You know, I can understand batting the beach ball around during a regular-season game, but during the postseason?

—Tom Verducci makes a lot … of … dramatic pauses …. between …. words.

—Dodgers relievers have been walking a tightrope the whole game. Or they are trying to kill their fan base. One of those.

—The Dodgers scored an MLB record 46 runs in the NLCS, the most a team has scored in a single postseason round. That’s 7.67 runs a game.

—Edman was named NLCS MVP. He went 11 for 27 with three doubles and 11 RBIs. Other Dodgers of note: Max Muncy went five for 15 with two homers, four RBIs and 11 walks. Chris Taylor hit .375. Shohei Ohtani hit .364 with two homers, six RBIs and nine runs scored. Mookie Betts hit .346 with two homers and nine RBIs. Kiké Hernández hit .292 with a homer, four RBIs and six runs scored. The Dodgers hit seven doubles: Four by Edman and three by Betts. No one else had one. The Dodgers hit 11 homers, hit by seven different players. They drew 42 walks. Teoscar Hernández had only two hits in the series (both in Game 6) but drew seven walks, third on the team. They outhomered the Mets 11-5 and outscored them 46-26.

—Pitching wise, if you ignore Landon Knack, Dodgers relievers pitched 33 innings, giving up 31 hits while walking 16 and striking out 24 with a 3.00 ERA. They had a team ERA of 4.42, striking out 48 and walking 28 in 53 innings.

—It seems that even if Miguel Rojas is able to return for the World Series, you need to find a way to keep Edman and Kiké in the lineup. And you have to wonder if having five days off will get Freddie Freeman back to better health. If not, well, the Dodgers are 3-0 without him this postseason.

—Postseason MVPs who were acquired during the season:

2024 NLCS Tommy Edman
2021 WS Jorge Soler
2021 NLCS Eddie Rosario
2018 WS Steve Pearce
2017 ALCS Justin Verlander
2016 ALCS Andrew Miller
2012 NLCS Marco Scutaro
2010 NLCS Cody Ross
2000 ALCS David Justice
1995 NLCS Mike Devereaux
1989 ALCS Rickey Henderson
1969 WS Donn Clendenon

—Dodgers NLCS MVPs:

1977: Dusty Baker
1978: Steve Garvey
1981: Burt Hooton
1988: Orel Hershiser
2017: Justin Turner and Chris Taylor
2018: Cody Bellinger
2020: Corey Seager
2024: Tommy Edman

—It’s going to be Dodgers-Yankees in the World Series for about the millionth time. The two best teams in baseball will actually meet in the World Series. It’s about time.

The Yankees?

We’re not going to talk about the Yankees yet.

It has been a long, grueling season. The Dodgers have had every starting pitcher under the sun injured. They’ve gone through hitting slumps, pitching slumps. Fans have emailed to say they had no chance to get to the World Series. Social media filled with naysayers. Yet, according to every poll we run here in the newsletter, about 80% of you kept faith. And that faith has been rewarded.

So, let’s not worry about the Yankees today. Enjoy the victory. Enjoy the pennant. Allow that smile to creep across your face. Look forward to another World Series.

The Yankees will be their toughest opponent yet. But we can always start worrying about that on Tuesday. For now, take a deep breath and appreciate everything.

Besides, like I said, Sunday would have been my mom’s 94th birthday. A win was in the bag all along.

We’ll be back on Friday to preview World Series Game 1, something we haven’t been able to do in four years.

Dodgers’ NLCS schedule

Game 1: at Dodgers 9, New York 0. WP-Jack Flaherty. LP-Kodai Senga. (box score)

Game 2: New York 7, at Dodgers 3. WP-Sean Manaea. LP-Ryan Brasier. Save-Edwin Díaz. (box score)

Game 3: Dodgers 8, at New York 0. WP-Walker Buehler. LP-Luis Severino. (box score)

Game 4: Dodgers 10, at New York 2. WP-Evan Phillips. LP-José Quintana. (box score)

Game 5: at New York 12, Dodgers 6. WP-Ryne Stanek. LP-Jack Flaherty. (box score)

Game 6: at Dodgers 10, New York 5. WP-Ben Casparius. LP-Sean Manaea. Save-Blake Treinen. (box score)

World Series schedule

All times Pacific
All games on Fox
Game times TBD

Friday at Dodgers
Saturday at Dodgers
Monday, Oct. 28 at New York
Tuesday, Oct. 29 at New York
*Wed., Oct 30 at New York
*Friday, Nov. 1 at Dodgers
*Saturday, Nov. 2 at Dodgers

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Welcome back, World Series! Dodgers defeat Mets to set up monumental duel with Yankees

From trade acquisition to ‘MVP!’ How Tommy Edman became a Dodgers playoff star

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Yankees in the World Series

Dodgers overcome ‘most trying year’ to defeat Mets and reach the World Series

Complete coverage: How the Dodgers made it to the World Series

Dodgers pop the champagne and beer after winning the NLCS

L.A. is four wins away from Dodgers World Series parade it never got

And finally

“Maybe tomorrow we’ll all wear 42. That way they can’t tell us apart.” Watch and listen here.