The Weekly Rundown: 10/27/24 - 11/2/24
The Weekly Rundown: 10/27/24 - 11/2/24
The Dodgers are World Series champions and the offseason is underway.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
The Los Angeles Dodgers are your World Series champions. They took down the New York Yankees in five games for their first non-COVID season championship since 1988.
We’ll go game-by-game in the rundown below. First, since it’s officially the offseason, here’s a shameless plug to check out my 2025 MLB free agent rankings on NBC Sports Boston. If you’re more of a video person, I’m posting the rankings to my TikTok and Instagram accounts as well.
OK, one more plug. Check out my recent podcast episode with Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. You can listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. All episodes are also on YouTube.
OK, now let’s jump into the final rundown of the 2024 MLB season.
World Series
For Games 1 and 2 recaps, go here.
Game 3
Freddie Freeman stayed red-hot with a two-run home run in the first inning for his fifth consecutive World Series game with a homer. Mookie Betts added an RBI single in the third and Kiké Hernández hit an RBI single in the sixth to extend L.A.’s lead to 4-0.
Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer in the ninth, but it was too little too late for the Yankees. They were put on the brink of a sweep with a 4-2 defeat.
Dodgers lead series, 3-0
Game 4
Make it six consecutive World Series games with a homer for Freddie Freeman, who hit another two-run shot in the first inning of Game 4.
Alex Verdugo put the Yankees on the board in the second to make it 2-1. Anthony Volpe belted a grand slam in the third to give New York a 5-2 lead.
The Dodgers responded with a Will Smith solo homer and a Freddie Freeman RBI groundout in the fifth to make it 5-4. Then, it was all Yanks.
Austin Wells crushed a solo shot in the sixth.
The Yankees blew it wide open in the eighth. Alex Verdugo drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Gleyber Torres hit a three-run bomb, and Aaron Judge tacked on an RBI single. Final score: 11-4 Yankees.
Dodgers lead series, 3-1
Game 5
The Yankees carried the momentum from their Game 4 win into Game 5. Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. got the party started in the Bronx with back-to-back homers.
Alex Verdugo hit an RBI single in the second and Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo shot in the third to make it 5-0.
In the fifth, disaster struck.
Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball in center field. Anthony Volpe’s error at shortstop loaded the bases with no outs. Gerrit Cole got the next two outs then Mookie Betts reached after Cole failed to cover first base, Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single, and Teoscar Hernandez tied it at 5-5 with a two-run double.
Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees back up in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
In the eighth, Gavin Lux tied it back up with a sac fly of his own. Mookie Betts added another sac fly to make it 7-6 Dodgers and put the finishing touches on L.A.'s World Series title.
Dodgers win series, 4-1
World Series MVP: Freddie Freeman
White Sox’ New Skipper
The Chicago White Sox hired Will Venable as their new manager.
Venable takes over for a club coming off a historic 121-loss season. The 42-year-old served as Bruce Bochy’s associate manager with the Texas Rangers in 2024 and was with Texas since 2022.
"This is a great opportunity with a White Sox organization that is putting a lot of good things into place and laying a solid foundation for the future," Venable said in a statement. "It's exciting to be part of that process to help get back to the type of baseball White Sox fans are used to seeing. We want players who show up to work hard every day, but also smart baseball players who understand the nuances of the game. There is a rich tradition here and a fan base that deserves winning baseball, and I am excited to do whatever I can to help."
Venable played for the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Los Angeles Dodgers over a nine-year MLB career. After his playing days, he joined the Chicago Cubs as special assistant to then-team president Theo Epstein. In 2021, he was a bench coach for the Boston Red Sox.
Jorge Soler to Anaheim
The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels wasted little time getting the offseason started.
On Thursday, the Braves sent designated hitter Jorge Soler to the Angels in exchange for right-hander Griffin Canning. Soler hit .241/.338/.442 with 21 homers, 34 doubles, and 64 RBI in 142 games between the Braves and San Francisco Giants last season. Canning posted a 5.19 ERA with 130 strikeouts, 66 walks, and 31 homers allowed in 171.2 innings in 2024.
That wasn’t the Angels’ only move of the week. They later acquired infielder Scott Kingery from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations.
Rapid Fire
Veteran reliever Daniel Hudson announced his retirement after helping the Dodgers to a World Series title.
Twins outfielder Alex Kiriloff announced he is retiring due to injuries. He is only 26 years old.
The Mets signed righty Dylan Covey to a one-year deal.
The Athletics traded outfielder Daz Cameron to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations.
The Giants named Zack Minasian — brother of Angels GM Perry Minasian — as their new general manager. He will work under new president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
Left-hander Clayton Kershaw will undergo surgery on his left toe and left knee. His return timeline is unclear.
The Braves re-signed left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer to a two-year, $13 million deal. They also re-signed right-hander Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year, $30 million deal.
The Rumor Mill
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Dodgers are interested in slugging outfielder Juan Soto. Eleven teams have already contacted Soto’s camp, according to Heyman.