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Dodgers vs Rays: Mookie Betts hailed as the GOAT after LA clinch first World Series Title since 1988

It was a three-decade wait, but they did get the better of the Tampa Bay Rays winning the series 3-1 in Arlington, Texas, as Mookie hammered his way to a win

Los Angeles has every reason to celebrate. It was the Lakers winning the NBA Championship earlier this month and now the Dodgers followed suit as they bagged their first World Series Title since 1988. It was a three-decade wait, but they did get the better of the Tampa Bay Rays winning the series 3-1 in Arlington, Texas.

The Rays led 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth after dominant starter Blake Snell. After a one-out single, Snell was pulled by Rays manager Kevin Cash with the hope his relief pitchers would carry on and shield the lead. However, they ran into a red-hot Mookie Betts, who continued his enthralling season. He whacked a double off relief pitcher, Nick Anderson, and then slammed a homer in the eighth inning. Needless to say, Twitter was abuzz as congratulatory messages poured in from baseball fans across the world.

The Dodgers released a statement following the win on Twitter. "To our Dodger Family," it read. "To borrow from our own Vin Scully, in a year that has been so improbable, you never gave up on what we knew was possible. In a year where everything changed, your dedication remained the same — at zoom parties, as stadium cutouts, and at drive-ins. In a year they asked us to stay apart, the Dodgers brought us together."

"Together for 60 record-setting games. Together for a postseason of powerful sweeps and dramatic comebacks. Together for a Championship. To all those that bleed blue. To the everyday heroes working on the frontline to save our community. To all who have been called on to heal divides and pull the community together. This championship is for you. This is more than just a trophy. This is a tribute to the resilience of this organization and the people of Los Angeles. — Your Los Angeles Dodgers #LADodgers."

And the congratulations poured in. "Yo I’m in the UK, I stayed up until 3:42am UK time to just see my favourite team win the World Series after 32 long years. Thanks, staying up has been worthwhile," read one of the tweets.

"Nah @LakersNation did it for Mamba @Dodgers did it for Chadwick," read a tweet remembering the late actor.

Betts deserved all the praise and fans were lavish with their words. "There are fireworks going off in my neighborhood in Rhode Island right now and I'm just gonna assume it's for mookie," read one of the comments.

"So I kinda stopped watching games and just read box scores. Then I stopped reading box scores. Then we got Mookie Betts and I fell in love with my team all over again. Then, as you may have heard, one of the richest franchises in the world traded their best player to save money," a tweet read.

"Mookie, you damn monster. Your defense was the best defense I have ever seen from an outfielder. Set the table all year! MOOKIE A DODGER FOR 12 more years!!!" a fan opined.

"Mookie Betts won the World Series twice in 3 years with two different clubs. Impressive," one of the fans remarked.

Boston Red Sox fans could only lament losing Betts. "We literally gave up Mookie Betts, the best all-around player in baseball, away for absolutely nothing. Now he wins a world series," read one of the tweets. 

The win though, saw the Dodgers celebrate not in LA, but on the diamond of the Globe Life Field, the new home of the Texas Rangers who are yet to play in the stadium. This was the first time the World Series was played at a neutral venue in an attempt to limit the exposure to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.