Moments after the Houston Astros outlasted the Los Angeles Dodgers in a thrilling 13-12 World Series game, the Los Angeles Fox News affiliate flashed a shot of Dodgers fans celebrating with the header announcing across the screen, “Dodgers Win.”
This screen shot only appeared for a few seconds and evoked the Chicago Tribune‘s famous “Dewey Beats Truman!” headline or networks calling Florida for Al Gore in 2000. “We don’t just have egg on our face,” NBC anchor Tom Brokaw said. “We have an omelette.” Seventeen years later, L.A.’s Fox 11 gave the opposition bulletin-board material for Games 6 and 7.
The assumption of a win was understandable. The Dodgers played 175 games before Sunday night without ever losing a game in which they led by four runs, so their 4-0 lead with the game’s best pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, on the mound seemed a near lock. Instead, the Astros became only the second team in 113 World Series to rally from down three or more runs twice in the same game and the only team to ever have five different players hit homers in a World Series game. However, the Dodgers also rallied from three down later in the game.
The back-and-forth series has proven that neither team can assume any game is won until the final out.
The Dodgers need only to go back to Los Angeles and win two home games to become champions. The Astros need to either win Game 6 with Justin Verlander on the mound or, if not, win Game 7.