Shohei Ohtani travels to his first World Series as the Dodgers knock off the Mets

Shohei Ohtani: “I want to finish strong”

Ohtani went 2-for-4 on the night and scored twice as the Dodgers overtook the resilient Mets and advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2020, when they won the pandemic-delayed season.

The Dodgers won the pennant for the 25th time and will play the Yankees in the World Series for the first time since 1981, the 12th time they have met on the game’s biggest stage.

The Yankees won the American League Championship Series 4-1 over the Cleveland Guardians a day earlier.

The World Series will feature each league’s expected MVPs, Ohtani and Aaron Judge, who led baseball in home runs with 54 and 58, respectively.

“They’re a great ballclub, hands down,” Ohtani said of the Yankees. “They have a lot of great players and we have to have a one for all, all for one mentality.”

Ohtani made it to the World Series in the first year of his record-breaking, 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. In his first postseason, the 30-year-old posted a .286 batting average with three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .934 OPS in 11 games.

He’s enjoyed the champagne celebrations of the playoffs, but longs for another celebration – this time with a ring on his hand to crown a remarkable year in which, despite standing still, he became the first member of the 50-year-old team. 50-Clubs has been recovering from a torn cruciate ligament in his right elbow.

“It feels good no matter how many times you do it,” said Ohtani, who never made the postseason in his six years with the Los Angeles Angels. “I want to do it again and finish the year.

“There have been some tough battles along the way, but we got here as a team and we have to finish it as a team. Last year I struggled with surgery and much more, but I managed to get this far in just one year.

“I’m almost there, so I want to finish strong.”