The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers last met in the World Series during the 1981 season. The Los Angeles Dodgers won in six games, winning four straight games after losing the first two to New York at Yankee Stadium. It would be the fourth World Series title in the team’s history.
But what exactly kicked off the epic Dodger win streak after falling behind two games? The Yankees shut out the Dodgers in game two, which left them looking for some sort of answer heading into game three in Los Angeles.
The answer would come from rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela. The then 21-year-old, Mexican-born southpaw had a 2.48 ERA in the 1981 season, and the iconic moment that would etch his name into Dodger history would come on this day 43 years ago.
With Los Angeles in a 2-0 deficit in the series, Valenzuela would throw a complete game that would earn him the win after the Dodgers defeated the Yankees 5-4. It was not necessarily the prettiest nine innings of pitching, considering the four runs and also two home runs that were given up, but it was enough to give the team the momentum they needed.
During his outing, he also tossed six strikeouts and totaled 147 pitches, an astounding feat for a 21-year-old to accomplish. Fernandomania had hit New York square in the face, and they would never recover. The Dodgers would go on to take home the championship.
Here in 2024, the Dodgers and Yankees are meeting again. This time, Valenzuela is getting a tribute to his name. Los Angeles artist Robert Vargas is painting a mural of the legendary Dodger pitcher on the side of an apartment building in Boyle Heights, about ten minutes from Dodger Stadium.
Vargas is also responsible for a similar mural of Shohei Ohtani in the Little Tokoyo neighborhood of Los Angeles. The initial plan is to have the mural done by Valenzuela’s birthday on Nov. 1. If necessary, this would also be game six of the World Series, and it would be at Dodger Stadium.
_____
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela #34 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the New York Yankees during Game 3 of the 1981 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 23, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers defeated the Yankees 5-4. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images)
