Hello, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. And some said it couldn’t be done.

Well, here we are, waiting for another World Series. This time the Dodgers will be there.

The Dodgers certainly did everything they could to give their fanbase a collective heart attack in Game 6. I believe the Mets left 82 runners on base, but I’ll wait for official word.

As always, these are stream-of-consciousness thoughts written as each game takes place.

Game 6

—Begins Michael Kopech was an interesting choice. I would have gone with someone else.

-And the Mets score early. Chris Taylor had a lot more time to make that throw than he thought.

—Why does Taylor play at all?, many asked me. He hit .303 after the All-Star break, the second-best average on the team Gavin Lux.

– The key to tonight, and maybe tomorrow, is Teoscar Hernández. He has to start hitting.

– I think he was listening. Hernández gets a long single that would have been a double if he had started running as soon as he hit.

—Luckily he makes up for that by scoring from first Tommy Edman‘s double.

—If the series ends today, Edman could be MVP.

—And a two-run homer for Edman. Definitely the MVP.

– I feel very comfortable with it Ben Casparius be part of the bullpen rotation, especially if Alex Vesia cannot return.

—The Mets make it 6-3. They don’t move on quietly.

—The booking.com commercial with the Yankees fans in Boston is great. “Those are not our children.” “Aren’t we?”

—Dodgers lead 6-3 after the top of the fifth. Eva Philips, Daniel Hudson And Blake Treinen the rest of the way?

– You know, I understand hitting the beach ball during a regular season game, but during the postseason?

—Tom Verducci makes a lot of…dramatic pauses….between….words.

—The Dodgers relievers have been walking a tightrope all game. Or they try to kill their fanbase. One of them.

—The Dodgers scored an MLB-record 46 runs in the NLCS, the most any team has scored in a single postseason round. That’s 7.67 runs per match.

—Edman was named NLCS MVP. He went 11 for 27 with three doubles and 11 RBIs. Other notable Dodgers: Max MuncYou went five for 15 with two home runs, four RBIs and 11 walks. Chris Taylor press .375. Shohei Ohtani batted .364 with two home runs, six RBIs and nine runs scored. Mookie Betts batted .346 with two home runs and nine RBIs. Kike Hernández batted .292 with a homer, four RBIs and six runs scored. The Dodgers hit seven doubles: four by Edman and three by Betts. No one else had one. The Dodgers hit 11 home runs, hit by seven different players. They drew 42 walks. Teoscar Hernández had only two hits in the series (both in Game 6) but walked seven, third for the team. They outscored the Mets 11-5 and outscored them 46-26.

– As for pitching, if you ignore it Landon KnackDodgers relievers pitched 33 innings, giving up 31 hits while walking 16 and striking out 24 with a 3.00 ERA. They had a team ERA of 4.42, struck out 48 and walked 28 in 53 innings.

– It seems that even if Miguel Rojas can return for the World Series, you have to find a way to keep Edman and Kiké in the lineup. And you have to wonder if you can get five days off Freddie Vrijman back to better health. If not, the Dodgers are 3-0 without him this postseason.

—Postseason MVPs acquired during the season:

2024 NLCS Tommy Edman
WS Jorge Soler 2021
NLCS Eddie Rosario 2021
WS Steve Pearce 2018
ALCS Justin Verlander 2017
ALCS Andrew Miller 2016
2012 NLCS Marco Scutaro
2010 NLCS Cody Ross
2000 ALCS David Justice
1995 NLCSMike Devereaux
1989 ALCS Rickey Henderson
1969 WS Donn Clendenon

—Dodgers NLCS MVPs:

1977: Dusty Baker
1978: Steve Garvey
1981: Burt Hooton
1988: Orel Hershiser
2017: Justin Turner and Chris Taylor
2018: Cody Bellinger
2020: Corey Seager
2024: Tommy Edman

—It’ll be Dodgers-Yankees in the World Series for about the millionth time. The two best baseball teams actually meet in the World Series. It’s about time.

The Yankees?

We’re not going to talk about the Yankees yet.

It’s been a long, grueling season. For the Dodgers, every starting pitcher under the sun has been injured. They have experienced slumps and slumps. Fans emailed to say they didn’t have a chance to go to the World Series. Social media is full of naysayers. Yet according to every poll we conduct here in the newsletter, approximately 80% of you remained loyal. And that faith has been rewarded.

So let’s not worry about the Yankees today. Enjoy the victory. Enjoy the pennant. Let that smile creep across your face. Looking forward to another World Series.

The Yankees will be their toughest opponent yet. But we can always worry about that on Tuesday. For now, take a deep breath and appreciate everything.

By the way, like I said, Sunday would have been my mother’s 94th birthday. A win was in the bag all along.

We’ll be back on Friday to preview World Series Game 1, something we haven’t been able to do in four years.

The Dodgers NLCS schedule

Game 1: at Dodgers 9, New York 0. WP-Jack Flaherty. LP Kodai Senga. (box score)

Game 2: New York 7, at Dodgers 3. WP-Sean Manaea. LP Ryan Brasier. Save – Edwin Diaz. (box score)

Game 3: Dodgers 8, New York 0. WP-Walker Buehler. LP Luis Severino. (box score)

Game 4: Dodgers 10, at New York 2. WP-Evan Phillips. LP – Jose Quintana. (box score)

Game 5: At New York 12, Dodgers 6. WP-Ryne Stanek. LP – Jack Flaherty. (box score)

Game 6: at Dodgers 10, New York 5. WP-Ben Casparius. LP – Sean Manaea. Save-Blake Trains. (box score)

World Series schedule

Always Pacific
All games on Fox
Playing times to be determined later

Friday at Dodgers
Saturday at Dodgers
Monday, October 28 in New York
Tuesday, October 29 in New York
*Wednesday, October 30 in New York
*Friday, November 1 at Dodgers
*Saturday, November 2 at Dodgers

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Welcome back, World Series! Dodgers beat Mets and set up monumental game with Yankees

From trade acquisition to ‘MVP!’ How Tommy Edman became a Dodgers playoff star

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Yankees in the World Series

Dodgers overcome ‘most difficult year’ to beat Mets and reach World Series

Complete coverage: How the Dodgers reached the World Series

Dodgers pop the champagne and beer after winning the NLCS

LA is four wins away from the Dodgers World Series run it never achieved

And finally

“Maybe tomorrow we’ll all wear 42. Then they won’t be able to tell us apart.” Watch and listen here.