The ball beat Corey Seager to first base, and the World Series was over.
As Seager retreated slowly and deliberately back down the first-base line and toward the Dodgers dugout, the World Series championship celebration exploded all around him. The players of the Houston Astros charged across the line. Seager had to dodge those players, and the television cameras chasing them, and the guys carrying a table for the awards presentation.
Seager had left his bat at home plate. No one had picked it up, so he did. He disappeared into the dugout, and into the 2018 season.
He had made the last out in a game, and in a series, in which the Dodgers’ best hitters had made too many outs.
The outrage will be the same, whatever the outlet, wherever Dodgers fans gather. On social media, on the radio, in sports bars: How come Yu Darvish started? How come Clayton Kershaw did not? What kind of crazy logic was Dave Roberts using in arranging his pitchers?
No sport lends itself to second-guessing as well as baseball does, and a fan base that had waited three decades for the return of the World Series certainly is entitled to a few questions.
But the answer as to why the Dodgers lost Game 7 extends beyond the pitchers, or the manager. This is the more fundamental aspect of the answer: The Dodgers scored one run.
There wasn’t much to second-guess about that. The Dodgers finally had settled into a regular lineup, after playing much of the summer without one.
Roberts rolled out Chris Taylor, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and Yasiel Puig atop the lineup. Nothing for him to do but let them hit.
They did not. The Dodgers batted .205 for the series. Taylor and Seager each hit .222. Turner hit .160. Puig hit .148. Bellinger, the presumptive National League rookie of the year, fared worst of all. He batted .143, with one home run and 17 strikeouts in 28 at-bats. He set records for most strikeouts in the World Series, and for most strikeouts in the postseason.
He became the first player in World Series history to strike out four times in two different games — not in the same year, but over a career.
“I was just overaggressive,” Bellinger said. “I didn’t make adjustments.”
The tone of Game 7 was set in the first inning. Darvish gave up two runs in the top of the inning, but the Dodgers were in position to tie the score in the bottom of the inning.
Taylor doubled to start the inning, so the Dodgers had a man in scoring position. Seager struck out. Turner was hit by a pitch, so the Dodgers had two on. Bellinger struck out.
Puig was hit by a pitch, so the Dodgers had the bases loaded. Joc Pederson struck out. Three at-bats with runners in scoring position, and three out. Bellinger said the Dodgers were not drained by falling behind 2-0, six pitches into the game.
“Even after that, I still felt fine,” he said. “The not getting the runners in was more draining on our part.”
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The Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 2/61
Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel, second from left, third baseman Alex Bregman, left fielder Marwin Gonzalez and second baseman Jose Altuve celebrate after beating the Dodgers 5-1.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 3/61
Houston Astros players run to celebrate with teammates after beating the Dodgers.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 4/61
The Houton Astros celebrate with the Commissioner’s Trophy.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 5/61
Astro players spray champagne in the clubhouse.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 6/61
The Astros’ Josh Reddick gets sprayed with champagne after his team defeated the Dodgers.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 7/61
The Astros’ Josh Reddick gets sprayed with champagne during the postgame celebration.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 8/61
The Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 9/61
The Houston Astros celebrate beating the Dodgers, 5-1, in Game 7 to win their first World Series.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 10/61
The Dodgers watch the Astros celebrate their World Series title.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 11/61
The Houston Astros celebrate beating the Dodgers to win the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) 12/61
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa holds up the flag of Puerto Rico after his team won the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 13/61
The Astros swarm pitcher Charlie Morton after he held the Dodgers to one run over the last four innings to preserve the win.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 14/61
Yasiel Puig heads to the outfield in the ninth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 15/61
Dodgers watch their World Series dreams disappear with a 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros in the ninth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 16/61
Clayton Kershaw leaves the mound after the top of the third inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 17/61
The Houston Astros celebrate beating the Dodgers to win the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18/61
World Series MVP Houston Astros center fielder George Springer, left is hugged by teammates after winning the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19/61
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa holds the flag of Puerto Rico during the postgame celebration.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 20/61
Houston Astros catcher Brian McCann jumps on pitcher Charlie Morton after Morton held the Dodgers to one run over the last four innings.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 21/61
Augusto Romero, of Granada Hills, left, embraces his girlfriend Lizet Perez, of Sylmar, after Dodgers lost.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 22/61
Members of the Dodgers watch the Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 23/61
Astros outfielders George Springer, right, and Cameron Maybin run in to celebrate with teammates after beating the Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The Houston Astros celebrate winning the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 25/61
Yasiel Puig shows his frustration after fouling off a pitch in the fifth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 26/61
Cody Bellinger looks down while standing on first base after a force-out in the fifth inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 27/61
Tyler Howard, center, of Los Angeles, along with other fans watch Game 7 at the Short Stop in Los Angeles.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 28/61
Manager Dave Roberts talks with Clayton Kershaw after the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 29/61
Corey Seager splits his bat while grounding out to end the sixth inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 30/61
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner gets hit by a pitch in the third inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 31/61
Kenley Jansen and Austin Barnes talk during a break in the seventh inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 32/61
Dodgers fans react at the Down N Out bar in downtown during Game 7.
(Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 33/61
A frustrated Dodgers fan watches the game in the fifth inning.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 34/61
A lone Dodger fan watches the Houston Astros celebrate their 5-1 victory.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 35/61
The Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig slams his bat into the ground after popping up with two runners on base in the third inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 36/61
Clayton Kershaw walks off the field after striking out Yuli Gurriel to end the top of the third inning.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 37/61
Angeles Maurino, center, reacts with Dodgers fans at the Down N Out bar in downtown Los Angeles during Game 7.
(Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 38/61
Mescal Miranda, left, of Los Angeles, along with other fans watch Game 7 at the Short Stop in Los Angeles.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 39/61
Bartender Nate Joyner wears face paint as he watches the game with Dodgers fans at the Down N Out bar in downtown Los Angeles.
(Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 40/61
Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig, right, and center fielder Joc Pederson react after pitcher Yu Darvish was taken out of the game.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 41/61
Dodgers starting pitcher Yu Darvish looks down after giving up a double to the Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez in the second inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 42/61
Orlando Villa, of Los Angeles, reacts as the Houston Astros go up 5-0 in the second inning.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 43/61
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, center, and the infield wait for a relief pitcher after starter Yu Darvish was taken out of the game.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 44/61
Dodgers starting pitcher Yu Darvish stares into the outfield as George Springer reaches home plate after hitting a 2-run homer to give the Astros a 5-0 lead in the second inning.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 45/61
Astros right fielder George Springer, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run homer against the Dodgers in the second inning.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 46/61
The Astros’ George Springer, second from left, celebrates his two-run home run with Carlos Correa in the second inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 47/61
The Astros’ George Springer runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish in the second inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 48/61
The Astros’ George Springer reaches home in front of Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 49/61
The Dodgers’ Corey Seager strikes out in the first inning.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 50/61
Enrique Hernandez encourages Yu Darvish in the dugout before the first pitch in Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 51/61
Former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda arrives to watch Game 7.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 52/61
Dodgers fans Greg Uy watches the Dodgers in the first inning with bases loaded at the Down N Out bar in downtown Los Angeles.
(Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 53/61
Dodgers fans show concern as the Astros score twice in the first inning of Game 7.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 54/61
Dodgers fans boo the Astros’ Yuli Gurriel in the first inning of Game 7.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 55/61
Dodgers fan Tim Kell, right, of Rancho Cucamonga, cheers for his second World Series championship game at Dodger Stadium. “This is the ultimate,” Kell said, who attended the 1988 World Series.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 56/61
Sarah Keh dances to mariachi music in the right field pavilion before game 7 of the World Series.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 57/61
A pair of sportscasters stand beside the Commissioner’s Trophy before the start of Game 7.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 58/61
Young Dodgers stars Corey Seager, left, and Joc Pederson take batting practice before the start of Game 7.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 59/61
Fans try to get a closer look at players from the corner of left field before the start of Game 7.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 60/61
Astros fans watch their team warm up before the start of Game 7.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 61/61
A Dodgers fan is literally blue in the face before the start of Game 7.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) By the time the Dodgers finally got a hit with runners in scoring position, in the sixth inning, they had gone hitless in their first 10 chances. Andre Ethier, in what was probably the final at-bat of his 12-year career with the Dodgers, came off the bench to deliver the RBI single. The Dodgers still had runners on first and second, trailing 5-1, with one out. A single would have brought the potential tying run to the plate. Taylor struck out. Seager grounded out. In all, the Dodgers went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position. They left 10 men on base.
Batting average is not everything, of course. Turner reached base six times via walk or hit by pitch. The Dodgers outhit the Astros in Game 7. Total runs scored in the series: Dodgers 34, Astros 34.
“We scored a lot of runs in the series,” Turner said. “We were in every game.”
Said Bellinger: “We’re hanging our heads right now, because we’re such a good team and we could have easily won that game, or won the series. That’s how baseball goes. Sometimes, the ball just doesn’t go your way.”
Bellinger said he did not want to forget the stinging sensation he felt late Wednesday night.
“Hopefully, it sticks with me the next time we’re in the playoffs, to remember how I feel right now,” he said. “We have such a young, talented group here that there’s no doubt in my mind, and in everyone else’s mind, that we’ll be back.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series
bill.shaikin@latimes.com
Follow Bill Shaikin on Twitter @BillShaikin
