The Los Angeles Dodgers ended their MLB championship drought, claiming a first World Series since 1988 after topping the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.

Clayton Kershaw was delighted to play his part as the Los Angeles Dodgers moved to within a win of glory, delivering another twist in a see-saw 2020 World Series.

The Tampa Bay Rays had evened things up at 2-2 on Sunday in dramatic fashion, turning around a 7-6 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning as they capitalised on a fielding error to triumph.

However, the Dodgers showed no signs of any hangover in Game 5, quickly claiming a three-run lead that laid the foundations for an eventual 4-2 triumph.

Starting pitcher Kershaw gave up the two runs through 5.2 innings of work before being replaced by Dustin May in a planned move that did not go down well with the Dodgers fans inside Globe Life Field.

The 32-year-old has had his struggles in previous postseasons but is now 2-0 against the Rays, having also recorded a win in Game 1.

"It feels pretty good," Kershaw said. "Anytime you can have success in the postseason, it just means so much. That is what you work for, that is what you play for this month.

"I know what the other end of that feels like too. I will definitely take it when I can get it."

There were some boos when Kershaw came out of the game, having quickly registered two outs in the sixth inning, though the decision from manager Dave Roberts paid off as May struck out Manuel Margot.

"I thought he pitched a heck of a game," Roberts said of Kershaw, whose six strikeouts saw him surpass Justin Verlander for the most in postseason history.

"To go out there and get two more hitters [in the sixth], we felt that that would be good enough. At that point in time, once he did that, I thought it was time to take the baseball. And I think he felt good."

The Dodgers are once again ahead in the series and stand on the brink of the franchise's first World Series triumph since 1988, which they can seal by winning Game 6 on Tuesday.

"The off day is going to be hard tomorrow," Kershaw said. "It's going be good for us, resetting our bullpen, which is good.

"But sitting around, one win away from a World Series, is going to be hard, especially when you've been in the same hotel for four weeks now."

Manuel Margot insisted it was entirely his decision to attempt to steal home in the Tampa Bay Rays' loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers moved into a 3-2 World Series lead on Sunday after recording a 4-2 victory at Globe Life Field, putting them within a win of a first title since 1988.

With the Rays trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Margot attempted to steal home, but Clayton Kershaw delivered a throw to catcher Austin Barnes just in time.

Margot, who went two-for-three in Game 5, accepted he had made the call to attempt to steal home.

"It was my decision, it was 100 per cent my decision, I thought it was a good idea at the time," he told reporters via a translator.

"I thought I had a pretty good chance of potentially being safe but definitely my decision to make that attempt."

Margot added: "From the first pitch to KK [Kevin Kiermaier], I knew they weren't really paying too much attention to me.

"I thought I had a chance and I knew that third baseman was pretty far away so I knew I had some room.

"I've never tried it before and I was just trying to score the run but it didn't turn out that way."

Game 6 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Rays is on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a win away from a first World Series title since 1988 after a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Clayton Kershaw delivered a fine start as the Dodgers moved into a 3-2 series lead on Sunday, a day after an incredible walk-off loss at Globe Life Field.

The Dodgers star pitched 5.2 innings, striking out six and giving up five hits and two runs.

Kershaw also surpassed Justin Verlander for the most strikeouts in the postseason in MLB history.

The Dodgers made another fast start in Game 5 as Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger hit RBI singles in the first inning.

The in-form Seager was the first Dodgers player all-time to record a hit in five straight at-bats in a World Series, as per Stats Perform.

Joc Pederson's home run stretched the lead before the Rays responded in the third inning through Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena.

Arozarena became the first rookie with an RBI in three straight World Series games since Gil McDougald managed it for the New York Yankees in 1951.

He also set a record for the most hits in a single postseason with 27.

The Rays went close to levelling the game in the fourth inning, but Manuel Margot was sensationally caught trying to steal home.

Max Muncy's solo shot in the fifth proved to be the last of the scoring as the Dodgers, unlike Saturday, closed out a win.

Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow got through five innings, striking out seven but giving up six hits and four runs.

The Dodgers can seal the series with a win in Game 6 on Tuesday.

Clayton Kershaw set an MLB postseason record in the Los Angeles Dodgers' clash against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kershaw surpassed Justin Verlander for the most strikeouts in postseason history during Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday.

The Dodgers star reached 207 – eclipsing Verlander's mark of 205.

Kershaw pitched 5.2 innings, striking out six while giving up five hits and two runs.

With the World Series locked at 2-2, the Dodgers held a 4-2 lead over the Rays through six innings in Game 5.

Kenley Jansen said he was staying positive and insisted there was little he could do in the Los Angeles Dodgers' loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Brett Phillips hit a walk-off single as the Rays edged the Dodgers 8-7 on Saturday to level the World Series at 2-2.

Jansen pitched the ninth inning, giving up a single to Kevin Kiermaier and walking Randy Arozarena before Phillips' game-winning hit, which came as the Dodgers faltered amid a chaotic finish.

However, the Dodgers closer was staying upbeat as he lamented the hits conceded to Kiermaier and Phillips.

"You can't beat yourself, you've got to stay positive. I didn't give up one hard hit," Jansen told reporters.

"I mean, what can I do? I can't do anything. I threw the pitches where I wanted to, credit to the hitters, like I said, a broken-bat single and then a bloop single.

"It ain't no time to hang our head, tomorrow is another day."

The Dodgers were on the verge of a 3-1 series lead as they aim to win their first World Series title since 1988.

Jansen said the Dodgers would bounce back, beginning with Game 5 on Sunday.

"That's what we do, we pick each other up. It didn't go our way today and it was a tough battle," he said.

"We're all confident that we're going to come back and turn the page and get that game tomorrow.

"We've got Kersh [Clayton Kershaw] going tomorrow, we've been here before and it ain't no time to hang our heads or anything like that.

"Great game, they win this one today and tomorrow we're going to come out there and give it everything we've got."

Brett Phillips revelled in a "special moment" after helping the Tampa Bay Rays to a thrilling walk-off win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Phillips was the hero as the Rays levelled the World Series at 2-2 courtesy of an incredible 8-7 victory at Globe Life Field on Saturday.

With the Rays trailing 7-6 and with two out, Phillips singled to bring in Kevin Kiermaier and errors from the Dodgers saw Randy Arozarena slide in for the winning run in a chaotic finish.

Speaking afterwards, Phillips could barely believe the way Game 4 had ended.

"An inning before, I saw we were running out of bench guys, maybe use me to pinch run, steal a bag, they end up going for Choi [Ji-man]," he told Fox Sports.

"Next thing you know I'm fifth in the lineup, coming into the tunnel, [Rays field coordinator Paul] Hoover looks over at me, 'You're coming up fifth, let's go win this thing.' I said, 'You already know, let's go.'

"What a special moment. I just want to thank God for the opportunity."

Phillips also said: "Oh man. I'm having a hard time putting my emotions into words.

"First of all, what a great team effort on this win. It took almost 28 guys, that's what's special about this team, just all come together for one goal [and that] is to win.

"We don't rely on one guy, it takes everyone and man, baseball is fun, wow."

The Rays became the first team in MLB history to hit home runs in four straight innings in a single postseason game after Arozarena, Hunter Renfroe, Brandon Lowe and Kiermaier all went deep.

Game 5 of the World Series is on Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Rays drew level with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series after an extraordinary walk-off win on Saturday.

Trailing 7-6 and with two out as they stared at a 3-1 series deficit, the Rays delivered some unbelievable drama in the bottom of the ninth inning at Globe Life Field.

Brett Phillips singled to bring in Kevin Kiermaier before a fielding error by Chris Taylor allowed Randy Arozarena to slide in for the 8-7 win in a chaotic finish.

The Rays trailed for most of Game 4, with the Dodgers scoring all seven of their runs with two outs.

But just as Corey Seager's RBI single in the eighth looked set to have the Dodgers a win away from a first World Series title since 1988, Phillips stepped up to bring the series level at 2-2.

Julio Urias struck out nine over 4.2 innings in his start, while Rays pitcher Ryan Yarbrough got through just 3.1 innings.

Solo homers from Justin Turner and Corey Seager had the Dodgers ahead before Arozarena went deep for the Rays.

The scoring accelerated from there, and Kike Hernandez's RBI double had the Dodgers leading 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning.

But Brandon Lowe belted a three-run homer to give the Rays a lead they would quickly relinquish after Joc Pederson's two-run single.

Kiermaier's solo shot brought the Rays level at 6-6 in the seventh before Seager brought in a run to restore the Dodgers' lead once more.

With Arozarena, Hunter Renfroe, Lowe and Kiermaier, the Rays became the first team in MLB history with a homer in four straight innings in a single postseason game, as per Stats Perform.

Arozarena also set a record for the most homers hit in a single postseason with nine.

Kenley Jansen walked Arozarena in the ninth before Phillips' heroics as the Rays celebrated a dramatic win.

Seager and Turner each had four hits for the Dodgers, while Arozarena went three-for-four for the Rays.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' starting pitchers have dominated in the opening games of the World Series in a way not seen since 1915. 

Walker Buehler starred in Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, leading the way in a 6-2 victory that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 series lead. 

Buehler struck out 10 batters and conceded just three hits and one run in six innings of work. In doing so, he became the first pitcher in World Series history to have 10-plus strikeouts in an outing of six innings or less, per Stats Perform. 

But Buehler's performance just added to the dominance of the Dodgers' starters in the series so far.

According to Stats Perform, the Dodgers have held the Rays to a .133 batting average (six-for-45) – the lowest allowed by a team's starters through the first three games of a World Series since the Boston Red Sox (.129) in 1915. 

Back then, the Red Sox also held a 2-1 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. They closed it out in five games. 

Clayton Kershaw, the three-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner often criticised for his performances in the postseason, got the Dodgers started. 

The left-hander struck out eight and gave up just one run in six innings in Game 1, when Rays ace Tyler Glasnow walked six.

Tony Gonsolin only lasted 1.1 innings in Game 2 as the Rays levelled the series, but Buehler was in fine form on Friday. 

Randy Arozarena has enjoyed a spectacular postseason but is hitting .200 in the World Series - he is 0-for-six against the Dodgers' starters so far. 

No Ray has had more than one hit against the starters, with Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Manuel Margot, Willy Adames, Kevin Kiermaier and Austin Meadows each managing one. 

The Dodgers will turn to Julio Urias on Saturday. Urias is 6-2 in his postseason career with a 2.84 ERA. 

If he can carry on the form of the Dodgers' starters so far, LA should take another step towards a first World Series title in 1988.

Justin Turner hailed the "outstanding" Walker Buehler after the Los Angeles Dodgers moved a step closer to winning the World Series.

Buehler struck out 10 batters and conceded just three hits and a run in six innings to guide the Dodgers past the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Friday as they moved into a 2-1 series lead.

Turner, who homered in the first inning, lauded Buehler's start as the Dodgers closed to within two wins of a first World Series title since 1988.

"Just outstanding command, using his pitches, pitching to all four quadrants," he told Fox Sports.

"That's the Walker Buehler we know – just going out and attacking hitters and being aggressive with his fast ball and then mixing in his little cutter and slider and the curve ball to lefties.

"[It was] just another outstanding start for him in the postseason to add to his resume."

Buehler became the first pitcher in World Series history to have 10-plus strikeouts in an outing of six innings or less, as per Stats Perform.

The 26-year-old was satisfied, telling MLB Network: "I think for me I kind of know what I am.

"I throw my fast ball a lot and the other stuff off of it and I can't really nitpick and go all over the place.

"[I] just throw what I know and trust the guys behind the plate."

Walker Buehler led the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Tampa Bay Rays and into a 2-1 World Series lead on Friday.

Buehler struck out 10 over six innings as the Dodgers claimed a 6-2 victory at Globe Life Field to move closer to a first World Series title since 1988.

He gave up just three hits and one run and became the first pitcher in World Series history to have 10-plus strikeouts in an outing of six innings or less, as per Stats Perform.

The Dodgers opened up a 5-0 lead through four innings, with Justin Turner's home run to left field beginning the scoring.

According to Stats Perform, Turner has 11 career postseason homers – all of which have come since he turned 30. Only Nelson Cruz (17) and Jim Edmonds (13) have more at 30 or older.

Max Muncy's two-run single made it 3-0 before Austin Barnes' sacrifice bunt and Mookie Betts' RBI single put the Dodgers clear.

Willy Adames' RBI double put the Rays on the board before Barnes crushed a homer for the Dodgers in the sixth.

Randy Arozarena blasted a solo homer for Tampa Bay in the ninth inning for his eighth HR of the postseason, but it mattered little.

Rays starter Charlie Morton pitched 4.1 innings, giving up seven hits and five runs while striking out six.

Game 4 of the World Series is on Saturday.

Brandon Lowe is quickly moving on from his heroics for the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the World Series, saying it "means nothing now".

Lowe crushed two home runs as the Rays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Wednesday to level the series at 1-1.

The 26-year-old became the second player in MLB history to have a multi-homer game in the World Series after entering the clash with a sub-.200 batting average in the postseason (minimum 30 plate appearances), as per Stats Perform.

Lowe, who went two-for-five with three RBIs, said he would move on quickly.

"Leaving today I feel a lot better than I have beforehand, that's for sure," he told ESPN.

"Not to read too deep into it, but tonight, you've got to come out the next day, come out the next game and do it all over again.

"Today means nothing now, you've got to come out and do it all again."

Rays ace Blake Snell produced a fine start, striking out nine in 4.2 innings while conceding two runs.

Lowe praised the pitcher, saying: "It was a blast.

"There were a few times that I think he fooled me and I knew what pitches were coming, which is pretty impressive.

"He was looking really good and I didn't expect anything else coming out of Blake."

Game 3 of the World Series is on Friday.

Brandon Lowe and Blake Snell stepped up as the Tampa Bay Rays evened the World Series by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Lowe homered twice and ace Snell starred to help the Rays bounce back from Tuesday's 8-3 defeat to the Dodgers in Arlington, Texas.

After homering off starter Tony Gonsolin in the first inning, Lowe repeated the feat off Dustin May in the fifth as the Rays took control at Globe Life Field, where Tampa Bay led 5-0.

The Dodgers – without a World Series title since 1988 – rallied through Will Smith's sixth-inning home run and National League Championship Series (NLCS) MVP Corey Seager's homer in the eighth but the Rays held on.

Lowe became the second player in MLB history to have a multi-homer game in the World Series after entering the contest with a sub-.200 batting average in the postseason, following the Baltimore Orioles' Eddie Murray, according to Stats Perform.

Tampa Bay's Lowe and Joey Wendle also became the first set of team-mates in World Series history to drive in three-plus runs each to account for all of their team's runs in a game.

Snell set the tone for the Rays, boasting eight-plus strikeouts and no hits allowed through four innings, following in the footsteps of Sandy Koufax in 1963.

The Rays pitcher's dream of a no-hitter was dashed in the fifth – walking Kike Hernandez and serving up a home run to Chris Taylor. After a walk to Dodgers star Mookie Betts and a Seager single, Snell departed after 4.2 innings, two hits, two runs, one homer and nine strikeouts.

In his absence, the Dodgers' Smith connected on Nick Anderson's pitch for a home run in the sixth before Seager went long off Pete Fairbanks, however, the Rays withstood the fightback.

The teams will return for Game 3 on Friday, with the Dodgers sending Walker Buehler to the mound as the Rays – eyeing their first World Series crown – start Charlie Morton.

Kevin Cash explained his reasoning behind sticking with starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow in a fifth inning that proved costly for the Tampa Bay Rays in their World Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The Dodgers triumphed 8-3 at Globe Life Field but the score was still only 2-1 ahead at the crucial moment in Tuesday's contest. 

Glasnow ended up throwing for a career-high 112 pitches, giving up six runs on three hits. He also allowed six walks. 

Four of the runs came in the fifth, with Mookie Betts and Corey Seager pulling off a double steal for the Dodgers. 

Rays manager Cash said his thinking to stick with Glasnow after the double steal was partly influenced by the fact he felt he was the best option to strike out Max Muncy. 

"I just trusted that he [Glasnow] had plenty of stuff to keep us right there," Cash said in quotes reported by ESPN.  

"The walks are definitely not ideal, but we didn't do a good job of holding the runners on. We can't allow the double steal right there. 

"I felt like we needed a strikeout, and there might not be anyone better equipped to get a strikeout right there than Glass."

Muncy went on to make first base, allowing Betts to make it home from third, and that was followed by a run-scoring single from Will Smith that eventually saw Glasnow sat down for reliever Ryan Yarbrough. 

"If I could go back and strike [Muncy] out, it would be great, but it didn't happen that way," Glasnow said.  

"I felt a little weird at the beginning. Just too many walks, not executing enough. 

"I felt relatively good. Any pitcher at the end part of the [outing], you want to be left in. That's the competitive nature. 

"I think the adrenaline takes over. When I go to 100 pitches, I don't feel the fatigue that much." 

Per ESPN, it was the first time in World Series history a pitcher allowed six earned runs and walked six batters, while it was only the third occasion it had happened in the postseason. 

His 112 pitches came from just 4.1 innings, the fewest in an outing of 110-plus pitches in a postseason contest since tracking began in 1988. 

Catcher Mike Zunino said: "I thought he was throwing the ball extremely well. A couple free passes, but he landed the breaker, threw some great changeups. He has a high ceiling with strikeouts, so he has the ability to get us out of a jam."

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw believes the team are unbeatable at their best after winning the opening game of the World Series.

The Dodgers drew first blood in Game 1, accounting for the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 in MLB action on Tuesday.

Kershaw (201) starred at Globe Life Stadium, where the former National League (NL) MVP reached 200 career strikeouts in the playoffs to move second on the all-time list, only behind Justin Verlander (205), while Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger both homered.

The Dodgers have not won a World Series since 1988 but star pitcher Kershaw is bullish about the franchise's chances as they feature in their third MLB showpiece in four years.

"I mean if we play at our best, no," Kershaw – who struck out eight and retired 17 of the 18 batters he faced in six innings, giving up two hits and a homer – said when asked if the Dodgers are beatable at their best.

"I think we are the best team, and I think our clubhouse believes that. So there's gonna be certain times where we get beat and that happens, but as a collective group, if everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing and playing the way they're supposed to, I don't see how that can happen."

The scores were level until the fourth inning, when the Dodgers registered two runs thanks to help from Bellinger in front of just over 11,000 fans in Texas amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Bellinger became the second player to hit a go-ahead home run in Game 7 of the League Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series in the same year, following in the footsteps of David Ortiz in 2004, per Stats Perform.

Betts flexed his muscles in the fifth inning, taking a walk from Tyler Glasnow to set the tone before stealing second and third base before scoring – becoming the first player since Babe Ruth to walk and steal two bases in the same inning of a World Series game.

"I mean, obviously, you know they’ve got two good catchers who can throw the ball, but I think that was a time and place that I had to try to get to second right there," said Betts, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox at the start of the season.

"Then, once I got to second, I had to try to get to third, especially with [Corey Seager] Seags [also stealing] to stay out of a double play, and make it easier on our guys to at least scratch across a run."

A World Series champion with the Red Sox, Betts then homered leading off in the sixth inning, becoming only the second player in history with a home run and two stolen bases in a World Series game.

"I think I'm really close. I found a couple barrels today," Betts said. "That's essentially what we're trying to do. If I can continue to put the barrel to the ball, I think we'll be fine."