Fans swarm players' vehicles outside Dodger Stadium after World Series champs return to LA
ELYSIAN PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After the world champion Dodgers returned victorious from New York on Thursday morning, several of the Boys in Blue were mobbed by boisterous fans outside Dodger Stadium as the players drove out of the parking lot.
Dozens of fans gathered outside the stadium in Elysian Park and pounced as individual players' vehicle made their way past.
Among the players who was mobbed was pitcher Anthony Banda, who rolled down his passenger-side window and greeted well-wishers.
Asked by ABC7 how he felt about the Dodgers' win over the Yankees, he used an expletive and said "amazing" with a smile.
One of the fans, who gave her name only as Amber, said she felt "great. It's a wonderful feeling. I remember 2020, we didn't have our parade and now we get to have it. And also the Dodgers had a lot to prove because everybody kept saying that the 2020 World Series wasn't a real World Series. Well, now we've got it."
After taking advantage of three miscues to erase a five-run, fifth-inning deficit during one of the most memorable midgame meltdowns in baseball history, the Dodgers used eighth-inning sacrifice flies from Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts to beat New York 7-6 on Wednesday night.
"In spring training this is what we said we were going to do and we did it," Betts proclaimed, champagne stinging his eyes.
The scene outside Dodgers Stadium on Thursday was decidedly more peaceful than some isolated incidents that occurred the night before in L.A.
Rowdy crowds took to the streets of after the Dodgers' victory, setting a city bus on fire, breaking into stores and lighting off fireworks. A dozen arrests were reported by police, but officials emphasized that most fans celebrated peacefully.
Video showed revelers throwing objects at police in downtown L.A. as sirens blared and officers told them to leave the area.
Other video showed someone standing atop a bus waving a Dodgers banner and people running from a boarded-up Nike store with armfuls of sneakers before throwing the merchandise into cars parked outside. No injuries were reported.
Despite some unrest, "the overwhelming majority of celebrations last night were joyful and peaceful," Mayor Karen Bass said at a Thursday news conference discussing the logistics of Friday's planned victory parade.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
