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Dodgers' Joe Kelly Took Dig at Yankees Over Defensive Miscues in World Series

The reliever also handed out some blame to Bronx native Fat Joe.

Tim Capurso

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly reacts after delivering a pitch against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning of a July 2024 game at Minute Maid Park.
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly reacts after delivering a pitch against the Houston Astros during the eighth inning of a July 2024 game at Minute Maid Park. / Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees seemed to be in the driver's seat up 5–0 in the top of the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series, but a defensive meltdown in the frame gave the Dodgers new life, and the club took full advantage, tying the game and eventually earning the win to secure a World Series championship.

It's bad enough that the Yankees have to sit and stew over the results of the sloppy inning all winter long. Even worse is the fact that Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly, while speaking to Rob Bradford, host of the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, took a dig at New York for its defensive woes.

"We were down 5-0," Kelly said. "They put Fat Joe up on the board [scoreboard] and I was like 'Oh, it's an easy dub now.' Fat Joe's the curse. They started kicking the ball around and playing Yankee defense.

"And I looked over at [Brent] Honeywell and I said, 'The Fat Joe curse, watch.' And we started chipping away, chipping away. Bad play, bad play. And end up getting my second one [World Series championship] with the Dodgers."

Kelly's words become even more biting to the Yankees organization in light of reporting from the New York Post's Joel Sherman, who outlined the Dodgers' scouting report on the American League champions. According to Sherman, Los Angeles told its players that the Yankees were a team of "talent over fundamentals," and the Dodgers encouraged players to "put the ball in play to make the Yankees execute."

Fat Joe curse or not, the Dodgers followed the scouting report to a tee. They put the ball in play and the Yankees unraveled in the fifth inning. And that was the difference in Game 5, and ultimately, the World Series as a whole.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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