Dodgers offense pummels Mets, secures historic World Series rematch with Yankees

It was fair to fear a misstep in Sunday's NLCS Game 6. After all, the Los Angeles Dodgers entered the ballgame with what felt like no margin forever. With a bullpen game planned, every move -- and there would be many -- invited the potential for chaos. Each link in the chain needed to function; otherwise, the mechanism might break down and open the portal to a winner-take-all on Monday night.

Little did anxious Dodgers fans know, though, that the team's vaunted offense planned on busting at the seams.

Dave Roberts navigated a difficult challenge, heaped in pressure, deftly to the finish line. But even if Roberts hadn't been pitch perfect, and even if little-known Ben Casparius hadn't been able to soak up key early outs, and even if Blake Treinen's turbo sinker wasn't back back ... the battle-tested Dodgers offense simply pummeled New York Mets pitcher after New York Mets pitcher. Sean Manaea's new delivery wasn't so bedeviling this time around.

From Tommy Edman to Will Smith to Mookie Betts to, yes, Shohei Ohtani, who won't make an out with RISP unless he accidentally burps, sneezes, and farts at the same time, the Dodgers' offense peaked in a previously unheard of manner this series. Now, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton and the Yankees will join these scorching Dodgers on the national stage -- starting on their turf.

Dodgers offense pummels Mets, sets up Yankees World Series clash that MLB needed

As Tom Verducci alluded to in his postgame interviews, the Dodgers and Yankees have locked horns repeatedly throughout history (12 times, in fact), but never in Mookie Betts' lifetime. Most active players have never seen this matchup, last staged in 1981.

Dodgers record vs. Yankees in World Series

The Yankees are 9-3 in these matchups, historically, but all of that history predates the players involved. And these Dodgers players will enter the Fall Classic ready to swing and prove their doubters wrong.

When it's Payroll vs. Payroll, there's no underdog remaining on the docket. These are the league's elite teams. Los Angeles won with 33 scoreless innings at the start of the NLCS. They won with offensive drubbing after offensive drubbing. They can play anyone's game -- and now, the stage is theirs.