5 observations from Game 6 of the World Series, including Justin Turner’s positive COVID-19 test — and postgame celebration — and Kevin Cash’s costly decision to pull Blake Snell

Here are five observations from Game 6 of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, which the Dodgers won 3-1 to win their first championship since 1988.

5 observations from Game 5, including Clayton Kershaw rising to the moment and Manuel Margot’s failed attempt to steal home

5 observations from Game 4, including an unlikely hero in Brett Phillips and Randy Arozarena’s unconventional trip around the bases

5 observations from Game 3, including the Dodgers' unheralded hero and Walker Buehler’s dominance of the Rays

6 observations from Game 2, including the Dodgers dangerously juggling young pitchers, Brandon Lowe slumping no more and Joe Buck’s astute call

10 observations from Game 1, including Mookie Betts matching Babe Ruth, hugs and ... free tacos?

1. Justin Turner’s positive COVID-19 test will cloud an entertaining World Series.

The departure of Justin Turner, the Dodgers star third baseman, after his at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning became increasingly curious after Fox Sports reported he was pulled because of a positive COVID-19 test — only for Turner to join the on-field postgame celebration after allegedly being isolated from teammates for the remainder of the game.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that, according to various sources, the Dodgers and Turner insisted he be part of the on-field celebration.

Turner wore a face mask during a team photo, but a television camera caught him posing with the World Series trophy without a mask.

“Thanks to everyone reaching out!” Turner tweeted before joining the celebration. “I feel great, no symptoms at all. Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine. Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys! So proud of this team and unbelievably happy for the City of LA.”

Turner was part of the celebration for a franchise that hadn’t won a World Series title in 32 seasons. But given the thick layers of protocols managers, coaches, players and staff members endured throughout the shortened MLB season — not to mention a “bubble” for all playoff teams — his departure in the middle of the game was extremely strange.

And allowing him to participate with knowledge of a positive test — especially in the wake of multiple positive tests that threatened the St. Louis Cardinals’ season — is reckless. Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy was quarantined for 30 days because of COVID-19, and Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, a strong candidate for the National League Most Valuable Player, feared for his life after battling the virus.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said a team trainer told him that Turner had to leave the game immediately.

Shortstop Corey Seager, the Series’ Most Valuable Player, didn’t realize Turner was pulled until a few outs later.

“In the heat of the moment, it’s gut-wrenching,” said Seager in a conference call of Turner initially not being able to celebrate.

Nevertheless, the sequence raises plenty of eyebrows as the Dodgers’ traveling party will undergo rapid tests before departing Texas for Los Angeles.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the lab performing COVID-19 tests informed Major League Baseball in the second inning that Turner’s test Monday was inconclusive. The samples taken Tuesday were processed and were positive, prompting MLB to instruct the Dodgers to pull Turner.

Turner’s positive test was the first in six weeks. But had the Rays forced a Game 7, there’s no telling how long that deciding game would have been played because of Turner’s positive test.

2. Kevin Cash’s decision to pull Blake Snell proved costly.

The strategy of a team in the playoffs should be much different than during the regular season.

Dominant Rays left-hander Blake Snell pitched only 5 2/3 innings twice during the truncated 60-game regular season, duplicating that same effort when he beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the first game of the 2020 playoffs.

Opponents had a .592 OPS in their first plate appearance against Snell in his career, .711 the second time and .742 the third time. Those numbers supported manager Kevin Cash’s intentions to pull Snell with the top of the Dodgers order coming up for the third time after Austin Barnes collected the second hit off Snell.

But Snell had struck out nine, including the top three batters — Mookie Betts, Corey Seager and Turner — six times in six at-bats. The Rays outfield didn’t record a putout until Will Smith flied to right for the first out in the fifth. Simply, Snell represented the Rays’ best chance at holding off elimination.

“Had he stayed in the game, he might have thrown a complete game,” Betts said.

Cash didn’t want Snell to face Mookie Betts a third time, but Betts pulled a double off reliever Nick Anderson that set up the tying and go-ahead runs.

“I guess I regretted it because it didn’t work out,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I feel like the thought process was right.”

The Dodgers bullpen harnessed the Rays’ offense with 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball, but pulling Snell transformed a promising situation for the Rays into a helpless one that will fester during the winter.

“I don’t care what the numbers say,” said Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, who thought this was the best he’s seen Snell pitch. “There weren’t many guys that were making contact.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t hide his delight when asked about Snell’s departure.

“I was pretty happy because (Snell) was dominating us, and we just weren’t seeing him,” Roberts said. “Once Austin got that hit and they went to the 'pen, I think that Mookie looked at me with a little smile.”

3. Mookie Betts rises to biggest stage.

The Dodgers’ faith in Mookie Betts was reflected when they signed him to a 12-year, $365 million contract a couple days before the start of the 60-game season.

And after performing at an MVP level during the regular season, Betts contributed in all facets during the playoffs too, from clutch hitting to six stolen bases to Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field.

His daring break from third base and head-first slide punctuated the Dodgers’ sixth-inning rally, and his home run in the eighth was the exclamation mark on an impressive season.

“I was traded for this reason,” Betts said of his mission to help the Dodgers win the Series.

Manager Dave Roberts had no hesitation about calling for Betts to break from third base on contact with Corey Seager at the plate “understanding Mookie would get a great jump on the swing.”

“He strives to be perfect,” ace Clayton Kershaw said.

4. Randy Arozarena puts pressure on Matthew Liberatore.

The St. Louis Cardinals traded Randy Arozarena to the Rays last winter because they believed they had two other similar outfielders.

They acquired left-hander Matthew Liberatore, the 16th overall pick in the 2018 draft who struck out 113 in 111 innings. He was invited to the Cardinals’ Alternate Site camp this summer.

But until Liberatore reaches the majors, Cardinals fans will have to brace themselves as Arozarena seized the moment in the postseason. The Rays control Arozarena’s rights for six more seasons.

The 25-year-old batted .364 and gave the Rays a 1-0 lead with his third home run of the World Series in the third inning. Arozarena became the first rookie to hit three home runs in a World Series since Charlie Keller of the Yankees in 1939.

5. Dodgers claim there’s no asterisk next to their World Series title.

The Dodgers won their first World Series since 1988 under a 60-game format and four rounds of playoffs.

Before the game, manager Dave Roberts and Justin Turner stressed a title is legitimate despite not playing a 162-game regular season schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roberts said many of the health and safety protocols made their journey just as challenging as a six-week spring training, followed by a 162-game schedule and a regular playoff format.

“My point being is that there should not be an asterisk, and I stand by that,” Roberts said.

Turner said the players knew the truncated season and the fear of COVID-19 would present extra challenges.

“Obviously we understand that it’s a different season,” Turner said. “And that was one of the first things that we talked about when we got back together was, look, no matter how many games we play, no matter what the postseason looks, like there’s a championship to be won.”

Roberts added that the legitimacy of a different postseason format needed no validation.

“Of course, there are people that are skeptics,” he said. “And I like to think that if they love baseball as much as we do, that they could step back and look at quality of play, the quality of talent. It’s been a fantastic season, and a great World Series.”

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