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Dodgers banking on home field advantage as World Series returns to Los Angeles

World Series - Houston Astros v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game One Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers fought all year to earn home field advantage throughout their postseason run and now they will need it, having to win two games at Dodger Stadium to win the 2017 World Series.

“We knew it was important for us to get home-field advantage,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday. “This is why we played 162 games like we did, for the opportunity to be at home and win two games. So it is a premium and for us it is definitely understated.”

The Dodgers won 104 games during the regular season, including an MLB-best 57 wins at Dodger Stadium. Their 165 home victories since the start of 2015 are the most in baseball, 11 more than any other team.

Counting the postseason the Dodgers are 62-25 at Dodger Stadium in 2017, matching the 1953 Brooklyn team (62-18) for most home wins in any year. The only other Dodgers team to reach 60 home wins in a season was 1899 (61-16).

“We obviously enjoy playing at home in front of our fans, and we've had a lot of success here this year. I know that everyone is excited for tomorrow, and excited for Game 6,” third baseman Justin Turner said. “We're going to be ready to go, and they're going to be full of energy tomorrow night.”

Needing to win both games at home presents a tall task for the Dodgers. In their franchise history, they have trailed a best-of-7 series 3-2 eight times. They forced a Game 7 twice, but lost all eight series.

Dodgers Game 6 history, trailing 3-2

Year/Series Opponent Site Game result Series result
Year/Series Opponent Site Game result Series result
1947 World Series Yankees Road 8-6 Dodgers loss in 7 games
1953 World Series Yankees Road 4-3 Yankees loss in 6 games
1956 World Series Yankees Home 1-0 Dodgers loss in 7 games
1977 World Series Yankees Road 8-4 Yankees loss in 6 games
1978 World Series Yankees Home 7-2 Yankees loss in 6 games
1985 NLCS Cardinals Home 7-5 Cardinals loss in 6 games
2013 NLCS Cardinals Road 9-0 Cardinals loss in 6 games
2016 NLCS Cubs Road 5-0 Cubs loss in 6 games

Home teams this postseason are 26-10 (.722), including 5-1 for the Dodgers. The Astros were 8-1 in their games at Minute Maid Park.

“I think being able to have the last at-bat in this series is going to be important, as you saw in [Game 5] last night,” Turner said.

In the history of the World Series, 29 times there has been a team trailing a best-of-7 series with a 2-3-2 format heading home for the final two games. The trailing home team won Game 6 in 22 of those series (.759), and won the series 12 times (.414).

Trailing World Series 3-2 with Games 6-7 at home

Year Home team Road team Series result
Year Home team Road team Series result
2014 Royals Giants Giants in 7
2003 Yankees Marlins Marlins in 6
2002 Angels Giants Angels in 7
2001 Diamondbacks Yankees D-backs in 7
1992 Braves Blue Jays Blue Jays in 6
1991 Twins Braves Twins in 7
1987 Twins Cardinals Twins in 7
1986 Mets Red Sox Mets in 7
1985 Royals Cardinals Royals in 7
1982 Cardinals Brewers Cardinals in 7
1981 Yankees Dodgers Dodgers in 6
1978 Dodgers Yankees Yankees in 6
1975 Red Sox Reds Reds in 7
1973 A's Mets A's in 7
1972 Reds A's A's in 7
1971 Orioles Pirates Pirates in 7
1967 Red Sox Cardinals Cardinals in 7
1965 Twins Dodgers Dodgers in 7
1962 Giants Yankees Yankees in 7
1959 White Sox Dodgers Dodgers in 6
1957 Yankees Braves Braves in 7
1956 Dodgers Yankees Yankees in 7
1955 Yankees Dodgers Dodgers in 7
1948 Braves Indians Indians in 6
1946 Cardinals Red Sox Cardinals in 7
1940 Reds Tigers Reds in 7
1936 Giants Yankees Yankees in 6
1925 Pirates Senators Pirates in 7
1924 Senators Giants Senators in 7