Rays - 000 010 200 - 3 6 0 Dodgers - 000 242 00x - 8 10 0The Dodgers cruised to victory in Game 1 of the World Series, carried by home runs from Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts, additional timely hitting from Max Muncy, and the dominating left arm of Clayton Kershaw (6-2-1-1-8, 78).
The last 13 Rays to face Kerhsaw managed to hit only one ball out of the infield and the Los Angeles lefty retired 17 of his last 18 batters. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went to his bullpen to start the seventh, a mildly surprising move, but since LA was leading 8-1, he figured Kershaw's innings could be better spent later in the series. (Tampa Bay batters swung at 38 of Kershaw's pitches and missed 19 of them. All eight of his strikeouts were swinging.)
Mookie Betts became the first player in World Series history with a home run, two runs scored, and two stolen bases in a game. He is also the second player to have two hits (including a home run) and two steals in a World Series game, joining Chase Utley (2008 G1, also against the Rays).
Betts is also the first player to walk and steal two bases in an inning of a World Series game since . . . Babe Ruth! It was 99 years ago, on October 6, 1921, in the fifth inning of Game 2 between the Yankees and Giants at the Polo Grounds, Ruth walked with two outs. He stole second and third with Bob Meusel at the plate, but was stranded when Meusel grounded out.
Bellinger's two-run homer with one out in the fourth (Muncy had draw a leadoff walk) put the Dodgers on the board. They broke the game open in the fifth, as Tyler Glasnow was left in the fire for far too long. Glasnow had issued four walks in four innings and he began the fifth by walking Betts (who stole second) and Corey Seager. After a mound visit, Glasnow struck out Justin Turner, but the baserunners pulled off a double steal, of second and third. (The three steals in an inning tied a World Series record set by the 1912 New York Giants in Game 6 against the Red Sox.)
Muncy tapped a grounder to the right of first baseman Yandy Díaz. He had to make a hurried throw to the plate, but it was wide to the third base side and Betts slid in safely. Will Smith singled to center and Seager scored. Rays manager Kevin Cash finally replaced Glasnow (4.1-3-6-6-8, 112) with lefty Ryan Yarbrough. It was an extremely slow hook. I would have expected Yarbrough to be brought in to face Muncy.
As it was, Yarbrough struggled. He got the second out on a pop-up, but was hit for run-scoring singles by Chris Taylor and pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández. That closed the book on Glasnow, who is the only pitcher in World Series history to walk at least six batters, give up at least 6 runs, but allow three or fewer hits. His 112 pitches was also more than he threw in any of his 11 starts this season. He topped 88 pitches only four times and threw in excess of 96 only twice: 102 and 105.
Tampa Bay's Josh Fleming was on the mound for the bottom of the sixth and Betts hit his first pitch for an opposite-field home run. One our later, Turner nearly got himself a dong, but the ball hit about two inches from the top of the right-center field wall. Muncy followed with a double in the right-center gap and it was 8-1.
Dylan Floro took over for Kershaw and allowed a single and a double after getting one out. After a bit of cat-and-mouse (Ji-Man Choi was announced as a pinch-hitter for Willy Adames, Roberts changed pitchers, calling on Victor González, which prompted Cash to have Mike Brosseau bat for Choi). Brosseau singled in one run and Kevin Kiermaier (who had homered off Kershaw in the fifth) singled in another. González got out of the inning when he gloved Mike Zunino's line drive and turned it into a 1-6 double play.
That was it for the Rays. Pedro Báez got two infield pop-ups and a fly to center in the eighth. Joe Kelly pitched a perfect ninth, though he had some much-needed help. Bellinger robbed Austin Meadows of a home run with an outstanding catch well above the center field wall for the first out. Manuel Margot struck out looking and Joey Wendle grounded out. Kelly got his bare hand on the ball, ending it up in the air towards shortstop. Seager, moving to his left, fielded it cleanly and threw the runner out, ending the game.
Tyler Glasnow / Clayton Kershaw
The 116th World Series begins tonight in Arlington, Texas. It's the first World Series ever played at a neutral site. The Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers will compete over the next week for the coveted Piece of Metal™.
The Rays (40-20, best American League record) are in the fall classic for the second time in franchise history. They lost the 2008 World Series to the Phillies in five games.
The Dodgers (43-17, best National League record) won the NL West for the eighth straight season and have been NL champions for three of the last four years. However, they have not won the World Series since 1988, having lost to the Astros in 2017 and Red Sox in 2018.
The World Series will have its traditional two off-days as part of the 2-3-2 format, so the Rays have reduced their pitching staff from 14 (in the ALCS) to 13. Outfielder Brett Phillips and left-hander pitcher Ryan Sherriff have been added to the roster; pitchers Aaron Slegers and Jose Alvarado were dropped.
The Dodgers' roster is unchanged, with 15 pitchers, 13 position players.
All games are at 8:00 PM ET.
Game 1: Tuesday, October 20: Rays-Dodgers Game 2: Wednesday, October 21: Rays-Dodgers Game 3: Friday, October 23: Dodgers-Rays Game 4: Saturday, October 24: Dodgers-Rays Game 5: Sunday, October 25: Dodgers-Rays Game 6: Tuesday, October 27: Rays-Dodgers Game 7: Wednesday, October 28: Rays-DodgersStaring pitching assignments: The Rays will go with Blake Snell in Game 2 and Walter Buehler gets the nod for the Dodgers in Game 3.
MLB.com asked 71 reporters and analysts for their World Series predictions:
58 voters (82%) picked the Dodgers, with 13 voters choosing the Rays.
Dodgers in 7 games: 16 Dodgers in 6 games: 33 Dodgers in 5 games: 8 Dodgers in 4 games: 1 Rays in 7 games: 6 Rays in 6 games: 6 Rays in 5 games: 1While most reports/analysts seem to believe the two teams are evenly matched (since 86% of them (61 of 71) expect the series to six or seven games), that is not reflected in the pick of eventual winner.
Mookie Betts was the landslide pick for possible MVP. He received 40 of the 71 votes (56%). No other player received more than six votes!
Mookie Betts, Dodgers: 40 Cody Bellinger, Dodgers: 6 Corey Seager, Dodgers: 4 Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: 4 Charlie Morton, Rays: 4 Randy Arozarena, Rays: 3 Justin Turner, Dodgers: 2 Walker Buehler, Dodgers: 1 Will Smith, Dodgers: 1 Julio Urías, Dodgers: 1 Tyler Glasnow, Rays: 1 Brandon Lowe, Rays: 1 Willy Adames, Rays: 1 Manuel Margot, Rays: 1 Nick Anderson, Rays: 1
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