If only it were always this easy. The Dodgers’ best starter pitched like an ace and their best position player looked like an MVP.
As for the Rays, their flamethrower struggled to throw strikes and their breakout post-season star was held hitless.
After an 8-3 win over the Rays, the Dodgers now hold a 1-0 World Series lead. Here are some takeaways from the series opener…
Watch every game of the 2020 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers on Sportsnet and SN Now.
Not bad for a guy who can’t pitch in the playoffs
Three batters into Game 1, Clayton Kershaw found himself in a precarious position. Thanks to a Yandy Diaz single and a walk to Randy Arozarena, the Rays had two on with just one out against a pitcher who has often struggled in October.
But Kershaw escaped the first with a strikeout and a groundout, and from that point on he looked like the guy who posted a 2.16 ERA this season. After some early troubles commanding his slider, that pitch became a weapon for Kershaw, who used it to induce 11 swinging strikes. Those whiffs contributed to eight strikeouts for Kershaw and the only run he allowed came on a Kevin Kiermaier solo homer.
Inning by inning, Kershaw pushed back against the notion that he’s ineffective in October. More importantly, his team’s now three wins away from winning it all. And after throwing just 78 pitches in Game 1, he should be well rested for his next appearance.
Betts at his best
To this point in the post-season, Mookie Betts‘ most memorable contributions have come with the glove. He’s been hitting well enough – .311/.407/.444 through 12 games – but nothing he’s done at the plate compares to the series of memorable catches he made in the NLCS.
On Tuesday, Betts showed off the rest of his skillset. With the Dodgers leading 2-0, he led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a walk before stealing second and third. Then, when Max Muncy hit a grounder to first, Betts broke for the plate, challenging Diaz’s arm and narrowly beating the throw.
The very next inning, Betts led off again, this time with his first home run of the post-season. In the span of those two at-bats, the 28-year-old showed why he’s such a dynamic offensive threat.
It’s because of that ability that the Dodgers acquired him from Boston and promptly signed him to a 12-year extension last off-season. The Red Sox may have payroll flexibility, but the Dodgers have one of the game’s best players and he’s doing it all when it counts the most.
A study in depth
The best teams have stars, of course. But as the Dodgers and Rays can both attest, depth is just as important as star power. In Game 1 of the World Series, it was the Dodgers who showcased their depth in especially memorable fashion.
Consider these examples and decide for yourself which one is most remarkable:
• AJ Pollock, who tied Betts for the team lead with 16 home runs this season, was not in the starting lineup. Sure, he had an .881 OPS during the regular season, and would be hitting toward the top of most batting orders, but for the Dodgers that’s not quite enough to crack the starting nine.
• Kike Hernandez, who has a lifetime .820 OPS against lefties, is perhaps most valuable when he doesn’t start. On days he’s available off the bench, manager Dave Roberts just has to wait for a left-handed reliever to enter the game before deploying Hernandez. On Tuesday, that led to a pinch-hit RBI single for Hernandez against Ryan Yarbrough.
• Cody Bellinger, who won the MVP last year and hit a game-winning home run in the Dodgers’ most recent game, was batting sixth in Roberts’ lineup. Again, just so many elite hitters to choose from. And again, Bellinger homered. Only this time he celebrated more cautiously after dislocating his shoulder in the series clincher over Atlanta.
A rough debut for Glasnow
Sometimes, the Rays are accused of tinkering too much with their pitching staff. Rarely do they veer far in the other direction.
Yet in Game 1 on Tuesday, Rays manager Kevin Cash showed plenty of faith in Tyler Glasnow, sticking with him for 112 pitches – the most by any Rays pitcher in more than two years. This time, despite a blazing fastball that helped the 27-year-old generate eight strikeouts, he struggled. The patient Dodgers lineup worked six walks against Glasnow on their way to six earned runs in just 4.1 innings.
Next time around, Cash won’t leave him out there as long, but the Rays will need Glasnow again if they’re going to rebound from this loss and win the series.
Keeping the powder dry for Game 2
It took five games out of a possible five for the Rays to beat the Yankees and seven games out of a possible seven for them to beat the Astros. To say the last couple of weeks have taxed their bullpen heavily would be an understatement.
With that in mind, there’s a potential silver lining to the Game 1 loss for Tampa Bay. Because the Dodgers took a big lead early, Cash didn’t use Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson or Pete Fairbanks, which means all three are candidates to pitch in Game 2 when Blake Snell’s slated to start.
Of course the same logic holds true for the Dodgers, as Kenley Jansen, Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen all got the night off too.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
