Irvin pitches into 7th, A's take 3 of 4 from Rays, 6-3
Cole Irvin pitched into the seventh inning,and the Oakland Athletics beat Tampa Bay 6-3 to take three of four from the Rays, Irvin allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings as the rebuilding Aโs under new manager Mark Kotsay improved to 4-3.
Freeman among trio of Braves on All-MLB first team
Freeman easily won the NL MVP award Thursday, Nov. 12, topping off a trying year that saw him become so ill with COVID-19 he prayed please dont take me. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)NEW YORK โ National League MVP Freddie Freeman was one of three Atlanta Braves selected to the All-MLB first team on Wednesday night. San Diego had two players on the top team: shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado. AL MVP Josรฉ Abreu of the Chicago White Sox was the first baseman on the second team, which also included Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto, Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Indians third baseman Josรฉ Ramรญrez.
The Latest: Ji-Man Choi leading off for Rays in Game 6
ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local):5:20 p.m. First baseman Ji-Man Choi is leading off Tuesday night, followed by left fielder Randy Arozarena, designated hitter Austin Meadows and second baseman Brandon Lowe. In Game 2 last Wednesday, when the Rays won 6-4, it went Meadows, Lowe, Arozarena and Choi. Los Angeles has used the same batters in the top six spots for every game of the World Series. The Globe Life Field roof will be closed for Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.
Dodgers 1 win from title after 32 years and more than $3.6B
FILE - In this Oct. 20, 1988, file photo, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser holds his World Series Most Valuable Player trophy following the Dodgers' decisive 5-2 win over the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Ca. Since Hershiser struck out Oaklands Tony Phillips for the final out of the 1988 World Series, the Dodgers have played 5,014 regular-season games and 113 more in the postseason in pursuit of their next title. The rookie right-hander hopes to keep the World Series from reaching a Game 7 for the fourth time in five years. The Rays and Cash have impressed Roberts with their relentlessness, evidenced by their ninth-inning rally to win Game 4. Hershiser, the 1988 World Series MVP, says each time the postseason is lengthened it adds another level of uncertainty to the competition.
Kershaw stops steal of home, hands Dodgers 3-2 Series lead
โI think a lot of credit goes to what heโs been able to do in this World Series for us.โKershaw even prevented the Rays from stealing the tying run. Kershawโs formidable resume has lacked two of the most satisfying achievements: a win deep in the World Series and a championship ring. โKersh, a lot of credit goes to him for what weโve been able to do in this World Series,โ Treinen said. Provided a 3-0 lead, Kershaw allowed Tampa Bay to pull within a run in the third when Kiermaier singled, Yandy Dรญaz tripled on a ball down the right-field line that skipped past Betts and Arozarena singled. He sets records with nine postseason homers allowed and three wild pitches in a Series game, tying a mark with two wild pitches in an inning.
Power surge: Home runs more than half of scoring in playoffs
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)ARLINGTON, Texas โ For all the talk about pride in advancing runners and manufacturing runs, teams in the postseason have really dug the long ball. Home runs drove in 235 of the 456 runs in the postseason through World Series Game 4, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That comes to 51.5%, up from 46.6% last year and highest since the postseason expanded beyond the World Series in 1969. That gave the Rays 33 homers in the postseason accounting for 52 of 76 runs (68.4%). The reason theyโre in postseason, playing postseason baseball is because a lot of that coincides with great pitching and thatโs what weโre seeing.
Bellinger back in CF for LA with roof closed for Game 5
Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger celebrates their win against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the baseball World Series Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. The roof will be closed Sunday night because of dreary conditions and an increasing chance of rain into the night. Bellinger, a National League Gold Glove finalist, was listed in center field for Game 5 after he was a late switch to designated hitter a night earlier because of back stiffness. Against Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow in Game 5, Pederson was in left and Taylor at second base. The rest was changed from Game 4, with left field Hunter Renfroe batting fifth, ahead of Wendle, shortstop Willy Adames, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and catcher Mike Zunino.
Arozarena slugs into WS history, stumbles into October lore
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)ARLINGTON, Texas โ Hours after slugging his way into World Series history, Randy Arozarena stumbled into October lore. None of those three won the World Series. โIt feels really good to be able to break the record and be on top of that record board,โ Arozarena said through a translator. Center fielder Chris Taylor bobbled the hit, chased after the ball and threw toward the plate as Arozarena rounded third. Down in the dirt, Arozarena kept pounding the plate as the Rays rushed out to celebrate with him.
The Latest: Rays beat LA 8-7, tie Series at two games each
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):11:20 p.m. Pinch-hitter Joc Pederson delivered a two-run single with two outs in the top of the seventh that put Los Angeles ahead 6-5. At least one run has scored in seven straight half innings, a first in World Series history. Randy Arozarena and Hunter Renfroe also connected for Tampa Bay, which is trying to tie the Series at two games apiece. Yarbrough threw 19 pitches in the World Series opener, his only action since pitching five innings against Houston in the AL Championship Series on Oct. 13.
Rays stack lineup with righties against Urรญas in Game 4
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner celebrates their win against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the baseball World Series Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. Dodgers beat the Rays 6-2 to lead the series 2-1 games. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Tampa Bay Rays started four right-handed hitters at the top of their batting order and seven in all against Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Julio Urรญas in World Series Game 4 on Saturday night. The Rays started four right-handed hitters at the top of their batting order. Yarbrough threw 19 pitches in the World Series opener, his only action since pitching five innings against Houston in the AL Championship Series on Oct. 13.
The Latest: Ballpark roof closed for World Series Game 3
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)ARLINGTON, Texas โ The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local):6:25 p.m. The roof is closed for Game 3 of the World Series after it cooled down significantly in Texas. An average of 10.42 runs have been scored in the postseason games in Arlington, including 21 total runs in the first two World Series games. The roof was closed for 24 of the 30 regular-season home games the Texas Rangers played in their new ballpark this year. An average of 8.21 runs per game were scored with the roof closed, down from 11.83 runs a game when open.
Parade of pitchers not a merry-go-round for Dodgers
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)ARLINGTON, Texas โ More was not merrier for Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers. By the end of the Dodgersโ 6-4 defeat Wednesday night, which evened the Series at one game apiece, it appeared the Dodgers are down to essentially a two-man rotation of Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw. Alex Wood (six outs) and Jake McGee (three) finished with shutout relief, but the damage yielded by the earlier parade of pitchers was too much to overcome. He would be on track to start a Game 7 on normal rest or Game 6 on three days' rest. It remains to be seen whether this merry-go-round will be a fun ride for Roberts and the Dodgers.