BOSTON (AP) — Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw got an early look at Fenway Park, working out in shorts in the bullpen ahead of Tuesday night's World Series opener.The Dodgers arrived in Boston on Sunday, a day after winning the NL pennant. Kershaw tossed a perfect ninth inning in a 5-1 Game 7 victory at Milwaukee, striking out two batters and throwing 15 pitches.Los Angeles had one scheduled workout at Fenway before facing the Red Sox. That session was set for late on Monday afternoon.Kershaw has never pitched at Fenway and is expected to start the opener. The 30-year-old left-hander's workout was caught by a video camera and posted by MLB.com.He wore a blue bandanna and a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeve of his pitching arm pulled up on an evening with the temperature in the 40s. His baseball glove on his right hand and a baseball in his left, he stretched and went through the motions of his stretch and windup without throwing the ball.A three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, Kershaw has pitched in 29 big league ballparks, including the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia and two each for Atlanta, Miami and the New York Mets.___More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLB and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at the best-of-seven World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Tuesday, at Boston, 8:09 p.m.; Game 2, Wednesday, at Boston, 8:09 p.m.; Game 3, Friday, at Los Angeles, 8:09 p.m.; Game 4, Saturday, at Los Angeles, 8:09 p.m.; x-Game 5, Sunday, Oct. 28, at Los Angeles, 8:15 p.m.; x-Game 6, Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Boston, 8:09 p.m.; x-Game 7, Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Boston, 8:09 p.m. (All games on FOX).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Did not play.___Projected Lineups:Dodgers: 1B-DH David Freese (.282, 9 HRs, 42 RBIs with Pirates; .385, 2, 9 with Dodgers) or 1B-2B-DH Max Muncy (.263, 35, 79, .958 OPS), 3B Justin Turner (.312, 14, 52), SS Manny Machado (.315, 24, 65, .963 OPS with Orioles; .273, 13, 42, .825 OPS with Dodgers), CF-1B Cody Bellinger (.260, 25, 76, 151 Ks in 162 games), LF Chris Taylor (.254, 17, 63, team-high 178 Ks in 155 games) or Joc Pederson (.248, 25, 56) or Matt Kemp (.290, 21, 85, 115 Ks in 146 games), RF Yasiel... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Fresh from his World Series workout, Rick Porcello was far from dog tired.So the Red Sox pitcher took his new puppy for a romp at a popular park — Fenway Park.Porcello watched in amusement as 4-month-old Bronco the German shepherd explored the yard Sunday. The pup sniffed outside the Boston dugout, zig-zagged across the outfield grass and ran next to the Green Monster."I got him a couple days before the playoffs," Porcello said. "As soon as I saw him, I knew I wanted him to be in my life."The 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner didn't have to look far to find him. Bronco's dad is Drago, a 7-year-old service dog owned by Fenway Park head groundskeeper Dave Mellor.Drago was on the field, as usual, with Mellor after the Red Sox held a short practice two days before Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bronco was named because of his active nature, his tail wagging a mile a minute, and roamed from corner to corner with Drago."Who's a good dog?" Porcello called as they ran past.To... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — When Alex Cora was hired to manage the Red Sox a year ago, he knew he wanted to put relationships with his players first.It made him a success as general manager of Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, again as a GM and manager in the Puerto Rican Winter League and as bench coach for the Houston Astros during their World Series title run last season.Cora was toting those lessons with him when he arrived at spring training to find a talented, young Boston team in need of a new voice following back-to-back early exits from the postseason.He made his new team a promise during their first meeting."I told them no matter what I was going to strive to be genuine and accessible," Cora said.Six months later, the 43-year-old known to his players as "A.C." has remade the culture of the Red Sox clubhouse by taking a player-centric approach that pointed them toward a franchise-record 108 wins in the regular season."I learned talking to players is not bad, having a relationship... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw got an early look at Fenway Park, working out in shorts in the bullpen ahead of Tuesday night's World Series opener.The Dodgers arrived in Boston on Sunday, a day after winning the NL pennant. Kershaw pitched the ninth inning for the save in a 5-1 Game 7 victory at Milwaukee.Los Angeles had one scheduled workout at Fenway before facing the Red Sox. That session was set for late on Monday afternoon.Kershaw has never pitched at Fenway and is expected to start the opener. The 30-year-old left-hander's workout was caught by a video camera and posted by MLB.com.He wore a blue bandanna and a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeve of his pitching arm pulled up on an evening with the temperature in the 40s. His baseball glove on his right hand and a baseball in his left, he stretched and went through the motions of his stretch and windup without throwing the ball.A three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, Kershaw has pitched in 29 big league ballparks, including the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia and two each for Atlanta, Miami and the New York Mets.___More AP MLB: www.apnews.com/tag/MLB and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

Sandy Koufax, Jackie Robinson and the Boys of Summer. Ted Williams to Yaz and the Impossible Dream.Manny Ramirez. Pedro Martinez. Bill Buckner.Fenway Franks and Dodger Dogs. Ebbets Field, the Green Monster. "Sweet Caroline" or "I Love L.A."Yet for all their rich history — dating back to Babe Ruth on the mound — the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers have rarely crossed paths heading into this World Series. Only once before in October, and that was more than a century ago.In fact, Clayton Kershaw has never even pitched at Fenway Park.Consider this: Going into Game 1 on Tuesday night, the Dodgers have beaten the Red Sox in Boston just one time.That came on June 12, 2004. And guess who scored and drove in a run for the Dodgers during that 14-5 romp?Alex Cora, now the rookie manager of the Red Sox. One of his teammates that afternoon — Dave Roberts, ready to lead Los Angeles into its second straight Fall Classic."Two storied franchises, that draw more interest," Red Sox second baseman Ian... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Brad Ausmus was named the Los Angeles Angels' manager on Sunday, moving from the front office to the dugout to replace longtime skipper Mike Scioscia.General manager Billy Eppler announced the hiring of Ausmus, who served as Eppler's special assistant last season after four years as the Detroit Tigers' manager.Ausmus got a three-year contract with the Angels. He will be introduced at Angel Stadium on Monday.Scioscia had held the job since the 2000 season, winning the Angels' only World Series title and becoming the winningest manager in franchise history. He left the club earlier this month after 19 seasons and 1,650 victories.But after finishing 80-82 for the second consecutive year, the Angels are coming off three straight losing seasons overall for the first time since 1992-94. Los Angeles has played only three postseason games in the past nine seasons, losing them all in 2014 after winning the AL West.While both men had lengthy careers as big league catchers,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers think they're just getting started.Sure looks that way, too.Led by breakout performances by Yelich, Josh Hader and Jesus Aguilar, Milwaukee chased down the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central for the first time since 2011. The youthful Brewers then swept Colorado in the Division Series before taking the Los Angeles Dodgers all the way to Game 7 in the NL Championship Series.The playoff run ended with a 5-1 loss to the more seasoned Dodgers on Saturday night, but the Brewers plan on returning to October very soon."We feel like we've got a lot of talent here," Yelich said. "Hopefully it's just the beginning."The 26-year-old Yelich nearly won the Triple Crown in his first season with Milwaukee after he was acquired in a trade with Miami in January. The silky smooth outfielder is the leading candidate for his first NL MVP award.Aguilar cruised past his previous career highs with 35 homers and 108 RBIs, and Hader set a major league record... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Brad Ausmus was named the Los Angeles Angels' manager on Sunday, moving from the front office to the dugout to replace longtime skipper Mike Scioscia.General manager Billy Eppler announced the hiring of Ausmus, who served as his special assistant last season. Contract terms were not released. Ausmus will be introduced at Angel Stadium on Monday.Scioscia had held the job since the 2000 season, winning the Angels' only World Series title and becoming the winningest manager in franchise history. He left the club earlier this month after 19 seasons and 1,650 victories.After finishing 80-82 for the second consecutive year, the Angels are coming off three straight losing seasons for the first time since 1992-94. Los Angeles has played only three postseason games in the past nine seasons, losing them all to Kansas City in 2014 after winning the AL West.While both men had lengthy careers as big league catchers, the 49-year-old Ausmus likely represents a philosophical shift... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Brad Ausmus was named the Los Angeles Angels' manager on Sunday, moving from the front office to the dugout to replace longtime skipper Mike Scioscia.General manager Billy Eppler announced the hiring of Ausmus, who served as his special assistant last season. Contract terms were not released. Ausmus will be introduced at Angel Stadium on Monday.Scioscia had held the job since the 2000 season, winning the Angels' only World Series title and becoming the winningest manager in franchise history. He left the club earlier this month after 19 seasons and 1,650 victories.After finishing 80-82 for the second consecutive year, the Angels are coming off three straight losing seasons for the first time since 1992-94. Los Angeles has played only three postseason games in the past nine seasons, losing them all to Kansas City in 2014 after winning the AL West.While both men had lengthy careers as big league catchers, the 49-year-old Ausmus likely represents a philosophical shift... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Brad Ausmus was named the Los Angeles Angels' manager on Sunday, moving from the front office to the dugout to replace longtime skipper Mike Scioscia.General manager Billy Eppler announced the hiring of Ausmus, who served as his special assistant last season. Contract terms were not released.Scioscia had held the job since the 2000 season, winning the Angels' only World Series title and becoming the winningest manager in franchise history. He left the club earlier this month after 19 seasons and 1,650 victories.The 49-year-old Ausmus likely represents a philosophical shift from Scioscia, who was widely perceived as an old-school manager despite his public embrace of new baseball mentalities. After Scioscia's departure three weeks ago, Eppler said he wanted the Angels' new manager to be well-versed in analytics and probability-based decision-making."Ultimately, Brad's balance of connectivity, communication and leadership skills as well as his understanding of evolving... [More]

A look at the best-of-seven World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Tuesday, at Boston, 8:09 p.m.; Game 2, Wednesday, at Boston, 8:09 p.m.; Game 3, Friday, at Los Angeles, 8:09 p.m.; Game 4, Saturday, at Los Angeles, 8:09 p.m.; x-Game 5, Sunday, Oct. 28, at Los Angeles, 8:15 p.m.; x-Game 6, Tuesday, Oct. 30, at Boston, 8:09 p.m.; x-Game 7, Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Boston, 8:09 p.m.x-if necessary.___Season Series: Did not play.___Projected Lineups:Dodgers: 1B-DH David Freese (.282, 9 HRs, 42 RBIs with Pirates; .385, 2, 9 with Dodgers) or 1B-2B-DH Max Muncy (.263, 35, 79, .958 OPS), 3B Justin Turner (.312, 14, 52), SS Manny Machado (.315, 24, 65, .963 OPS with Orioles; .273, 13, 42, .825 OPS with Dodgers), CF-1B Cody Bellinger (.260, 25, 76, 151 Ks in 162 games), LF Chris Taylor (.254, 17, 63, team-high 178 Ks in 155 games) or Joc Pederson (.248, 25, 56) or Matt Kemp (.290, 21, 85, 115 Ks in 146 games), RF Yasiel Puig (.267, 23, 63),... [More]

Sandy Koufax, Jackie Robinson and the Boys of Summer. Ted Williams to Yaz and the Impossible Dream.Manny Ramirez. Pedro Martinez. Bill Buckner.Fenway Franks and Dodger Dogs. Ebbets Field, the Green Monster. "Sweet Caroline" or "I Love L.A."Yet for all their rich history — dating back to Babe Ruth on the mound — the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers have rarely crossed paths heading into this World Series. Only once before in October, and that was more than a century ago.In fact, Clayton Kershaw has never even pitched at Fenway Park.Consider this: Going into Game 1 on Tuesday night, the Dodgers have beaten the Red Sox in Boston just one time.That came on June 12, 2004. And guess who scored and drove in a run for the Dodgers during that 14-5 romp?Alex Cora, now the rookie manager of the Red Sox. One of his teammates that afternoon — Dave Roberts, ready to lead Los Angeles into its second straight Fall Classic."It's great for baseball," Roberts said. "Two storied franchises going head-to-head.... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chris Taylor is sparking Los Angeles with his bat and his glove, just like old times.Only this October, the do-it-all Dodger is looking to finish the job.Taylor capped a terrific NL Championship Series when he made an outstanding catch to help Los Angeles beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 in Game 7 on Saturday night. He also hit .364 (8 for 22), scored four times and played three positions as the Dodgers captured the pennant for the second straight year.The catch came in the fifth, two innings after Taylor moved from second base to left field. He hustled back and made a sliding, reaching grab on the warning track to rob Christian Yelich of a tying extra-base hit."I knew it was in the gap," he said. "I was just trying to run hard, get to the spot, and I think it tailed enough to where I kind of had to change my route and go back toward the fence a little bit, but I'm just glad I caught it."The 28-year-old Taylor got up on his knees and pumped his right fist after the great... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cody Bellinger is the MVP of the NL Championship Series.All it took was a couple of big swings.Bellinger hit a two-run homer to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 in Game 7 on Saturday night. Last season's NL Rookie of the Year also singled home the winning run in the 13th inning of a 2-1 victory in Game 4.The 23-year-old Bellinger opened the playoffs with an 0-for-15 slide and finished with just five hits in the series against Milwaukee. But he certainly made the most of them."All postseason I felt fairly good. I wasn't seeing any results," he said. "And luckily for me I've got a lot of veterans on this team. They said stick with the process and the results will come. And that's exactly what I did and it showed."Bellinger's .200 batting average matched Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for the lowest by a position player selected MVP of a league championship series — with each coming this postseason in the year of the strikeout.Now Bellinger... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Craig Counsell and the Milwaukee Brewers relied on their bullpen all season long.Those hard-throwing relievers finally ran out of gas in the NL Championship Series.Josh Hader was brilliant as usual, but Jeremy Jeffress was tagged for a crucial three-run homer by Yasiel Puig and the Brewers never recovered, losing 5-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 on Saturday night."Devastated. We were right there," Jeffress said.Milwaukee's deep bullpen played a key role in its closing push to a surprising NL Central title. Led by Hader, Jeffress and Corey Knebel, the Brewers led the National League with 42 wins by their relievers and finished second in the league with a 3.47 bullpen ERA.Counsell continued to lean on Hader and Co. in the playoffs, with the Milwaukee manager putting his own spin on the "opener" strategy most notably employed by Tampa Bay this season. Brandon Woodruff replaced Gio Gonzalez after two innings in Game 1 against Los Angeles. Counsell had Wade Miley pitch... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Craig Counsell and the Milwaukee Brewers relied on their bullpen all season long.Those hard-throwing relievers finally ran out of gas in the NL Championship Series.Josh Hader was brilliant as usual, but Jeremy Jeffress was tagged for a crucial three-run homer by Yasiel Puig and the Brewers never recovered, losing 5-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 on Saturday night."Devastated. We were right there," Jeffress said.Milwaukee's deep bullpen played a key role in its closing push to a surprising NL Central title. Led by Hader, Jeffress and Corey Knebel, the Brewers led the National League with 42 wins by their relievers and finished second in the league with a 3.47 bullpen ERA.Counsell continued to lean on Hader and Co. in the playoffs, with the Milwaukee manager putting his own spin on the "opener" strategy most notably employed by Tampa Bay this season. Brandon Woodruff replaced Gio Gonzalez after two innings in Game 1 against Los Angeles. Counsell had Wade Miley pitch... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Julio Urias pitched with a heavy heart in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers advance to the World Series a night after his grandmother died.Enrique Hernandez shared the news with teammates and asked the Dodgers to toast Urias before popping champagne following a 5-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.The left-handed Urias got one of the biggest outs of the game in the fifth inning after relieving starter Walker Buehler. Urias allowed a line drive to Christian Yelich that left fielder Chris Taylor caught on the warning track with a sliding effort. Urias also pitched in Game 6, and this was the first time in his career he pitched on consecutive days.Urias debuted as a teenager in 2016 but missed most of the next two seasons due to shoulder issues. The 22-year-old returned this September and has been pitching out of the bullpen. He's allowed a run in 3 1/3 innings this postseason.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Astros second baseman Jose Altuve had surgery on his right knee, one day after Houston was eliminated by Boston in the AL Championship Series.Altuve was the AL MVP in 2017, when he hit a major league-leading .346 with 24 homers and 81 RBIs as the Astros won their first World Series title.He was on the disabled list for the first time this year, missing 21 games while sidelined from July 28 to Aug. 21. Altuve hit .316 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs and manager AJ Hinch said the six-time All-Star was playing pretty much on one leg during the postseason.Altuve batted .250 with two RBIs in the five-game loss to the Red Sox, who will play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.Houston announced the operation on Saturday and did not say where it took place Friday. The Astros said he is expected to be ready for spring training.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Cody Bellinger is the MVP of the NL Championship Series.All it took was a couple of big swings.Bellinger hit a two-run homer to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 in Game 7 on Saturday night. Last season's NL Rookie of the Year also singled home the winning run in the 13th inning of a 2-1 victory in Game 4.The 23-year-old Bellinger opened the playoffs with an 0-for-15 slide and finished with just five hits in the series against Milwaukee. But he certainly made the most of them."All postseason I felt fairly good. I wasn't seeing any results," he said. "And luckily for me I've got a lot of veterans on this team. They said stick with the process and the results will come. And that's exactly what I did and it showed."Bellinger's .200 batting average matched Boston Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for the lowest by a position player selected MVP of a league championship series — with each coming this postseason in the year of the strikeout. Bellinger... [More]