ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mookie Betts slid headfirst across home plate, then popped up and did a double pump with his right fist. An inning later, he got to trot around the bases after going deep. That big commitment to Betts is already paying off for the Los Angeles Dodgers this postseason. After run-saving catches in three consecutive potential elimination games to get the Dodgers this far, Betts put his speed, instincts and power on display in Game 1 of the World Series. There was a Ruth-like journey around the bases to score — and that was before his solo homer in an 8-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. Betts led off the Dodgers fifth with a walk and stole second base. After NL Championship Series MVP Corey Seagar drew a walk behind him, they pulled off a double steal. Then, with the Rays infield playing in, Max Muncy hit a bouncer to first baseman Yandy Diaz, who threw on the run after Betts broke quickly for the plate. He slid past the attempted tag for a 3-1 lead. The... [More]

Cody Bellinger bashed a home run in the World Series opener, and celebrated with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates. Foot taps — not forearm knocks. Much easier on his delicate right shoulder that popped out of its socket during a home run celebration in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. Bellinger’s two-run shot gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning and they went on to an 8-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. Instead of jumping up and banging elbows, a grinning Bellinger ran up to teammate Max Muncy and exchanged foot taps before making his way down a line of Dodgers doing the same thing. Bellinger and Mookie Betts traded taps with their right feet as Justin Turner laughed, Will Smith clapped and manager Dave Roberts appeared to be smiling behind his face mask. There had been concern about Bellinger's shoulder after the Dodgers wrapped up the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves. He said it felt sore going into the World Series. His shoulder took another hit in... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers left the Tampa Bay Rays stuck in neutral to start a most strange World Series played amid the pandemic. Kershaw dominated for six innings, Bellinger and Betts homered and the Dodgers chased a wild Tyler Glasnow in the fifth inning for an 8-3 win Tuesday night in the first Series held at a neutral site. A crowd limited by the coronavirus to 11,388 at Globe Life Field, the new $1.2 billion home of the Texas Rangers, marked the smallest for baseball’s top event in 111 years. Kershaw, a regular season star with an erratic postseason history, looked like the ace who so often stars on midsummer evenings with the San Gabriel Mountains behind him at Dodger Stadium. With these games shifted, the 32-year-old left-hander wound up pitching not far from his offseason home in Dallas. The three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and two hits, struck out eight and walked one. He induced 19 swings and... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Glasnow had already given up Cody Bellinger’s two-run homer and four of his six walks when he went back out for the fifth inning. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash might have waited a smidge too long to go to his bullpen in Game 1 of the World Series. Glasnow was charged with all four runs in the small-ball fifth by the Los Angeles Dodgers — three singles, four walks and three stolen bases that tied a Fall Classic record — as the Rays lost 8-3 on Tuesday night in the franchise's first Series game since 2008. The 6-foot-8 Glasnow started fast enough in his first World Series start, pumping the occasional 100 mph fastball while matching postseason veteran Clayton Kershaw out for out through three innings. But after striking out three around the second of his three walks to Corey Seager in the third, Glasnow walked Max Muncy to start the fourth. Two batters later, Bellinger hit the fastest pitch he ever has for a homer (98.2 mph). Glasnow, who struck out eight, started... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Julie and Lance Smith walked through the mostly empty concourse of Globe Life Field. Tampa Bay infielder Joey Wendle is married to one of their cousins, and they weren’t going to miss his World Series debut. “It’s so weird,” said Julie Smith, 38, from Gadsden, Alabama. “It’s kind of nice in a way, too,” Lance, 39, said before they headed to their seats in the first deck behind home plate. They wore masks, but many fans ignored the requirement for facial coverings except while eating or drinking at their ticketed seats. A crowd of about 11,000 was expected for Tuesday night’s World Series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, spread in groups of up to four, mostly in alternate rows and none directly behind each other among the forest green seats, That would be the smallest for a World Series game in about 111 years. Major League Baseball planned to make about 11,500 tickets available for each game, about 28% of the 40,518 capacity at the retractable-roof... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Outfielder Brett Phillips and left-hander Ryan Sherriff have been added to the Tampa Bay Rays' roster for the World Series. Right-hander Aaron Slegers and left-hander José Alvarado were dropped Tuesday before the opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tampa Bay goes with 13 pitchers, one fewer than during the AL Championship Series against Houston, which was played on seven consecutive days. The World Series has off days after Games 2 and 5. The Dodgers did not make any changes from their NL Championship Series roster against Atlanta and will carry 15 pitchers and 13 position players. Phillips was 0 for 2 in the Division Series against the New York Yankees, appearing in three games, and he played once without an at-bat in the first round against Toronto. Sherriff has not pitched since the final day of the regular season on Sept. 27. He figures to be used at high-leverage times against Dodgers left-handed batters, a group that includes Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Max Muncy. Sherriff joins Aaron Loup, Josh Fleming, Shane McClanahan and Ryan Yarbrough as lefties in the bullpen. Slegers pitched 3 2/3 innings over two appearances against the Astros and had one appearance against the Yankees. Alvarado pitched 1 2/3 innings over two games against Houston. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Oct. 21 1973 — Bert Campaneris and Reggie Jackson hit two-run homers in the third inning, powering the Oakland A’s past the New York Mets 5-2 in Game 7 of the World Series. It was the second straight World Championship for the A’s. 1975 — Carlton Fisk broke up one of the best games in World Series history with a homer in the 12th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 victory against the Cincinnati Reds, forcing a seventh game. 1976 — The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series in four games with a 7-2 victory over the New York Yankees. Johnny Bench had two home runs for five RBIs. It was the Reds’ second straight championship and marked the first time a team had swept the playoffs and World Series. New York’s Thuman Munson tied a World Series record with six straight singles. 1980 — The Philadelphia Phillies became World Series champions for the first time in their 98-year history with a 4-1 triumph over the Kansas City Royals in Game 6. 1981 — New York’s Tommy John and closer Goose Gossage... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andrew Friedman isn’t quite torn. The Dodgers’ president of baseball operations since October 2014, he helped build Los Angeles into a power that reached the World Series for the third time in four seasons. He had been Tampa Bay’s executive vice president of baseball operations since 2006, building a team that reached the World Series in 2008, overseeing the acquisition of Kevin Kiermaier, Blake Snell and Diego Castillo and a staff with many holdovers still in place. With the Dodgers, he oversaw the acquisition of Mookie Betts and Brusdar Graterol, the drafting of Walker Buehler and the signing of A.J. Pollock, Max Muncy and Blake Treinen. "It kind of hit me today waking up and processing all the text messages and questions about it,” Friedman said Monday, a day before the Dodgers and Rays face each other in the World Series opener. “It’s definitely surreal. Some of my best friends in life are there. And we joked when I left the team that we were going to meet up... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cody Bellinger knocked his right shoulder out of whack with a celebration after his home run that sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series. The reigning NL MVP said Monday he was “feeling pretty good” and manager Dave Roberts said he expects Bellinger to start in center field for Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. Bellinger, who had already separated his shoulder multiple times, hurt it again with the emphatic celebration that followed his go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night. He did a leaping high-five with Kiké Hernández, whose pinch-hit solo shot an inning earlier had tied the game. “It was an exciting time. It was pure adrenaline, kind of like a thing where you just black out,” Bellinger said. "I wish that I didn’t do it, but it was such a cool moment for me, and it was just pure excitement.” Bellinger said the discomfort was similar... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Clayton Kershaw has pitched in the final game of the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers six of the last seven years. None of those were followed by lifting the World Series trophy. There are his three National League Cy Young Awards, even an MVP during one of his 21-win seasons, and the current streak of eight consecutive NL West titles for the Dodgers. But the 32-year-old ace lefty has a losing record (11-12) in the postseason — and Los Angeles hasn't won a World Series since 1988. That is the same year Kershaw was born in Dallas, where he still lives and not far from where he is about to get another chance to change that for the Dodgers and add a huge missing piece to his otherwise sparkling resume. “I was throwing sim games May and June in Dallas, thinking about, man, are we even going to play a season?" Kershaw said Monday. And now for the third time in four years, Kershaw is set to start Game 1 of the World Series for the Dodgers, who were on the verge of their... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tyler Glasnow will start Tuesday night's World Series opener for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Blake Snell will be on the mound for Game 2 on Wednesday night. Glasnow, a 27-year-old right-hander, was 5-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 11 starts during the regular season and 2-1 with a 4,66 ERA in four postseason starts. His fastball averaged nearly 98 mph this season. Snell, a 27-year-old left-hander who won the 2018 AL Cy Young Award, was 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 regular-season starts and 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA in four postseason starts. Clayton Kershaw appeared to be the likely choice to start Game 1 for the Dodgers. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Nationals hired Jim Hickey on Monday as their pitching coach. Hickey is entering his 38th season in pro baseball after spending the past two with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a special assistant for player development. He has 15 years' experience as a pitching coach in the majors. Hickey succeeds Paul Menhart, who was not brought back after his contract expired. The 59-year-old Hickey coached alongside current Washington manager Dave Martinez with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2008-14. Hickey will oversee a Nationals pitching staff led by Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. “He brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion to the job," Martinez said. “He’s led a lot of really good pitching staffs over the years and has been a part of many successful clubs along the way. He’s helped countless pitchers improve, achieve their full potential and become All-Stars.” Hickey was last a pitching coach in 2018 with the Chicago Cubs. Before his decade with the Rays, he spent three seasons with the Houston Astros. Before that, Hickey spent seven years as a pitcher in the minors from 1983-89. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Oct. 20 1910 — Philadelphia’s Jack Coombs, on one day of rest, had a complete-game victory to beat the Chicago Cubs 12-5 and give the Athletics a 3-0 lead in the World Series. Coombs also had three hits and drove in three runs in the game. 1972 — In the fifth game of the World Series, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds homered on the first pitch of the game from Oakland’s Catfish Hunter, and the Reds went on to win 5-4. 1973 — Reggie Jackson of Oakland had RBI doubles in the first and third innings to lead the A’s to a 3-1 victory over the New York Mets and set up a seventh game in the World Series. 1982 — The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 in Game 7 to win the World Series. 1988 — Orel Hershiser pitched a four-hitter and Mickey Hatcher and Mike Davis hit two-run homers to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics and the World Series title in five games. Hershiser became only the third player to win the MVP in both the playoffs and the World... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Corey Seager bashed his way to NLCS MVP. Once the Los Angeles Dodgers finally finished off the Atlanta Braves, the choice was obvious. Seager helped power Los Angeles to its third World Series in four years, and another chance to win its first title since 1988. The sweet-swinging shortstop set NLCS records with five homers and 11 RBIs as the Dodgers eliminated the Braves in seven games. Even though he went 0 for 5 and left five runners on base in the Dodgers’ clinching 4-3 win Sunday night, Seager homered three times in the previous two games when they were also facing elimination. “It wasn’t me, it was this team,” Seager said after accepting the MVP trophy. The Dodgers matched an LCS record with their 16 homers, including clutch drives by Kiké Hernández and Cody Bellinger in Game 7. Seager, the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, homered twice in a 7-3 win in Game 5 on Friday night. The next day, his solo homer ignited a a three-run first inning that was more than enough... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mookie Betts is leaping into the World Series, carrying to the Los Angeles Dodgers with his glove rather than with his bat. The star right fielder made his third terrific catch in three days, this time robbing Freddie Freeman of a home run and helping the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 Sunday night in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. Los Angeles trailed 3-2 in the fifth inning, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts already had brought on his third pitcher when the Braves made a bid to widen their lead. Freeman drove a cutter deep to right field, and Betts sprinted to the wall and jumped, just to the side of a credit-card advertisement. His glove above the eight-foot top, he snatched the ball as it was headed over. Run saved! Another web gem, perhaps even more impressive than his robberies of Dansby Swanson in Game 5 with a shoestring grab and of Marcell Ozuna in Game 6 against the wall a little bit more toward center. “I feel like I did something good for the... [More]

2020— Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers 2019_Howie Kendrick, Washington Nationals 2018_Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers 2017_Justin Turner and Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers 2016_Javier Baez and Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs 2015_Daniel Murphy, New York Mets 2014_Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants 2013_Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals 2012_Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants 2011_David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals 2010_Cody Ross, San Francisco Giants 2009_Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies 2008_Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies 2007_Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies 2006_Jeff Suppan, St. Louis Cardinals 2005_Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros 2004_Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals 2003_Ivan Rodriguez, Florida Marlins 2002_Benito Santiago, San Francisco Giants 2001_Craig Counsell, Arizona Diamondbacks 2000_Mike Hampton, New York Mets 1999_Eddie Perez, Atlanta Braves 1998_Sterling Hitchcock, San Diego Padres 1997_Livan Hernandez, Florida Marlins 1996_Javy Lopez, Atlanta Braves 1995_Mike Devereaux,... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Miami Marlins executive Michael Hill's 19-season tenure with the franchise has ended. Hill was president of baseball operations for the past six years and provided continuity after a 2017 change in ownership, but his contract expired and he will not be back next season, CEO Derek Jeter said Sunday. Hill joined the Marlins' front office in 2002, and the next year they won the World Series. But this year's 31-29 finish was their first above .500 since 2009, and they made the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Hill helped steer the Marlins through a coronavirus outbreak that nearly derailed their season. The Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card round of the playoffs before being eliminated by Atlanta and exceeded all outside expectations with a young, patchwork roster one year after losing 105 games. Hill was general manager for six seasons before becoming president of baseball operations. He worked for three years in the Jeter regime as the organization underwent heavy turnover. Hill had a hand in the record $325 million, 13-year contract Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Marlins in 2014. He later was involved in trading Stanton and All-Stars Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Dee Gordon and J.T. Realmuto as the Marlins rebuilt from the farm system up under Jeter. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ___ Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steve_Wine

Oct. 19 1972 — The Oakland A’s rallied for two ninth-inning runs for a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series. 1976 — The Cincinnati Reds took a commanding 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the World Series with a 6-2 victory at Yankee Stadium. Cincinnati designated hitter Dan Driessen had a single, double, home run and a walk to lead the attack. Jim Mason had a solo homer in the seventh inning for the only home run by the Yankees in the series. 1981 — Los Angeles’ Rick Monday hit a ninth-inning home run to give the Dodgers a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos and the National League pennant. 1999 — Kenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 11th inning, sending the Atlanta Braves to the World Series with a 10-9 victory over the New York Mets in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series. 2004 — Curt Schilling, pitching on a dislocated ankle tendon held down by three sutures put in the day before, gave up one... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Houston Astros spent this odyssey of a season as baseball's biggest villains. When Aledmys Diaz flied out with a runner on first to end Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, the bad guys finally lost. Ridiculed, roasted and ripped all year long, the Astros still summoned enough October heart and poise to reach the brink of another World Series. Manager Dusty Baker's club even came agonizingly close to matching the biggest playoff comeback in baseball history in a wild ALCS. Although they couldn't quite conjure one more incredible postseason feat, this playoff run should be a source of pride for these Astros long after the boos stop. Although if fans are allowed back in most stadiums in 2021, this tarnished franchise probably won't hear the end of 2020 anytime soon. Houston fell behind early and never caught up in a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 7 on Saturday night, coming up short of an astonishing series comeback after three consecutive victories. After winning two... [More]

2020_Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay 2019_Jose Altuve, Houston 2018_Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston 2017_Justin Verlander, Houston 2016_Andrew Miller, Cleveland Indians 2015_Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals 2014_Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals 2013_Koji Uehara, Boston Red Sox 2012_Delmon Young, Detroit Tigers 2011_Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers 2010_Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers 2009_CC Sabathia, New York Yankees 2008_Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays 2007_Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox 2006_Placido Polanco, Detroit Tigers 2005_Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox 2004_David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox 2003_Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees 2002_Adam Kennedy, Anaheim Angels 2001_Andy Pettitte, New York Yankees 2000_David Justice, New York Yankees 1999_Orlando Hernandez, New York Yankees 1998_David Wells, New York Yankees 1997_Marquis Grissom, Cleveland Indians 1996_Bernie Williams, New York Yankees 1995_Orel Hershiser, Cleveland Indians 1994_strike 1993_Dave Stewart, Toronto Blue Jays 1992_Roberto Alomar, Toronto Blue Jays 1991_Kirby Puckett, Minnesota Twins 1990_Dave Stewart, Oakland Athletics 1989_Rickey Henderson, Oakland Athletics 1988_Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics 1987_Gary Gaetti, Minnesota Twins 1986_Marty Barrett, Boston Red Sox 1985_George Brett, Kansas City Royals 1984_Kirk Gibson, Detroit Tigers 1983_Mike Boddicker, Baltimore Orioles 1982_Fred Lynn, California Angels 1981_Graig Nettles, New York Yankees 1980_Frank White, Kansas City Royals