ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mookie Betts jumped high against the 8-foot wall in right field, landing on an advertisement with the word “Extreme. His catch that robbed Marcell Ozuna to end the fifth inning with a runner on was extreme, just like the running, shoestring scoop the Dodgers star made a night earlier that started a double play and took an Atlanta run off the scoreboard. “I feel like I did something good for the team, even though I hadn’t done too much with the bat,” Betts said Sunday. He knew what he had accomplished. Head raised and bobbing back and forth, mouth open wide as he screamed and face flush with emotion, he held the ball at his midsection and took a few gallops toward the plate before joyfully throwing the ball back in. “That’s a huge spark. That’s an unbelievable play by an unbelievable player in a big moment,” shortstop Corey Seager said. “That's what you need to win baseball games at this time of year.” Walker Buehler stood near the mound, his right hand forming a... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Atlanta Braves made another baserunning mistake with a lead in the NL Championship Series. This one was much more costly. The Braves ruined a promising fourth inning by running into a wild double play before the bats went cold in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 on Sunday night. “We made some mistakes,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times that really hurt. Games like these, runs are so hard to come by, you pretty much got to play flawless baseball.” A year after imploding in a deciding Game 5 of their Division Series against St. Louis, the Braves fell short in their first NLCS since 2001 with their sixth straight loss in a winner-take-all game. Atlanta couldn’t hold a 3-1 series lead in an NLCS for the first time after winning each of the previous three with that commanding lead. The Braves haven't been to the World Series since 1999. Dodgers relievers retired 17 of the final 18 Braves batters, all following... [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. “Obviously it wasn’t just me. That was a complete team effort right there,” Seager said. “Absolutely grinded throughout that series. That was a test every single night. We’re up for the next one too.” The Dodgers, who stay in Texas to play Tampa Bay in the World Series, matched an LCS record with their 16 homers. That included clutch drives by Kiké Hernández and Cody Bellinger in Game... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: SERIES SET In a most unpredictable season, the teams with the best records in each league are set to meet in the World Series. The Dodgers and Rays will open in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night after each finished memorable League Championship Series matchups this weekend. Neither team has announced its starting pitcher for Game 1, but aces Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Tyler Glasnow of the Rays are lined up to throw. Because of their superior record, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, NLCS MVP Corey Seager and Los Angeles have “home field advantage” for the neutral site Series and will bat last in Games 1 and 2, and then in 6 and 7, if necessary. Manager Dave Roberts’ Dodgers went 43-17, the best record in the majors by eight wins. They overcame a 3-1 deficit in the NLCS, beat Atlanta 4-3 on Bellinger’s late home run in Game 7 Sunday night and reached the World Series for the third time in four years. Rookie sensation Randy Arozarena... [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 64 feet to the wall and jumped, just to the side of a credit-card advertisement. His glove above the 8-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. “The one yesterday was probably the... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The World Series matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays is a rare meeting of baseball’s best for the title, and a matchup of organizations with Andrew Friedman’s imprint. Friedman was the Rays’ director of baseball operations from 2004-05 and then general manager from until he left in October 2014 to become the Dodgers' president of baseball operations. Game 1 is Tuesday night. Retired first baseman James Loney, a veteran of both organizations, describes the Rays as “feisty.” “We were always fighting. But we always did feel like we were the better team,” he said Sunday. “I don’t ever feel like we went out there overmatched. We didn’t care who was pitching. We didn’t care what kind of lineup they had. We were bringing that mentality and I think the Rays team this year has that.” “Both teams are really committed to winning and trying to find any kind of edge they could,” added Loney, who played for the Dodgers from 2006-11 and the Rays from 2013-15.... [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 and 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... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 2 of the World Series (all times local): 10:50 p.m. Brandon Lowe hit two home runs to break out of an extended postseason slump and the Tampa Bay Rays held off the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4, tying the World Series at one game apiece. Down 5-0, the Dodgers closed within 6-4 on Corey Seager’s solo homer in the eighth. Aaron Loup relieved and struck out Cody Bellinger with a runner on base to prevent further damage. Joey Wendle also drove in three runs for Tampa Bay. Will Smith and Chris Taylor homered to help the Dodgers rally. After a day off, Game 3 will be Friday night at neutral site Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. Charlie Morton starts for the Rays against Walker Buehler in a matchup of pitchers who have both excelled in October outings. ___ 10:33 p.m. Corey Seager hit a leadoff drive in the eighth inning for his seventh homer this postseason, and the Los Angeles Dodgers trimmed Tampa Bay’s lead to 6-4 heading to the ninth in Game... [More]

Game 1 of the World Series was all about Mookie Betts and his quest to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a title and fans across the country a free taco. Game 2 gave us a $27.50 hot dog that could feed the family, and a reminder that the Tampa Bay Rays may be even better than the sum of their bargain basement parts. Now Major League Baseball can only hope that fans are hungrier for more. A World Series unlike any other is knotted 1-1 after the Rays jumped on a parade of early Dodger pitchers on their way to a 5-0 lead Wednesday night that they never relinquished. They did it behind two opposite-field home runs from Brandon Lowe, who had been mired in a deep postseason slump, and a succession of pitchers who held the Dodgers to just five hits — though three of them left the park at spacious Globe Life Field in Texas. Betts wasn’t a factor, but the Dodgers' makeshift pitching rotation was. A day after ace Clayton Kershaw pitched six strong innings, Tony Gonsolin got only four outs and the six... [More]

Game 1 of the World Series was all about Mookie Betts and his quest to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a title and fans across the country a free taco. Game 2 gave us a $27.50 hot dog that could feed the family, and a reminder that the Tampa Bay Rays may be even better than the sum of their bargain basement parts. Now Major League Baseball can only hope that fans are hungrier for more. A World Series unlike any other is knotted 1-1 after the Rays jumped on a parade of early Dodger pitchers on their way to a 5-0 lead Wednesday night that they never relinquished. They did it behind two opposite field home runs from Brandon Lowe, who had been mired in a deep postseason slump, and a succession of pitchers who held the Dodgers to just five hits — though three of them left the park at spacious Globe Life Field in Texas. Betts wasn’t a factor, but the Dodgers' makeshift pitching rotation was. A day after ace Clayton Kershaw pitched six strong innings, Tony Gonsolin got only four outs and the six... [More]

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) — The Latest on Game 1 of the World Series (all times local): ___ 4:37 p.m. Pentatonix will sing the national anthem before Game 1 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Grammy-winning a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, prerecorded the song that will be shown on video at Globe Life Field. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will give the call of “Play ball!” Ceremonial first pitch duties will be handled by four frontline healthcare workers who are serving during the coronavirus pandemic. Married nurses Jamie Edens and Ryan Ward are from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Erika Combs is a nurse in Dallas. Brittney Burns is a nurse practitioner from San Antonio. ___ 4:22 p.m. Cody Bellinger was in his normal spot in the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Bellinger was batting sixth and playing center field Tuesday night, two days after knocking his right shoulder out of whack during his... [More]

A capsule look at the best-of-seven World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers in Arlington, Texas, beginning Tuesday night: ___ Season Series: Did not play. ___ TAMPA BAY RAYS Record: 40-20. Playoff Entry: AL East champions. Playoff Seed: No. 1. Manager: Kevin Cash (sixth season). Projected Rotation: RHP Tyler Glasnow (5-1, 4.08 ERA, 91 Ks in 57 1/3 IP), LHP Blake Snell (4-2, 3.24, 63 Ks in 50 IP), RHP Charlie Morton (2-2, 4.74, 42 Ks in 38 IP), LHP Ryan Yarbrough (1-4, 3.56). Top Hitters: 2B Brandon Lowe (.269, 14 HRs, 37 RBIs, 36 runs, .916 OPS), LF Randy Arozarena (.281, 7, 11, 1.022 OPS in 23 games), SS Willy Adames (.259, 8, 23, .813 OPS). Top Relievers: RHP Nick Anderson (2-1, 0.55 ERA, 6 saves), RHP Diego Castillo (3-0, 1.66, 4 saves), RHP Pete Fairbanks (6-3, 2.70). Series Summary: It's the second American League pennant for the Rays, who began play as an expansion team in 1998. They lost the 2008 World Series to Philadelphia in five games. ... Tampa Bay opened... [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]

A look at what's happening around the majors on Monday: SERIES SET In a most unpredictable season, the teams with the best records in each league are set to meet in the World Series. The Dodgers and Rays will open in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night after each finished memorable League Championship Series matchups this weekend. Neither team has announced its starting pitcher for Game 1, but aces Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Tyler Glasnow of the Rays are lined up to throw. Because of their superior record, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, NLCS MVP Corey Seager and Los Angeles have “home field advantage” for the neutral site Series and will bat last in Games 1 and 2, and then in 6 and 7, if necessary. Manager Dave Roberts’ Dodgers went 43-17, the best record in the majors by eight wins. They overcame a 3-1 deficit in the NLCS, beat Atlanta 4-3 on Bellinger’s late home run in Game 7 Sunday night and reached the World Series for the third time in four years. Rookie sensation Randy Arozarena... [More]