Fresh faces ready to go on big stage

LOS ANGELES » Carlos Correa is such a fresh face, his first big league hit was assisted by technology.

When he made his debut for Houston on June 8, 2015, Correa hit a threehopper off White Sox ace Chris Sale and was called out by first base umpire Larry Vanover. About a minute later, a replay umpire in New York overruled the call , and the 20-yearold had an infield single and his first RBI.

A new generation of ballplayers is featured in the World Series starting Tuesday night. Houston’s dynamic infield duo of Correa and the diminutive Jose Altuve sparks the top offense in the major leagues. The tantalizing trio of Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Chris Taylor has the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Series for the first time since 1988.

“Media day in Oklahoma City was about two people there, and now I’m here and getting ready for the World Series,” Bellinger said, surrounding by dozens of reporters in the Dodger Stadium’s Dugout Club. “I could never imagine this.”

Altuve skipped TripleA and made it to the major leagues on July 20, 2011, after Houston traded Jeff Keppinger to San Francisco. He singled off Washington’s Tyler Clippard that night in his big league debut.

Houston finished last in each of his first three seasons. Now Altuve is among four Astros remaining from the team that lost a clubrecord 111 games in 2013, joined by pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Brad Peacock along with utilityman Marwin Gonzalez.