Glasnow, Kershaw given starting nods; Snell to go in Game 2
ARLINGTON, Texas — Tyler Glasnow will start Tuesday’s World Series opener for the Rays and Clayton Kershaw will go for the Dodgers. Blake Snell will go for the Rays in Game 2.
Glasnow, a 27yearold righthander, was 51 with a 4.08 ERA in 11 starts in the regular season and 21 with a 4.66 ERA in four postseason starts. His fastball averages nearly 98 mph.
Snell, a 27yearold lefthander who won the 2018 AL Cy Young Award, was 42 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 regularseason starts and 22 with a 3.20 ERA in four postseason starts.
Kershaw, a threetime NL Cy Young Award winner, was 62 with a 2.16 ERA during the season. He is 21 with a 3.32 ERA in four postseason starts, leaving him with an 1112 record and 4.31 ERA in his postseason career, including 12 with a 5.40 ERA in four World Series starts and a relief appearance in Game 7 in 2017.
Los Angeles did not announce a Game 2 starter. The Dodgers must decide whether to start ace Walker Buehler on three days’ rest or to have him pitch Game 3 on Friday with extra rest. Star rises: ALCS MVP Randy Arozarena has been the breakout star of the postseason, hitting .382 with a rookierecord seven homers and 10 RBIs. The Cuban Rocket needs one home run to match the major league mark of eight in a postseason, held by Barry Bonds ( 2002), Carlos Beltran ( 2004) and Nelson Cruz ( 2011). Arozarena’s 21 hits are one shy of Derek Jeter’s 1996 rookie postseason record. Clash of cultures: L. A. lives in the limelight. Tampa Bay, a 1998 expansion team, made its only previous trip to the Series in 2008, losing to the Phillies. It remains the secondlowest viewed Series since ratings began in 1968.
Tropicana Field has quirky catwalks that obstruct popups and often is nearly empty. To become more of a regional draw, Tampa Bay tried playing two series in a spring training ballpark in Kissimmee in 2007 and 2008.
The Dodgers have played at Dodger Stadium since 1962, with a short stop at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Dodger Stadium remains one of the world’s most iconic venues. Umpires set: Bill Miller, working his fourth Series, will be the umpire crew chief and work home plate for Game 3. The 53yearold Miller, who made his big league debut in 1997, also worked the Fall Classic in 2010, 2013 and 2017. Miller’s crew: Jerry Meals, Mark Carlson, Laz Diaz, Chris Guccione, Marvin Hudson and Todd Tichenor. Diaz will be behind the plate Tuesday. He also worked the Series in 2007 and 2017. Obstacles overcome: Tampa Bay thrived despite injuries that forced manager Kevin Cash to juggle his rotation and tinker with bullpen roles. Twelve pitchers earned a save, matching the big league record set by the 1973 Rangers. Peter Fairbanks became the 13th in the playoff opener against Toronto. Question mark: Justin Turner’s exploits in October have made him one of the Dodgers’ great postseason performers, but he was on the injured list with a strained hamstring in September and tweaked his thumb on the last weekend of the regular season. He batted just .209 with a homer and four RBIs during the NL playoffs. Double duty: James Loney, Carl Crawford, Jose Cruz, Logan Forsythe, Dioner Navarro and J. P. Howell played for the Dodgers and Rays. And Manny Ramirez, who went from L. A. to sign with the Rays but quit after five games rather than serve a drug suspension.