STARTING PITCHERS
Dodgers’ Alex Wood
Wood, a left-hander, had a spectacular regular season, making the All-Star team, winning a career-high 16 games and losing only one of eight decisions on the road. In his only postseason start, perhaps rusty because it had been three weeks since his last start, he gave up three home runs in 42⁄3 innings in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Wood relies primarily on a sinker and he has gone to his changeup more this season than in the past. The Astros hit .278 against left-handers during the regular season but had a record of 21-23 against left-handed starters. Wood on the increased use of his changeup: “It’s really just game plan. Situational stuff. Just pure coincidence honestly. It’s not like we have a mind-set or an idea where we’re going to throw a lot of changeups or breaking balls or whatnot. It’s kind of just how the situation lays out and how we match up with the individual hitter.”
Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, speaking to Dodger Insider on Wood: “When he’s got his breaking ball, it’s as good as there is in the game. He’s got three weapons and command that is really good, so that’s pretty much a lethal combination.” Houston’s Charlie Morton
The veteran righthander won a career-high 14 games this season, his first with the Astros. He also struck out a career-high 163 batters in 1462⁄3 innings. Like Wood, Morton’s favorite pitch is his sinker, which he throws about a third of the time. But his most effective one is his curveball; opponents are hitting only .104 against the pitch. He also has a four-seam fastball that sits in the low 90s. Morton has struggled in the postseason this year, winning only once in three starts and giving up seven runs in 82⁄3 innings. What Morton said: “Most people don’t get a chance to play in the postseason, let alone in the World Series. I’m going to try to enjoy it. But at the same time, I’ve got a job to do.” Yankees third baseman Chase Headley on Morton during the American League Championship Series: “He’s got great stuff. He’s certainly no pushover. He’s very capable of going out and doing similar things as their top two guys.”