For just the fourth time since the start of the Wild Card Era in 1995, the teams with the best record in each league will play in the World Series.
For the third time in the last four seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers have their ticket to the Fall Classic punched. They are in pursuit of their first championship since 1988.
For the second time in franchise history, the Tampa Bay Rays will appear in the World Series. It’s their first appearance in 12 years.
Let’s turn away from those surface-level bits of information. This is the best versus the best. A team with the third-lowest payroll in Major League Baseball against the team with the second-highest.
Here are 10 statistics that made Tuesday’s Game 1 that much more historic, six original and four from Twitter:
- Clayton Kershaw has started each Game 1 of the Dodgers’ recent World Series appearances. He threw a first-pitch strike in each start.
- The Dodgers had just one runner reach base in the first inning in each of their last three World Series appearances (Chris Taylor HR in 2017, David Freese single in 2018, Corey Seager walk in 2020).
- The Dodgers’ opposing starting pitchers in Game 1 of each of their last three World Series appearances were making their World Series debuts; they scored at least three runs off each starter, hit at least 1 HR, and none of the three starting pitchers made it through seven innings pitched (Dallas Keuchel, Chris Sale, Tyler Glasnow).
- ALCS MVPs are a combined 1-12 in Game 1 of the World Series since 2017. (Verlander, Jackie Bradley Jr., Jose Altuve, Randy Arozarena). On the other hand, NLCS MVPs are a combined 2-15 in the first game since they were recognized for their performance in the pennant-clinching round (Justin Turner/Taylor, Cody Bellinger, Howie Kendrick, Seager).
- Mookie Betts went 1-4 with a walk and two runs scored in Game 1 of the 2018 World Series against the Dodgers. He went 2-4 with a walk and two runs scored in Game 1 for the Dodgers on Tuesday.
- In just the two World Series Game 1’s in Rays history, both starting pitchers (Scott Kazmir, Glasnow) allowed at least four walks and surrendered a home run. Offensively, the Rays collected just two extra-base hits in both Game 1’s. A double and home run all by left-handed batters.
Here are several statistics from reporters via Twitter:
Yes, once! 1944 was the only time in #WorldSeries history that there was 0 bases stolen https://t.co/K2tYcOTxiD https://t.co/bCRt5oqz8R
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) October 21, 2020
Mookie Betts is the 2nd player in World Series history with a walk and multiple stolen bases in an inning, joining Babe Ruth in 1921.
Ruth did so in the 5th inning of Game 2 of the 1921 World Series against the Giants. pic.twitter.com/wN6fQaO9sk
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 21, 2020
#Dodgers Clayton Kershaw no longer has the highest ERA in #postseason history among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched – now that is CC Sabathia.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) October 21, 2020
Cody Bellinger is the second player in #Postseason history to hit go-ahead HRs in Game 7 of the LCS and Game 1 of the #WorldSeries.
The other was David Ortiz in 2004 https://t.co/V4MJnBekC0 pic.twitter.com/gUVcJn8BNK
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) October 21, 2020
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