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A16 sports
Tuesday 20 OcTOber 2020
Dodgers-Rays rare wild-card era matchup of baseball's best

By RONALD BLUM player in common: Manny
AP Baseball Writer Ramirez was acquired by
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — the Dodgers from Boston in
The World Series matchup July 2008 and stayed until
between the Los Angeles August 2010.
Dodgers and Tampa Bay He signed with the Rays for
Rays is a rare meeting of the 2011 season but retired
baseball's best for the title, after five games rather
and a matchup of organi- than face a 100-game sus-
zations with Andrew Fried- pension for a positive drug
man's imprint. test.
Friedman was the Rays' di- Tampa Bay began as an
rector of baseball opera- expansion team in 1998
tions from 2004-05 and then and transformed from
general manager from un- Devil Rays to plain old Rays
til he left in October 2014 for the 2008 season, the
to become the Dodgers' first after Stuart Sternberg
president of baseball op- bought control from found-
erations. ing owner Vince Naimoli.
Game 1 is Tuesday night. The Rays beat Boston in
Retired first baseman Game 7 of the AL Cham-
James Loney, a veteran pionship Series that year as
of both organizations, de- Matt Garza outpitched Jon
scribes the Rays as "feisty." Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner tags Atlanta Braves' Dansby Swanson in a run Lester. Evan Longoria, Willy
"We were always fighting. down during the fourth inning in Game 7 of a baseball National League Championship Series Aybar and Rocco Baldelli
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Arlington, Texas.
But we always did feel like Associated Press then lost to Philadelphia in
we were the better team," a World Series that remains
he said Sunday. "I don't 4-3 on Bellinger's late home Clayton Kershaw head the season, hitting .382 with the second-lowest viewed
ever feel like we went out run in Game 7 Sunday night pitching staff. The Dodgers seven homers and 10 RBIs. since television ratings are
there overmatched. We and reached the World Se- won their 24th pennant by Pitching has been key, with available dating to 1968.
didn't care who was pitch- ries for the third time in four getting past Milwaukee, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell In an attempt to become
ing. We didn't care what years. San Diego and Atlanta, and Charlie Morton lead- more of a regional draw,
kind of lineup they had. We Rookie sensation Randy but have not won a title ing the Rays past Toronto, Tampa Bay moved a three-
were bringing that mentali- Arozarena and skipper Kev- since 1988, falling short in a the New York Yankees and game home series to the
ty and I think the Rays team in Cash's bullpen-rich Rays seven-game Series loss to Houston. Tampa Bay also Braves' then-spring train-
this year has that." were 40-20 and topped the Houston in 2017 and a five- is known for taking an in- ing ballpark in Kissimmee
"Both teams are really com- American League by four game defeat to Boston the novative approach to the in May 2007 and another in
mitted to winning and try- victories. They also won a following year. game, employing a versa- April 2008.
ing to find any kind of edge Game 7, topping Houston The Dodgers have won half tile staff and occasionally The Dodgers are among
they could," added Loney, 4-2 in the ALCS and earning their pennants since leav- using a four-man outfield. baseball's most traditional
who played for the Dodg- the second World Series trip ing Brooklyn for Los Angeles Since the postseason dou- teams, playing at two ball-
ers from 2006-11 and the in franchise history."Going after the 1957 season. bled to eight teams in 1995, parks for most of the past
Rays from 2013-15. "The to be a fun Series," Bellinger Tampa Bay is in the Series the only World Series be- century-plus: Brooklyn's
Rays are really known for said. for the second time and is tween the top regular-sea- Ebbets Field (1913-57) and
their analytics and getting Because of its superior among six current franchis- son records in each league Dodger Stadium (since
in there, trying to find dif- record, Los Angeles has es that have never won, were Atlanta's victory over 1962), with a short stop at
ferent ways to beat hard "home field advantage" joined by Colorado, Mil- Cleveland in 1995, the New the Los Angeles Memorial
teams: Is it a bullpen guy when the neutral-site Series waukee, Texas, San Diego York Yankees' win over the Coliseum (from 1958-61).
that we need to use in starts in Arlington, Texas, and Seattle. The Rays lost to Braves in 1998 and Boston's Dodger Stadium remains
maybe an unorthodox situ- and will bat last in Games 1 Philadelphia in five games triumph over St. Louis in one of baseball's iconic
ation? And the Dodgers, I and 2, and then in 6 and 7, in 2008. 2013 — all in six games. venues, with seats of yel-
felt we kind of started do- if necessary. While the Dodgers topped Baseball's postseason low, light orange, foam
ing that towards the end of "From the moment that we the major leagues with a keeps getting bigger, ex- green and light blue, and
my career." were able to put a season $95.6 million prorated pay- panding to 10 teams in the San Gabriel Mountains
Despite the shortened together, once they fig- roll as of Aug. 1, the Rays 2012 and 16 this year, when beyond the outfield pavil-
schedule and expanded ured out that COVID thing, were 28th at $29.3 million, the coronavirus pandemic ions.
playoffs, the teams with the everybody was expecting according to figures com- caused the regular-season Tropicana Field in St. Peters-
best record in each league us to get to the World Se- piled by Major League schedule for each team to burg is known for its quirky
meet in the World Series for ries. We were expecting Baseball. Only Baltimore be cut from the normal 162 catwalks that obstruct pop-
just the fourth time since to get to the World Series," ($23.8 million) and Pitts- games. ups and its largely empty
Major League Baseball re- said Kiké Hernández, who burgh ($23.6 million) were The Rays and Dodgers seats.
aligned each league into tied Game 7 with a pinch- lower. haven't played that much The ballpark was known
three divisions in 1995. hit home run in the sixth in- Tampa Bay's offense is over the years, only 17 previously as the Florida
Reigning NL MVP Cody Bell- ning. much less known to most times overall. LA has won Suncoast Dome (1990-93)
inger, newcomer Mookie About 11,000 fans will be fans. The Rays' top hit- 10 of them. and ThunderDome (1993-
Betts and manager Dave allowed at Globe Life Field, ter during the season was Loney is among a group 96), and team has fought
Roberts' Dodgers went 43- the new home of the Texas Brandon Lowe with 14 to have played for both unsuccessfully for ball-
17, the best record in the Rangers with a retractable homers and 37 RBIs, but he teams that includes Carl park projects at the site
National League by eight roof, for each game. slumped to .115 (6 for 52) Crawford, Jose Cruz, Logan of nearby Al Lang Field
wins. They overcame a 3-1 Corey Seager and AJ Pol- with two RBIs in the playoffs. Forsythe, Dioner Navarro (abandoned in 2009) and
deficit in the NL Champi- lock boost LA's offense Arozarena has been the and J.P. Howell. Ybor City (abandoned in
onship Series, beat Atlanta and Walker Buehler and breakout star of the post- And they share a notorious 2018).q