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Tribune News Service

Sport

Marc Topkin

A Rays opening act to forget as Dodgers roll to 8-3 win

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow works in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

ARLINGTON, Texas _ It seemed the angle for Tuesday's opening game of the World Series was going to be why Rays manager Kevin Cash stuck with Tyler Glasnow deep into the fifth inning when he had walked six Dodgers and thrown more than 100 pitches.

Then it became a longer story, and a much longer night.

Glasnow's pitching wasn't all that was bad for the Rays, as the American League's best team was roughed up by the National League champs, 8-3.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws out the Tampa Bay Rays' Manuel Margot to end the first inning in Game 1 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Game 2 is Wednesday night, with Blake Snell on the mound for the Rays and the Dodgers planning a team effort of relievers.

The opener was played without some of the traditional pomp and circumstance of a World Series, such as no pre-game introductions on the foul lines, part of the COVID-19 limitations. There were fans, an announced 11,388 sitting in socially-distanced pods of four, including Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg and a couple hundred team employees. But it mostly was a pro-Dodger night.

After three scoreless innings, the Dodgers struck first in the fourth. Glasnow walked Max Muncy on five pitches to start, the third free pass in the first 13 batters. After an infield out, Cody Bellinger knocked Glasnow's first pitch, a 98-mph fastball, over the centerfield fence for a 2-0 lead.

The Tampa Bay Rays' Randy Arozarena swings and misses, losing his helmet, in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

The Rays halved the margin with two outs in the fifth when Kevin Kiermaier homered off Dodgers lefty ace Clayton Kershaw. But that was as close as they got.

For only the second time in franchise history the Tampa Bay Rays have made it to the Fall Classic and this time they face a much bigger payroll in the Los Angeles Dodgers. The best-of-seven series will be played at the new Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

The Dodgers broke the game open with a four-run fifth, taking advantage of Glasnow's ongoing wildness and inability to hold runners. Mookie Betts walked and stole second, then Glasnow also walked Corey Seager, and they both stole as Justin Turner struck out. It was the first time a team stole three bases in an inning of a World Series game since the 1912 New York Giants.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts, right, hugs Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Willy Adames after stealing second base in the fifth inning in Game 1 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

A grounder to first by Muncy scored one run, Yandy Diaz had a tough throw home and catcher Mike Zunino couldn't make a tag. A Will Smith single to center made it 4-1 and ended Glasnow's rough night. He allowed only three hits, but six runs due to the six walks, striking out eight, throwing 112 pitches (58 strikes) over the 4 1/3 innings.

The Rays made a curious decision to bring in lefty Ryan Yarbrough, who looked to be their Game 4 starter. Yarbrough, who last worked Oct. 13, got one out, then allowed back-to-back run-scoring singles to Chris Taylor and Kike Hernandez to make it 6-1.

The Dodgers added on in the sixth, as Mookie Betts hit the first pitch from rookie Josh Fleming over the rightfield fence. One-out doubles by Turner and Muncy made it 8-1.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Cody Bellinger (35) hits a home run in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Kershaw worked six, allowing just two hits, striking out eight and getting 19 swing-and-misses. He didn't look anything like the guy labeled a World Series bust, as he came in with a 1-2, 5.40 record in five previous outings.

The Rays briefly made it interesting in the seventh after Kershaw left, scoring two. Manuel Margot singled and Joey Wendle doubled off ex-Ray Dylan Floro, then pinch-hitter Mike Brosseau singled in a run off lefty Victor Gonzalez and Kiermaier did the same. But the inning ended in frustration as reliever Victor Gonzalez snared Zunino's line drive and doubled off Brosseau.

It was the first Rays' first World Series game since Oct. 29, 2008, when that dream season came to a cold and bitter end in the delayed completion of Game 5 in Philadelphia.