Post-game
Brooklyn Dodger Don Newcombe and Los Angeles Dodger Clayton Kershaw are now the only two pitchers to strike out 11 and walk none in a World Series game. Kershaw answers the call and the critics who’ve been waiting for exactly this type of dominating post-season performance.
Keuchel pitched way better than his line, but it didn’t matter against LA, who backed their man with a pair of home runs from Chris Taylor and Justin Turner.
It’s an enormous victory considering Justin Verlander awaits Los Angeles in Game Two tomorrow night, when the home team will throw out a solid but less formidable hurler in Rich Hill.
Thanks for reading our live coverage of World Series Game One: we’ll be back for more action tomorrow. For all of us at the Guardian, wherever you are, good morning, good afternoon and good night.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Final
Altuve skies to right, Puig is there to make the play, and the Dodgers take the first game of the 113th World Series in two hours and 28 minutes, the fastest Fall Classic encounter since 1992.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, top 9th
Bregman hangs in, fouling off another pitch a few rows into the stands down the right field line.
Finally, he succumbs: a little looper that Taylor closes on in center field and now it’s all up to Jose Altuve who will look to keep his Astros alive here in Game One.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, top 9th
Dodgers fans are on their feet and vocal as they watch their overpowering closer at work.
Jansen falls behind 2-0 to the kid Bregman, who then swings , fouling off the pitch, knocking the mask of umpire Phil Cuzzi onto the Dodger Stadium dirt.
Next pitches: a swing and a miss and a foul ball. It’s now 2-2.
Fastball low and away. Now the count is full.
Can Bregman work his way on?
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Astros 1-3 Dodgers, top 9th
First up, Springer, fresh off a nice play out in center. It’s even at 2-2.
Then Jansen, pitching from the stretch, fires strike three.
One down, here’s Bregman.
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Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 8th
McCann catches a foul tip off the bat of Turner and that’s strike three: inning over. Here comes the Curaçaoan catcher turned closer, Kenley Jansen, to try and give Los Angeles a one-game World Series advantage.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 8th
Charlie Culberson is pinch hitting in the pitcher spot and facing all-star reliever Chris Devenski who was crushed in the first two rounds of the playoffs after a rock solid regular season.
Astros manager AJ Hinch is giving the righty another shot and he has two outs: Cluberson strikes out, and Taylor follows with a long and loud out, tracked down by Springer out on the warning track in centerfield.
Houston pitching coach Brent Storm pays a quick visit to Devenski, asking him not to allow another Justin Turner home run.
Will his plea be answered?
Updated
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, top 8th
Well, the Dodgers’ bullpen doesn’t really allow other teams to score in the playoffs, so it’s Brandon Morrow to Kenley Jansen time in LA: that’s their plan and they’re sticking to it.
So far, so perfect. Morrow has a 1-2-3 inning in relief, popping out Gonzalez and Reddick before striking out the pinch-hitting Carlos Beltran.
Inning over.
Clayton Kershaw
He’s done, after 83 pitches. Oh boy.
He was, well...
...he was regular season Kershaw, in the playoffs, and that’s nothing short of HUGE for LA.
7IP 3H 1R 1ER 0BB 11K 1HR
Big time.
Pine tar talk
It’s hot...
There’s enough pine tar on Dodgers players to make George Brett shit his pants
— Ryan Daniels (@RyanDaniels95) October 25, 2017
Pine tar on Nah 👀🤔 pic.twitter.com/QRPrXIKUXn
— P (@Playa_P210) October 25, 2017
Now Brad Peacock has pine tar on the back of his hat... jeez and he still sucks.
— Andrew Lomeli (@AJLomeli) October 25, 2017
Dallas Keuchel
He deserved a little bit better, but he’s down to the king...what can you do?
Here’s the line:
6.2IP 6H 3R 3ER 1BB 3K 2HR
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 7th
Barnes pops harmlessly to center where Springer puts it away as Peacock escapes the threat and the Dodgers miss out a chance for tack on runs.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 7th
Barnes, down in the count 1-2, looks at a fastball away to even the count.
Two on, two out, two-two...and Barnes watches ball three outside. Huge at bat at Dodger Stadium!
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 7th
So here’s Peacock, a righty who now pitches out of the pen after starting 34 games with an even ERA of 3.00 this season.
Facing Forsythe, he falls behind 3-1 as Houston has double barrel action going in their bullpen. I believe it’s Liriano and Gregorson loosening up.
Here’s ball four and this could be a short stay for Peacock if he doesn’t get Barnes who steps into the box.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 7th
Seager has his second hit of the night after his screaming drive leaps over the glove of an extended Carlos Correa on the left side of second base.
That does it for Keuchel, who pitched as well as you can while giving up three runs. Brad Peacock is on his way in to try and close out LA in their half of the seventh.
Updated
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 7th
Hernandez, a routine ground ball to short that’s easy for Correa, two away.
Seager is next.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 7th
Brandon Morrow is loosening in the Dodgers bullpen and I don’t care how old the guy is, I don’t care about your formula: taking him out after 83 pitches is totally bananas...if that happens.
Puig grounds out, pitcher to first baseman, to start the Dodgers seventh.
Now Hernandez steps in.
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Seventh Inning Stretch!
Here is who else but Vin Scully singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Enjoy baseball fans!
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, top 7th
The answer is no. McCann pops out to center field to end the minor threat. Kershaw is through seven with just 83 pitches.
It’s stretch time!
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Astros 1-3 Dodgers, top 7th
Gurriel bounces and this could be two: Seager tosses to Forsythe, but it’s bobbled and then picked up at the very last moment for the out! The Dodgers get just one out on what should have been an inning ending double play.
Can McCann make LA pay for that misstep?
Updated
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, top 7th
Jose Altuve has a lead-off base hit to left and here come the Astros in the seventh...maybe...maybe not.
Correa bounces to the left side, Turner has it at third, he fires to second for one, on to first, the throw, not in time. It’s a fielder’s choice and now Gurriel hits with one man on.
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Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 6th
Bellinger strikes out to end the inning but a huge frame for LA as they take the lead with Kershaw on cruise control.
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HOME RUN! Astros 1-3 Dodgers, bottom 6th
The big red beard takes it! Another clutch, enormous post-season home run for Justin Turner: this time it’s a two-run blast to left field off Keuchel putting the Dodgers on top!
What Turner has done since landing in LA is nothing short of incredible! A walk-off home run in Game 2 of the NLCS and now this? Bananas.
Updated
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, bottom 6th
What’s this? A walk? I forgot about those. It’s the first free pass we’ve seen all night long. Taylor is a two-out baserunner with Justin Turner heading to the plate.
It’s big red beard v big black beard in a battle of big beards. Which color will win? Stick with us.
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, bottom 6th
Kershaw, a little bouncer up the middle but Correa is there to make the play on the left side for out no2. Now Keuchel faces the Dodger order for a third time, which can be where trouble starts for pitchers. Something tells me Keuchel is up for it.
Taylor steps into the box...
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, bottom 6th
Barnes is first-pitch swinging and it’s into the dirt, down to shortstop, and an easy first out for Keuchel. Kershaw is next.
Updated
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, top 6th
Bregman grounds to short, easy for Seager who fires to first, side retired.
That’s 73 relatively stress-free pitches for Kershaw through six innings of this Game One pitchers duel.
Updated
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, top 6th
Now Springer’s down for the count. The bell rings for an 11th time tonight for Kershaw! That’s quite the show...still, a seven-pitch at-bat seems like something of a tiny win for Houston.
Two down for Bregman, who homered his last time up.
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, top 6th
Keuchel looks at strike three for Kershaw’s 10th strikeout. Now back to the top of the batting order and George Springer, who is up 2-0 in the count.
Musical Interlude
Just wondering, is there anything Jose Altuve can’t do?
He’s due up fourth this inning: will he have it his way?
Now seems like a good time to revisit the greatest video ever of @JoseAltuve27, courtesy of @LMcCullers43. #Astros #WorldSeries #EarnHistory 🤘🏼
— Adam Clanton (@adamclanton) October 22, 2017
cc @backstreetboys pic.twitter.com/XCEpNztNoL
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, bottom 5th
And Keuchel finds his best friend!
It’s an around the horn 5-4-3 inning ending double play, the third of the night for Houston!
Both pitchers are cruising, in entirely different ways: Kershaw pitching with power, Keuchel pitching effectively via contact.
To the sixth we go!
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, bottom 5th
Keuchel has his second strikeout, putting away Hernandez, but then Seager lines a single right up the box.
So one on and one out and here’s Logan Forsythe with Keuchel looking for his very best friend.
Look, I wasn’t alive, but I guarantee you the best pitcher 50 years ago wasn’t as good as the best pitcher today. https://t.co/zu4hIY46ai
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) October 25, 2017
Let’s not get carried away...
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, top 5th
A pair of quick outs for Kershaw in the away fifth: McCann bounces to second, Gonzalez grounds out to third.
Then Reddick strikes out looking, shaking his head in disgust! He’s unhappy, and the Dodger Stadium crowd enjoys that very much.
It’s an easy inning for the ace, who has nine strikeouts after 57 pitches in the can on a sizzling night in LA.
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, bottom 4th
Puig works a three-ball count. Then he takes a called strike one, before grounding to short where Carlos Correa lives. The Puerto Rican gobbles it up and fires to first: Keuchel is through four innings with just 44 pitches, no easy task against this potent Dodger lineup.
You can’t understate what a coup it would be to take a Game One off the Dodgers, away from home, with Kershaw on the mound.
You know that’s crossing the minds of Dodgers fans everywhere right now.
@LengelDavid No predictions from me, but if they could #BeatLA and if Verlander could throw a no-hitter, I’d be happy
— Jez Wyke (@jrwyke) October 25, 2017
We’ll see what we can do Jez...
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, bottom 4th
Justin Turner pops one up in foul-territory: Yuli Gurriel is there to make an easy catch, one away.
Keuchel doesn’t have the strikeouts of Kershaw, but he’s been more efficient. And he needs to be because Houston does NOT have LA’s bullpen and they need Dallas in there for as long as possible.
Bellinger is next, and he grounds a 2-2 fastball to the right side - easy for Gurriel who has it and tosses to the covering Keuchel for out no2.
Puig is next.
Not bad. Photograph: Matt Slocum/AP
Updated
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, top 4th
Kershaw follows the Bregman home run by striking out the side (you don’t want to see me when I’m angry), as Gurriel swings and misses at a ball in the dirt. Side retired.
Astros 1-1 Dodgers, top 4th
Kershaw works the count full and then gets Altuve on a ball that looked low and away. Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi thought otherwise.
Now Correa is toast on a scary 74MPH curve ball: he goes down looking and that is K no7 for Kershaw. The Cuban Gurriel is next.
HOME RUN! Astros 1-1 Dodgers, top 4th
The rookie Bregman hits a high fast ball even higher over the wall in left field!
Kerhsaw is touched here in the fourth and Houston have tied the score at one!
FOX TV here in the US says Kershaw has allowed at least one home run in the past nine starts, which is certainly not the norm.
Quickly, Kershaw is behind 3-1 to Altuve...
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, bottom 3rd
Taylor is bunting! That must have been on his own...he misses for strike one.
Two pitches later Taylor hits a laser - but it’s right at Carlos Correa at shortstop. He tosses to Altuve at second to nail Barnes and that’s a bang-bang, inning ending double play!
Keuchel, despite the first inning blip is at an efficient 31 pitches as he moves into the fourth.
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, bottom 3rd
Austin Barnes lines a single through the left side of the infield and LA lead off yet another inning with a hit. Now Kershaw is at the plater and he knows from bunting, and swinging, unlike his opposite bearded number.
He shows bunt, pulls back and hacks away. I mean, he did have a .449 OPS this season.
Now he calms down and does the right thing, laying down the ideal sac, moving Barnes to second bringing up Taylor and the top of the order.
Taylor, as you may have heard, has already made a bit of noise this game.
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, top 3rd
Kershaw spits, gathers himself, and fires a 2-2 fastball that is bunted foul for the strikeout.
So that would have been a real live hitter at home in Houston with the DH: instead it’s a dire attempt at sac bunting by Keuchel.
That’s life.
Two down for George Springer, who becomes strikeout victim no5 for Kershaw in just three innings and 35 pitches.
Updated
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, top 3rd
Oh boy, Kershaw’s throwing that Bugs Bunny kinda curveball, and Marwin Gonzalez has no chance. Strikeout no3 for the Dodgers ace.
Reddick has better luck: it’s Houston’s first base hit, that despite being told that he sucks by the Dodger Stadium crowd.
Now Keuchel is on to try and move him over with a sac-bunt, which should be interesting for an AL pitcher.
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, bottom 2nd
Here’s right-handed outfielder Enrique Hernandez, who hit three home runs on Game Five of the NLCS, driving in a record seven runs aginst the Cubs. Here he starts out his World Series with a knock to left field off Keuchel.
Now young Corey Seager comes to the plate with one on.
The shortstop is first pitch swinging - it’s a bouncer to third: Bregman has it, fires to the Correa at second for one, back to Gurriel to complete a 5-6-3 dp!
That’s a big double play to cancel out that lead off hit.
Now here’s Forsythe who pops to center, can of corn for Springer who puts it in his pocket, side retired.
So Keuchel looks to have recovered well from his rough first pitch as he’s now through two innings.
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, top 2nd
Carlos Correa is trying to pull a Chris Taylor, jumping on a first pitch from Kershaw. The results are less combustible, a pop to left for out no1.
Now Yuli Gurriel strikes out and Kershaw is looking locked in early on here, a scary matter of fact for Houston.
Brian McCann steps in now for Houston: he bounces right into the shift in shallow right field, straight into the glove of Logan Forsythe. The former Tampa Bay Ray tosses to first for the inning ending out.
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, bottom 1st
Puig grounds to the left side of the infield: it’s gathered by Carlos Correa who throws to first for the out.
Side retired. LA fires first thanks to Chris Taylor’s blast as the Dodgers take a lead into the second inning.
Astros 0-1 Dodgers, bottom 1st
Keuchel recovers well, striking out Justin Turner for the first out. Now he faces LA’s slugging rookie with the huge swing and 39 home runs, Cody Bellinger, who bounces over to second, easy for Altuve, two away.
Now it’s left to Cuba’s Yasiel Puig, Wild Horse, who was sent to the minors last summer, and hits cleanup for LA tonight.
HOME RUN! Astros 0-1 Dodgers, bottom 1st
Chris Taylor welcomes Dallas Keuchel by sending his first pitch into the bleachers in left field! Dodger Stadium explodes as one of those bargain basement acquisitions by Dodgers Prez Andrew Friedman goes deep for the third time this post-season.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, top 1st
Alex Bregman is next: he flies out to left, before Jose Altuve, who is too short to ride at Space Moutain at nearby Disneyland (no, that’s fake news), grounds out to Seager over at shortstop to retire the side.
So that’s three up and three down for the three-time Cy Young Award winning hurler, and here come the Dodgers!
First Pitch
Jackie Robinson’s children are throwing out the first pitches: Sharon and David Robinson have the honors.
David has an interesting story as a coffee grower in Tanzania but that’s for another time.
Now Kershaw delivers the first pitch, it’s a strike to Springer and the 113th World Series is underway!
Now we have our first out: the Astros center fielder can’t handle a low fastball, swinging and missing - one away!
Updated
Crowd
You may think that LA fans are carefree surfer types, but really they can be quite an intimidating bunch and it will be interesting to see if their decibel level can match the temps at Chavez Ravine. If they do, expect Josh Reddick to be on the receiving end: he recently had some not so nice things to say about Dodgers fans when reflecting on his limited time in LA last season.
Josh Reddick said he wanted to play the Dodgers in the World Series because of the way fans treated him in his two months there last season. pic.twitter.com/FplDH3odBm
— Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) October 22, 2017
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Prediction time
There’s a ton of pressure on Kershaw tonight to be, well, Clayton Kershaw, on a super hot night in his very first World Series start. We could see him three times this series, and his performance will have a lot to do with whether or not LA can add a seventh title. I think they can, and I think it comes in seven compelling games.
Dylan Edgar disagrees, he writes:
“Prediction.... Astros steal gm 1 from Kershaw 3-2 in 10innings and go on to take the series in six games”
Good old Gooders is with me...
Mr Lengel my old friend - it will go 6 or 7 and LA for me..
— Gooders (@matt_gooders) October 24, 2017
There’s still time, tweet yours in to @LengelDavid...
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National Anthem
It’s singer Keith Williams Jr., who has done it before at Dodger Stadium, back in Game Three of the NLCS. He was phenomenal, hitting all the right spots - I give it an 8/10. Really, superb.
Lineups
The teams are being introduced out at Dodger Stadium, so that’s our cue to do the same, just without the cheesy music, ooos, ahs and booos.
So, having said that, here are the starting lineups for the American League Champion Houston Astros...
1) George Springer, CF
2) Alex Bregman, 3B
3) Jose Altuve, 2B
4) Carlos Correa, SS
5) Yuli Gurriel, 1B
6) Brian McCann, C
7) Marwin Gonzalez, LF
8) Josh Reddick, RF
9) Dallas Keuchel, P
No Evan Gattis, because there is no designated hitter, a little bit of a disadvantage for the Astros.
And here are the starting lineups for the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers...
1) Chris Taylor, CF
2) Justin Turner, 3B
3) Cody Bellinger, 1B
4) Yasiel Puig, RF
5) Enrique Hernandez, LF
6) Corey Seager, SS
7) Logan Forsythe, 2B
8) Austin Barnes, C
9) Clayton Kershaw, P
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Rosters
Here’s a handy chart outlining how playoff teams were built. Pay particular attention to the Dodgers and Astros, as they’re the teams playing tonight while the others are not.
How they were built, #WorldSeries edition:@JonathanMayo looks at how #Astros and #Dodgers rosters were constructed: https://t.co/zq86AF1huq pic.twitter.com/yZrGTicsmq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 24, 2017
As for current World Series rosters, the Astros haven’t made any changes, while LA have added Corey Seager, who just happens to be one of the best shortstops in the game. Now that he’s recovered enough from the back issues which plagued him, someone had to go: Curtis Granderson will sit and watch, missing out on a third World Series appearance.
Mets fans disappointed that their link to this Fall Classic is grabbing pine need not worry: they’ve still got Justin Turner, which surely warms hearts all over Queens.
Weather chat
So, you may have heard, it’s hot in LA right now. How hot? Well, hang on a second.
First let me tell you that in Aziziyah, Libya, a locale which once held the title for the hottest place in the world, it was about 72 Fahrenheit today.
Closer to Los Angeles is Death Valley, another one of those hottest places in the world: right now it’s a sweltering 99 degrees.
Dodger Stadium, at this moment, according to my computer, is a cracking 104 degrees. That means an excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service. It also means that players seeing their own breath and fans in bulky coats, things we’re normally accustomed to seeing in October, aren’t happening, not in this series, with Houston potentially playing their games indoors.
For those of you reading from home, I highly recommend staying hydrated: you can never be too careful.
As for the players, well, they’re used to playing in high heat, but having said that, it’s been a little while since they’ve felt these sorts of temperatures. Luckily, sunset comes about 1:08 into the game, so it should cool down soon enough.
Updated
Hola!
It’s that time of year again, and of course, it’s great to see (imagine?) you all. Welcome to our live coverage of the Fall Classic!
Now, once upon a time, Dodgers v Astros would have been a more casual affair. A lighter-hearted, regular season, intra-division game. The kind of match-up you saw often, and thus, more relaxed: stroll in late on a Sunday afternoon, eat a dog, down a beer, leave a bit early to beat the traffic and move on to the next thing. La dee da.
Today, five years after Houston were coerced into switching from the National to the American League, it’s a significantly higher stakes matchup: the 113th World Series.
And if you’re still mourning the Baby Bombers not being here, whining that we don’t have the colossus, 12th addition of Yankees v Dodgers match-up (and that means you, FOX TV executives), then shame on you because we’ve got two 100-win teams for your entertainment, the first time two such powerhouses have battled for a title in over 40 years.
As we know, when the diamond dust finally settles, sometime between four and seven games from now, there can, and will, only be one.
Who will that one be?
Could it be Los Angeles? Andrew Friedman’s $242m ballclub that’s loaded with both big ticket items and bargain basement ballplayers, finally back in the World Series after 29 frustrating years of trying?
Or Houston? A team that has never won it all, a club that was torn down to the studs and meticulously re-built by hacked honcho, General Manager John Luhnow since late 2011.
Both teams have deep lineups, star-studded starting pitching staffs and can catch the ball reasonably well. Los Angeles has a better bullpen, but Houston’s weaker relievers have seen a boost from some of its starters.
It’s certainly a tough call, but you’ll have you’re chance to weigh in, send all your predictions to @LengelDavid or to david.lengel.freelance@theguardian.
Clayton Kershaw is in the bullpen warming up for LA, Dallas Keuchel is loosening up for Houston, and that means first pitch is right around the corner. Stand by for more coverage and World Series baseball! Stick with us...
David will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s Les Carpenter on this series’ cyber-twist:
The future of the World Series does not wear Dodger blue or Astro orange. It won’t throw a strike, hit a home run or chase a line drive into the gap, though it can predict the probability of such things occurring with remarkable accuracy.
The future of the World Series lives not in the mortal realm, but in mainframes and clouds and flash drives and smartphones carried by men with pedigrees much loftier than half a lifetime in the worn fields of the minor leagues.
The World Series that starts Tuesday night in Los Angeles will feature two teams, in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros, who use statistical analysis as their primary operational tool. While other Series teams have relied on analytics, including the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians last year, never have there been two clubs who use it as much as the Dodgers and Astros.
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