ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Blake Snell turned away from his manager and yelled an expletive as Kevin Cash headed to the mound. In control all night, the Tampa Bay ace no longer had the ball in his potent left hand. Soon, the Rays no longer had a grip on the lead, either. The team that reached the World Series leaning largely on analytics was undone by the data — and a decision sure to become part of October lore. With Snell still seething, wobbly reliever Nick Anderson was on the mound when Mookie Betts' double started a sequence that led to two quick runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a championship-clinching 3-1 victory in Game 6 on Tuesday night. “I guess I regret it because it didn’t work out,” Cash said, later adding, “personally, I thought Blake had done his job and then some.” Said Snell: “At the end of the day, I see both sides." "Just me, the way I felt that game and what he was able to see what I was doing in that game. I don’t want to be taken out of that game,” he said.... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 10:40 p.m. Mookie Betts streaked home with a go-ahead run and later homered for good measure as the Los Angeles Dodgers won their first World Series championship since 1988, taking advantage of a hotly debated Tampa Bay move to beat the Rays 3-1 in Game 6. The Dodgers posted the best record in the majors during this pandemic-shortened season, then rallied in the final game to claim a most elusive crown. Tampa Bay starter Blake Snell struck out nine and seemed to be in complete control with a 1-0 lead when manager Kevin Cash pulled him with one out and a runner on first in the sixth inning. The Dodgers pounced quickly, and Betts soon dashed home from third base on Corey Seager’s infield grounder for a 2-1 edge. Betts added a solo home run in the eighth. Manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers lost the World Series in 2017 and ’18 before winning this title at... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 10:10 p.m. With postseason star Julio Urías on the mound, the Los Angeles Dodgers are clinging to a 2-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays heading into the eighth inning. Brusdar Graterol got the first two outs of the seventh for the Dodgers before giving up a single to Mike Zunino, his first hit in 16 at-bats during this Fall Classic. Urías, the seventh Dodgers pitcher, entered and threw a called third strike past pinch-hitter Yandy Díaz. Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks worked around Will Smith’s leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh to keep it a one-run game. Smith’s drive went off the wall in the left-field corner by the 329-foot sign. ___ 9:30 p.m. The Los Angeles Dodgers pushed across two runs after Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash pulled a dominant Blake Snell in the sixth inning, taking a 2-1 lead over the Rays in Game 6 of the World Series. Cash came out... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 9:30 p.m. The Los Angeles Dodgers pushed across two runs after Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash pulled a dominant Blake Snell in the sixth inning, taking a 2-1 lead over the Rays in Game 6 of the World Series. Cash came out to get Snell after No. 9 hitter Austin Barnes singled with one out for the Dodgers’ second hit. Snell had thrown just 73 pitches, and the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner looked as if he disagreed with the quick hook. Mookie Betts then greeted Nick Anderson with a double, and Barnes scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Betts scored on Corey Seager’s grounder to first baseman Ji-Man Choi, easily beating the throw home. The pitching change likely will be questioned for years to come should the Rays lose, ending their title hopes. Betts had a .531 OPS against lefties this season, compared to 1.061 versus right-handers. ___ 9 p.m. Blake Snell is... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 9 p.m. Blake Snell is sailing along and dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Tampa Bay Rays hold a 1-0 lead through five innings on Randy Arozarena’s homer in the first. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, has struck out nine and set down nine straight batters. The only baserunner he’s allowed came on Chris Taylor’s leadoff single in the third. The left-hander has thrown 69 pitches, 45 for strikes. Snell hasn’t pitched six innings in a game since July 2019. Snell joined Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers to pile up nine strikeouts through the first four innings of a World Series game. Koufax did it for the Dodgers in the 1963 opener against the New York Yankees. The only inning without a strikeout for Snell was the fifth, when he retired Will Smith on a fly to right, Cody Bellinger on a grounder to first and Taylor on a check-swing... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 8:40 p.m. Rays starter Blake Snell is cruising through the Dodgers lineup for a second time, helping Tampa Bay maintain a 1-0 lead through four innings. Snell overwhelmed the Dodgers’ 2-3-4 hitters in the fourth, striking out Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Max Muncy. Snell has nine strikeouts and only allowed one hit on 55 pitches. The left-hander hasn’t completed five innings since Game 1 of the AL Championship Series but seems primed to go deep in this one. The 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner isn’t always so reliable in the middle innings. Snell limited batters to a .140 average the first time through the order in the regular season but allowed a .307 mark the second time around. Dodgers starter-turned-reliever Alex Wood completed two perfect innings by striking out a pair in the fourth. The left-hander with a funky delivery has punched out five over four... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 8:25 p.m. Blake Snell is through three innings and his Rays still lead 1-0. Chris Taylor hit a leadoff single to become the Dodgers’ first runner, but was stranded at second base when Snell struck out Mookie Betts for the second time in the game. Snell has fanned six in three innings. Tampa Bay keeps helping itself with its gloves, too. Third baseman Joey Wendle and first baseman Ji-Man Choi teamed up for one out and catcher Mike Zunino neatly blocked a breaking ball by Snell to prevent Taylor from advancing. Alex Wood became the Dodgers’ third pitcher of the game when he took over to begin the third, and he breezed through a perfect inning. ___ 8 p.m. Tony Gonsolin is gone early again, and Blake Snell hasn’t allowed a hit through two innings again at the World Series. The Los Angeles starter was replaced by Dylan Floro after walking Ji-Man Choi to put two... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 7:35 p.m. Randy Arozarena extended his postseason record with his 10th home run and Blake Snell struck out the side as the Tampa Bay Rays took a 1-0 lead after the first inning in Game 6 of the World Series, when a win by the Los Angeles Dodgers would give them their first title since 1988. It was Arozarena’s third homer in the World Series, the first time a rookie has hit three in the Series since Charlie Keller did it for the New York Yankees in 1939. Arozarena became the first rookie to drive in a run in four consecutive Series games. Arozarena went the opposite way in the top of the first, homering to right off rookie right-hander Tony Gonsolin with one out. Austin Meadows then hit a hard single and Brandon Lowe, who homered off Gonsolin in Game 2, walked before Manuel Margot had a flyout and Joey Wendle struck out. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 7:10 p.m. The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 3-2 World Series lead into Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, one win from their first title since 1988. The Dodgers were in Brooklyn when they lost the World Series in 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953, then finally won their first championship when Johnny Podres completed an eight-hit shutout in Game 7 in 1955 when Elston Howard grounded to Pee Wee Reese, who threw to first baseman Gil Hodges for the final out. After moving to Los Angeles following the 1957 season, the Dodgers added titles in 1959, when Larry Sherry was MVP after getting two wins and two saves, and 1963 and 1965, when Sandy Koufax went 4-1 and was twice MVP. Titles followed in 1981 and in 1988, the latter when Orel Hershiser earned the MVP by going 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA. While Tony Gonsolin started Game 6 on Tuesday night,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 5:45 p.m. The Tampa Bay Rays received some encouraging words from former President Barack Obama ahead of Game 6. Obama spoke at a rally in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday in support of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and referenced the Rays’ five-game loss to the Philadelphia Phillies 12 years ago. “I don’t know if we’ve got any Tampa Bay Rays fans here in Orlando,” Obama said. “Big game tonight. It’s do-or-die time. The last time the Rays were in the World Series in 2008, Florida sent me to the White House. The Rays fell just a bit short then, but, here in Florida, Democrats fell a little bit short in 2016 also. Over the next couple of weeks, Florida, you’ve got the chance to fix two mistakes. You’ve got the chance to set two things right. You can bring a World Series championship to the Sunshine State, and you can send Joe Biden and Kamala Harris... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays (all times local): 5:20 p.m. The Tampa Bay Rays are going with the same nine players in the batting order for Game 6 against Tony Gonsolin, but shuffled the top four for their second game in this World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers rookie right-hander. First baseman Ji-Man Choi is leading off Tuesday night, followed by left fielder Randy Arozarena, designated hitter Austin Meadows and second baseman Brandon Lowe. In Game 2 last Wednesday, when the Rays won 6-4, it went Meadows, Lowe, Arozarena and Choi. The rest of the lineup is the same, right fielder Manuel Margo batting fifth, ahead of third baseman Joey Wendle, shortstop Willy Adames, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and catcher Mike Zunino. In the leadoff spot this season, Choi is hitting .115 (3 for 26) with one homer and four walks. Los Angeles has used the same batters in the top six spots for every game of... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brett Phillips was acquired by Tampa Bay in a trade with Kansas City in August. It seemed like a minor move right up until late Saturday night. The 26-year-old Phillips came up with the biggest swing of his career in Game 4 of the World Series, hitting a two-out single in the ninth that sent the Rays to a wild 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Phillips' first career postseason hit drove in Kevin Kiermaier, tying it at 7. Randy Arozarena then scored the winning run when catcher Will Smith was unable to catch a throw to the plate. "Man, baseball is fun,” Phillips said. It was the first plate appearance for Phillips since Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees on Oct. 7. He entered Game 4 against the Dodgers in the eighth inning as a pinch runner. “Brett Phillips ... Put him on the roster for a defensive replacement, baserunner-type of guy. He knows his role," Kiermaier said. “Comes up, biggest at-bat of his life, comes through.” Phillips,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brett Phillips was acquired by Tampa Bay in a trade with Kansas City in July. It seemed like a minor move right up until late Saturday night. The 26-year-old Phillips came up with the biggest swing of his career in Game 4 of the World Series, hitting a two-out single in the ninth that sent the Rays to a wild 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Phillips' first career postseason hit drove in Kevin Kiermaier, tying it at 7. Randy Arozarena then scored the winning run when catcher Will Smith was unable to catch a throw to the plate. "Man, baseball is fun,” Phillips said. It was the first plate appearance for Phillips since Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees on Oct. 7. He entered Game 4 against the Dodgers in the eighth inning as a pinch runner. “Brett Phillips ... Put him on the roster for a defensive replacement, baserunner-type of guy. He knows his role," Kiermaier said. “Comes up, biggest at-bat of his life, comes through.” Phillips,... [More]

Up 2-1 in the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers have math on their side against the Tampa Bay Rays. Here’s one number, courtesy of closer Kenley Jansen, that could mean as much as any: 95.2. After slumping for weeks with slipping velocity and toothless bite on his signature cutter, the big man at the back of LA’s bullpen delivered his hardest fastball in over a month while closing out a 6-2 Game 3 victory on Friday night. The 95.2 mph fastball that struck out All-Star Austin Meadows in the ninth was Jansen's hardest since Sept. 2. Despite allowing a homer to Randy Arozarena, the right-hander looked as if he has overcome the struggles that briefly cost him the closer's job he's held for years. Thirty-eight of 59 previous teams that won Game 3 for a 2-1 Series lead wound up lifting the championship trophy. Holding that advantage will be much easier if the Dodgers' longtime closer has his best stuff. Jansen has been a bullpen fixture for LA during its run of eight straight NL West titles,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 10:23 p.m. Walker Buehler struck out 10 over six dominant innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers showed off all their many talents, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Justin Turner homered and doubled off a surprisingly hittable Charlie Morton to help the Dodgers take an early 5-0 lead, and also made a pair of sparkling plays at third base. Austin Barnes, batting ninth and in the Los Angeles lineup to catch Buehler, added a homer and also bunted home a run. That was plenty for Buehler, who allowed just a run on three hits and brought flashbacks of another lanky Dodgers right-hander -- Orel Hershiser, who pitched Los Angeles to its last title in 1988. The Dodgers, who posted the best record in the majors during the pandemic-shortened season, send hard-throwing Julio Urías to the mound for Game 4 on Saturday night. The Rays plan to string together several relievers that include... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 9:45 p.m. Blake Treinen pitched a perfect seventh inning after Walker Buehler turned in a dominant performance, and the Los Angeles Dodgers led the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 heading into the eighth in Game 3 of the World Series. Buehler allowed three hits, struck out 10 and walked one in his 11th career postseason start. Treinen then retired Ji-Man Choi on a grounder to second and struck out Manuel Margot and Joey Wendle. The Dodgers are looking to a take a 2-1 lead in the Series as they try for the franchise’s first championship since 1988. Justin Turner and Austin Barnes homered for Los Angeles, and Max Muncy had two hits and two RBIs heading into the eighth. Barnes also drove in a run with a perfectly placed squeeze bunt in the fourth. Willy Adames doubled home Margot in the fifth to account for Tampa Bay’s only run so far. ___ 9:24 p.m. Austin Barnes’ two RBIs in Game 4 have looked very different. After dropping... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 9:24 p.m. Austin Barnes’ two RBIs in Game 4 have looked very different. After dropping down a squeeze bunt to bring home a run in the fourth inning, the Dodgers’ nine-hitter launched a solo homer in the sixth, stretching Los Angeles’ lead to 6-1. It was the first home run of the postseason and second all year for LA’s backup catcher. The only other player with a run-scoring sacrifice bunt and a homer in a World Series game is the Yankees’ Hector Lopez in Game 5 of the 1961 Series against Cincinnati, according to MLB.com. Mookie Betts followed with a single and stole second base, his second of the game and fourth of the World Series. He was stranded there. Barnes was primarily added to the lineup because of what he can do behind the plate with ace Walker Buehler. That plan has worked out, too. Buehler has cruised through six innings of three-hit ball. He struck out three in the bottom of the sixth and has... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 8:56 p.m. The Rays finally broke through against Walker Buehler, with Manuel Margot and Willy Adames hitting doubles in the fifth inning that cut the Dodgers’ lead to 5-1. Buehler had been in complete control until then, striking out five through four hitless innings. But Margot pulled a hard grounder down the left field line with one out and Adames delivered with two outs. That was the first run Buehler has permitted in the World Series play. In his only previous outing, he threw seven shutout innings against Boston in Game 3 in 2018. Charlie Morton’s run as an October ace ended in the early innings, and he was pulled after a one-out walk to Max Muncy in the fifth. The Rays had hoped to get a few more outs from Morton to preserve their bullpen. ___ 8:26 p.m. Walker Buehler dazzled through four hitless innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers had a 5-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays heading into the fifth inning... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 8:05 p.m. Justin Turner sparked the Dodgers again for two more runs off Charlie Morton, and Los Angeles leads Tampa Bay 3-0 through three innings. After Morton hit Corey Seager on the toe with a pitch, Turner drove a double down the left-field line. Both came around to score on Max Muncy’s single. Turner also hit a solo homer in the first. Turner passed Steve Garvey earlier this month for most hits (now 75) in Dodgers postseason history and has the most RBIs (40). He entered the game batting .216 this postseason, but he has extra-base hits in three straight at-bats, including a double in the eighth inning of Game 2. Morton’s three runs allowed matches a postseason career high in his 13th appearance. The 37-year-old has quietly been one of the best postseason pitchers ever with a 2.84 ERA. The Rays got their first baserunner against Walker Buehler in the bottom of the inning when Kevin Kiermaier walked, but... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 3 of the World Series (all times local): 7:40 p.m. Los Angeles ace Walker Buehler is cruising through two perfect innings in Game 3 of the World Series against Tampa Bay. Buehler pushed his strikeout streak to four straight batters, getting Ji-Man Choi looking on a 98 mph fastball and Manuel Margot swinging at 99. Joey Wendle flew out to left to end the inning. Of the 22 pitches Buehler has thrown, 18 have been for strikes. The Dodgers lead 1-0 on Justin Turner’s first-inning home run. Tampa Bay starter Charlie Morton settled down with a 1-2-3 second after allowing Turner’s shot and a single in the first. Cody Bellinger flew out on the first pitch, Chris Taylor struck out and Joc Pederson grounded a slow roller to second. ___ 7:25 p.m. Justin Turner put the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead 1-0 in the first inning, homering on Charlie Morton’s 14th pitch. After taking a curveball with a 1-1 count for a strike with two outs, Turner turned on a high 94.8... [More]