ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Manuel Margot snuck a few steps down the line and took off toward home plate, trying to steal a run for Tampa Bay. He came up a little short — just like the rest of the Rays in their attempt to nab Game 5 and go ahead in this World Series. A night after Tampa Bay's stunning ninth-inning victory, which ended with Randy Arozarena on his stomach and slapping home plate after scoring the winning run, Margot couldn’t get his hand there before getting tagged out by catcher Austin Barnes. That inning-ending play in the fourth was the last time the Rays got that close to scoring in a 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night that left Tampa Bay in a 3-2 Series deficit. Needing a win to force a deciding Game 7, the Rays are set to start 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on Tuesday night. The lefty struck out nine in 4 2/3 innings when the Rays won 6-4 in Game 2 last Wednesday. Tampa Bay trailed 3-2 against three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 5 of the World Series (all times local): 10:40 p.m. Clayton Kershaw beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the second time in six days, escaping a fourth-inning jam with a quick reaction throw to cut down a runner trying for a rare steal of home plate, and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 4-2 win Sunday night and a 3-2 World Series lead. With one more victory, the Dodgers would claim their first title since 1988. Mookie Betts and Corey Seager sparked a two-run first inning, and Joc Pederson and Max Muncy homered off long-ball prone Tyler Glasnow, whose 100 mph heat was no match. Kershaw was cruising when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed the 32-year-old left-hander in favor of Dustin May with two outs in the sixth inning. The mostly pro-Dodgers fans in the pandemic-reduced crowd of 11,437 booed when Roberts walked to the mound, well aware that closer Kenley Jansen wasted a ninth-inning lead in Saturday’s stunning 8-7 loss. May got five outs and Victor... [More]

The big man in Tampa Bay's rotation has struggled with the little things, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have pounced on seemingly every mistake Tyler Glasnow has made. Glasnow allowed four runs in five innings as the Rays fell 4-2 in Game 5 Sunday night, taking his second loss in this World Series. He threw a Series record three wild pitches, allowed a record-setting homer, and despite overpowering stuff, never took control against a Dodger team that has exposed his few flaws while moving within one win of the title. Lanky and strong at 6-foot-8, Glasnow runs his fastball over 100 mph with electric rise and snaps his curveball violently toward the earth — a devastating 1-2 punch that rivals any in the game. The right-hander with strikeout stuff has missed plenty of bats, striking out 15 over his two Fall Classic starts. But he has been hurt by shaky command, a weakness against the running game and perhaps because he lacks a reliable third pitch. “What hurt him is the talent of the Dodgers... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 5 of the World Series (all times local): 9:50 p.m. Dustin May is keeping the Rays’ bats quiet with an impressive relief outing -- and making Dodgers manager Dave Roberts look smart for summoning him to replace an effective Clayton Kershaw. The rookie right-hander with the wild shock of bright red hair has retired all four batters he’s faced (two on strikeouts) to protect a 4-2 lead for Los Angeles through seven innings. May, who had been struggling in the postseason, is consistently throwing 99-101 mph with major movement. A fired-up May struck out pinch-hitter Austin Meadows to begin a 1-2-3 seventh that was aided by Joc Pederson’s nice running catch in deep left-center field. May entered with a 5.00 ERA in six previous appearances covering nine innings this postseason. He had allowed nine hits and walked six. Tampa Bay reliever Diego Castillo made quick work of the first three hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup in the top of the seventh. The best-of-seven... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 5 of the World Series (all times local): 9:31 p.m. Two pitches, two outs for Clayton Kershaw in the sixth. And then, just like that, he got pulled by manager Dave Roberts. Perhaps that was the plan Sunday night, maybe that’s what the book said, yank him after 21 batters, no matter what. But the Dodgers lefty was done after 85 pitches. Not that the LA fans at Globe Life Field liked the decision -- a few thousand of them booed, before cheering for Kershaw as he walked off. Struggling reliever Dustin May entered and struck out Manuel Margot with a 101 mph fastball to end the inning with the Dodgers ahead 4-2. Rays manager Kevin Cash went to his bullpen to begin the sixth, taking out starter Tyler Glasnow. Relievers Aaron Loup and Diego Castillo combined for a hitless inning. ___ 9:15 p.m. Max Muncy launched a no-doubt homer into the right-field seats, and the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 through five innings. Muncy turned on a 99... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 5 of the World Series (all times local): 9:15 p.m. Max Muncy launched a no-doubt homer into the right-field seats, and the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 through five innings. Muncy turned on a 99 mph fastball from Tyler Glasnow and whipped his bat to the ground as he admired it from the plate. It was the first homer of the World Series for Muncy and lifted his batting average to .412. The 30-year-old also walked earlier in the game and has 20 free passes this postseason, tied for second most ever behind Barry Bonds’ 27 in 2002. Glasnow has allowed a record nine homers this postseason, including eight on his fastball. The 6-foot-8 right-hander seemed to have settled after a rocky start, setting down eight straight before Muncy’s shot. After escaping a thorny fourth inning by thwarting Manual Margot’s attempted steal of home, Clayton Kershaw cruised through the fifth, retiring the side in order, including two strikeouts. ___ 8:50... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local): 8:25 p.m. Yandy Díaz hit an RBI triple off Clayton Kershaw and scored on Randy Arozarena’s record-breaking single to cut Tampa Bay’s deficit to 3-2 after three innings. A scuffling Tyler Glasnow remains on the mound for the Rays, trying to find his rhythm. The 6-foot-8 right-hander worked around a leadoff single and another wild pitch in the top of the third, striking out Will Smith and Cody Bellinger before Chris Taylor grounded out to end the inning. Kevin Kiermaier beat out an infield single to begin the bottom half on a ball charged and fielded by Kershaw. Díaz then sliced a line-drive triple into the right-field corner that skipped past Mookie Betts, allowing Kiermaier to score. It was Díaz’s first RBI since Aug. 29. Arozarena singled through the left side on a hanging breaking ball to make it 3-2. A frustrated Kershaw yelled and pounded his glove, and Arozarena signaled for the souvenir ball to be... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local): 8 p.m. Joc Pederson kept up the Dodgers’ attack against Tyler Glasnow, hitting a leadoff home run in the second inning that made it 3-0. Pederson stood at the plate for a moment to admire the shot into Tampa Bay’s bullpen in left-center field while Glasnow covered his head with both hands. Pederson became the eighth different Dodgers player to homer in this Series, tying the Bash Brothers of the ’89 A’s for the most ever. This is not what the Rays hoped for or needed from Glasnow. The 6-foot-8 ace has walked three so far, the outs against him are loud and he’s already thrown 51 pitches. He got a break, too, when Austin Barnes was caught stealing as he came off second base after beating the throw. For Glasnow, this comes after he walked six and threw a whopping 112 pitches in just 4 1/3 innings of Game 1. Clayton Kershaw also got some help in the bottom half. After Manuel Margot led off the inning with a... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local): 7:40 p.m. Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger singled in runs off an overthrowing Tyler Glasnow in the first inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers took a 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays with the World Series tied at two games apiece. Seager advanced on a pair of wild pitches in the first by Glasnow, who was throwing at up to 100.6 mph. Mookie Betts doubled on a 99 mph fastball, driving the ball into left field, and scored two pitches later when Seager pulled a curveball into right field for a single and his 19th postseason RBI. Justin Turner took a called third strike, and Seager advanced on a wild pitch, a safe call by Laz Diaz that was upheld in a video review. Max Muncy drew his 20th walk of the postseason, Will Smith struck out and, after another wild pitch, Cody Bellinger hit a grounder that was stopped by second baseman Brandon Lowe on the right field grass with no play. Seager scored on the infield single,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A second error has been charged to the Los Angeles Dodgers on the wild play that ended Game 4 of the World Series, when the Tampa Bay Rays scored twice for an 8-7 victory. Major League Baseball said Sunday that official scorer Steve Weller, after reviewing the play from the previous night, charged catcher Will Smith with an error that allowed the winning run to score. There were two outs and runners on first and second when light-hitting Brett Phillips flared a single into right-center field. Chris Taylor tried to scoop up the ball, but instead knocked it away him while the tying run scored. That error allowed Randy Arozarena an extra base, from first to third. Arozarena was waved home as Taylor recovered the ball and threw to first baseman Max Muncy for a relay throw to Smith. A step in front of the plate and slightly up the first-base line, Smith tried to catch the ball and make a sweeping tag in one motion. Except the ball went off his glove. "I saw Arozarena,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Five World Series games have ended on walk-off plays that involved an error. 1914 GAME 3 With the score 4-all at Fenway Park, pinch-hitter Hank Gowdy of the Boston Braves doubles leading off the bottom of the 12th inning against the Philadelphia Athletics’ Bullet Joe Bush. Larry Gilbert pinch hits for Bill James. Les Mann pinch runs. Gilbert is intentionally walked. Herbie Moran bunts for a sacrifice and Bush throws wildly to third for an error as pinch-runner Les Mann scores. Boston goes on to a four-game sweep. 1969 GAME 4 With the score 1-all at Shea Stadium, Jerry Grote of the New York Mets doubles leading off the bottom of the 10th inning against the Baltimore Orioles reliever Dick Hall. Rod Gaspar pinch runs, Al Weis is intentionally walked. Pete Richert relieves. J.C. Martin pinch hits for Tom Seaver. Martin bunts for a sacrifice and Richert throws wildly to first for an error as Gaspar scores. New York takes a 3-1 lead and wins in five games. 1986 GAME 6... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Five World Series games have ended on walk-off plays that involved an error. A look at the previous four: 1914 GAME 3 With the score 4-all at Fenway Park, pinch-hitter Hank Gowdy of the Boston Braves doubles leading off the bottom of the 12th inning against the Philadelphia Athletics’ Bullet Joe Bush. Larry Gilbert pinch hits for Bill James. Les Mann pinch runs. Gilbert is intentionally walked. Herbie Moran bunts for a sacrifice and Bush throws wildly to third for an error as pinch-runner Les Mann scores. Boston goes on to a four-game sweep. 1969 GAME 4 With the score 1-all at Shea Stadium, Jerry Grote of the New York Mets doubles leading off the bottom of the 10th inning against the Baltimore Orioles reliever Dick Hall. Rod Gaspar pinch runs, Al Weis is intentionally walked. Pete Richert relieves. J.C. Martin pinch hits for Tom Seaver. Martin bunts for a sacrifice and Richert throws wildly to first for an error as Gaspar scores. New York takes a 3-1 lead and wins... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — With two down, the Los Angeles Dodgers delivered time and time again. It still wasn't enough. All the Dodgers’ runs in Saturday night’s wild 8-7 World Series loss to the Tampa Bay Rays crossed the plate with two outs, raising their total to 57 of 94 in the postseason. The 60.6% clip is on track for a postseason record, topping the previous high of 59.3% by the 1992 Atlanta Braves. “Obviously didn’t get the result that we wanted,” Justin Turner said. “Wild game, back and forth, up and down. But like we said all along, we know it’s not going to be easy. We know how difficult this is.” For all their clutch hitting, the Dodgers couldn't make the last pitch they needed to close out Game 4. Despite outscoring Tampa Bay 25-19 and outhitting the Rays .282 to .229, Los Angeles finds itself tied at two games apiece. “We made some plays offensively,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We don't play the blame game.” Phillips' two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning off closer... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Hours after slugging his way into World Series history, Randy Arozarena stumbled into October lore. Is there anything this rookie can't do? The winning run the Cuban sensation scored in a frenetic ninth inning will have fans talking for years after the Tampa Bay Rays stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7 Saturday night, tying the matchup at two games apiece. “Randy’s not used to having to run like that. Normally he’s just trotting,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. Those same folks might want to remember that much earlier, the 25-year-old outfielder passed Barry Bonds among others for the most home runs in a single postseason. He then joined the top of the list for hits as well. Arozarena's solo homer leading off the fourth opened the scoring for the Rays and was his ninth of the postseason, and sent him past the previous record of eight shared by Bonds (2002, San Francisco), Carlos Beltran (2005, Houston) and Nelson Cruz (2011, Texas). None of those three won the World... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Hours after slugging his way into World Series history, Randy Arozarena stumbled into October lore. Is there anything this rookie can't do? The winning run the Cuban sensation scored in a frenetic ninth inning will have fans talking for years after the Tampa Bay Rays stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7 Saturday night, tying the matchup at two games apiece. “Randy’s not used to having to run like that. Normally he’s just trotting,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. Those same folks might want to remember that much earlier, the 25-year-old outfielder passed Barry Bonds among others for the most home runs in a single postseason. He then joined the top of the list for hits as well. Arozarena's solo homer leading off the fourth opened the scoring for the Rays and was his ninth of the postseason, and sent him past the previous record of eight shared by Bonds (2002, San Francisco), Carlos Beltran (2005, Houston) and Nelson Cruz (2011, Texas). None of those three won the World... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kenley Jansen threw a cutter inside to Brett Phillips for a ball, then a cutter and a sinker for called strikes. One strike to go, and the Los Angeles Dodgers would be one win from the World Series title that has eluded them since 1988. The 33-year-old right-hander had faltered this year, lost velocity, but bounced back. He assured Dodgers fans, and so did manager Dave Roberts. Kevin Kiermaier was on second after a one-out single and Randy Arozarena on first following a two-out walk. Just one more strike to a hitter who figured to be overmatched. After all, Phillips hadn't even been on Tampa Bay's AL Championship Series roster, had not gotten a hit since Sept. 25. He wasn't even with the Rays until an Aug. 27 trade from Kansas City. Jansen threw a cutter to the left-handed batter, over the middle and knee high. And the night came undone for Jansen and the Dodgers. Phillips flared the ball into center field at 83 mph for a single and it bounced twice. Just before... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kenley Jansen threw a cutter inside to Brett Phillips for a ball, then a cutter and a sinker for called strikes. One strike to go, and the Los Angeles Dodgers would be one win from the World Series title that has eluded them since 1988. The 33-year-old right-hander had faltered this year, lost velocity, but bounced back. He assured Dodgers fans, and so did manager Dave Roberts. Kevin Kiermaier was on second after a one-out single and Randy Arozarena on first following a two-out walk. Just one more strike to a hitter who figured to be overmatched. After all, Phillips hadn't even been on the Rays' AL Championship Series roster, had not gotten a hit since Sept. 25. He wasn't even with Tampa Bay until an Aug. 27 trade from Kansas City. Jansen threw a cutter to the left-handed batter, over the middle and knee high. And the night came undone for Jansen and the Dodgers. Phillips drove the ball into center field for a single and it bounced twice. Just before it was to land... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Hours after slugging his way into World Series history, Randy Arozarena stumbled into October lore. Is there anything this rookie can't do? The winning run the Cuban sensation scored in a frenetic ninth inning will have fans talking for years after the Tampa Bay Rays stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7 Saturday night, tying the matchup at two games apiece. “Randy’s not used to having to run like that. Normally he’s usually trotting,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. Those same folks might want to remember that much earlier, the 25-year-old outfielder passed Barry Bonds among others for the most home runs in a single postseason. He then joined the top of the list for hits as well. Arozarena's solo homer leading off the fourth opened the scoring for the Rays and was his ninth of the postseason, and sent him past the previous record of eight shared by Bonds (2002, San Francisco), Carlos Beltran (2005, Houston) and Nelson Cruz (2011, Texas). None of those three won the... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — With two down, the Los Angeles Dodgers delivered time and time again. It still wasn't enough. All the Dodgers’ runs in Saturday night’s wild 8-7 World Series loss to the Tampa Bay Rays crossed the plate with two outs, raising their total to 57 of 94 in the postseason. The 60.6% clip is on track for a postseason record, topping the previous high of 59.3% by the 1992 Atlanta Braves. But for all their clutch hitting, the Dodgers couldn't make the last pitch they needed to close out Game 4. Brett Phillips' two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning off closer Kenley Jansen scored Kevin Kiermaier from second base with the tying run and brought home Randy Arozarena all the way from first when center fielder Chris Taylor bobbled the ball for an error and Los Angeles botched a relay to the plate. Before the astonishing finish, the teams became the first in Series play to score in eight consecutive half innings — two more than the previous high set by the Dodgers and... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local): 11:20 p.m. The Tampa Bay Rays pulled off a stunning rally in the bottom of the ninth inning when Brett Phillips’ two-out single and a pair of Dodgers misplays resulted in two runs that beat Los Angeles 8-7 and tied the World Series at two games each. In a game full of late drama, the final turn came out of nowhere. The Dodgers, on the verge of a 3-1 lead in a push for their first title since 1988, took a 7-6 lead into the ninth. Kevin Kiermaier blooped a single with one out off Kenley Jansen and Randy Arozarena walked with two outs. Phillips, who batted a combined .196 for Kansas City and Tampa Bay this year, hit a soft single that Chris Taylor bobbled as the tying run scored. Arozarena appeared to be a sure out when he stumbled halfway home, but catcher Will Smith lost control of the ball as he spun around for a tag, allowing the winning run to score. Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw... [More]