NY YANKEES @ LA DODGERS (LAD -125, 8)
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YANKEES @ DODGERS 10/25/24
Game 1 between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers is scheduled for Friday, marking the start of a World Series beyond Major League Baseball's wildest expectations. Expected MVP winners Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers combined for 112 home runs in the regular season. They hit five more in the postseason and will face off in the best-of-seven MLB World Series.
As the century-old teams square off in a World Series for the twelfth time, it will also be a celebration of baseball's history. The Dodgers prevailed in the most recent meeting in 1981, but the Yankees had won eight of the previous 11 meetings in the World Series. Left-hander Fernando Valenzuela, who died Tuesday and will be remembered this week, led Los Angeles to that 1981 championship.
Even with their lengthy and convoluted histories, each franchise has a claim to make. Despite making it to the postseason eight times in the last ten seasons, the Yankees haven't made it to the World Series since winning the championship in 2009.
Although the Dodgers have won 11 National League West titles and advanced to the playoffs in each of the previous 12 seasons, their only championship during that time came in the shortened 2020 season. Los Angeles will be making their fourth World Series appearance in the last eight seasons.
The Yankees will start right-hander Gerrit Cole in Game 1 of the World Series. New York defeated the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals to reach the championship series. After recovering from an elbow strain, Cole made 17 regular-season starts and finished 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA.
Cole is 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA in three postseason starts, including one in the ALCS Game 2 where he allowed two runs in 4.1 innings of a 6-3 victory over Cleveland. Cole is 4-2 with a 5.01 ERA in eight career starts against the Dodgers, and he gave up just one run in six innings in a win over LA last season.
The Dodgers advanced with series wins over the New York Mets and San Diego Padres following an injury-plagued season. Right-hander Jack Flaherty, who was 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts following a late-July trade from the Detroit Tigers, will start Game 1 for Los Angeles.
After dominating the Mets with seven scoreless innings in Game 1 and then surrendering eight runs in Game 5, Flaherty is 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in three postseason starts. Last season, Flaherty made his lone career start against the Yankees as a Detroit Tiger. He pitched six scoreless innings in a victory over New York.
It is likely that Judge will win the AL MVP for the second time in three seasons. He did not win the award in 2023. Judge missed eight weeks due to a toe injury sustained during a June game at Dodger Stadium in 2023.
Giancarlo Stanton, who has five home runs in the playoffs and 27 in the regular season, will provide Judge with capable support. In his first season in New York, Juan Soto hit 41 home runs, and he hit the game-winning home run in the fifth and final ALCS game.
Ohtani became the sport's first 50-50 player with 54 home runs and 59 steals in the first season of a heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million contract. In the postseason, he has hit three home runs. Teammate Mookie Betts ended the regular season with a .863 OPS and a. 372 on-base percentage despite missing two months due to a broken hand. Freddie Freeman hit 22 home runs and had 89 RBIs, despite playing with a sprained right ankle.
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FREE PICK: OVER 8
During the postseason, the Dodgers averaged 6.36 runs per game and the Yankees scored 4.78. The two starting pitchers in Game 1 have been tagged so don’t expect the offenses to slow down any time soon. These two teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in wOBA against right-handed pitching during the regular season. Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty are both right-handers and Flaherty actually gave up 8 runs in his last start, Game 5 of the NLCS. In the ALCS, the Over went 3-1-1. In the NLCS, the Over went 6-0.