Time to start swinging for $5.6 million! It's easy to play: Get a hit, and your streak continues. If not, try again the next day.
Opening Day has finally arrived. It has been 148 days since the Astros defeated the Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series to clinch the first championship in franchise history. The 2018 regular season is now underway. We'll keep you updated on all Thursday's Opening Day action right here, so make sure you check back often.
Thursday's MLB scores
Let's enjoy this Cruz stroke
Nelson Cruz! Remember when most of us were saying he was a bad free agent signing back in the winter of 2013-14? Well, since his Rangers days ended he's put up an OPS+ of 147 while averaging 42 dingers per season over a span that's covered his age-33 through age-36 seasons.
On Thursday night against the Tribe, Cruz reminded us that he's still going strong when he absolutely poled one off no less a moundsman than Corey Kluber. It traveled 412 feet to pretty much dead center and left the bat at a robust 111 mph. Normally, we'd show the full journey of the home run in question, but this time we'll just show you the moment of impact ...
The haters, who are in reality nothing more than motivators, may insist that what you see above has been altered for effect. The right-wise among us, however, know that the blast field captured above consists of actual, real-life rosin dust. Praise be.
Three things to see from the Braves-Phils game
First off, Phillies rookie manager Gabe Kapler pulled Aaron Nola after just 68 pitches despite his being staked to a 5-0 lead (as our own R.J. Anderson explores, Kapler did not have a particularly impressive dugout debut). That backfired, as implied by the final score above. Now for the three things you need to see from this one ...
Chipper Jones' ceremonial first pitch, which appeared to be a sinker with good run ...
There's a right-hander who could work medium-leverage innings for the Rays.
2. The Freeze starts 2018 on a perfect note by absolutely lighting up a fool ...
Those tasked with choosing opponents for The Freeze: Do better next time. Or do worse, which is also entertaining. Finally ...
3. Nick Markakis' first career walk-off home run ...
Another Opening Day walk-off home run.
Man, it's good to have baseball back. (via @Braves) pic.twitter.com/KfubmNT4NI — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 30, 2018
Braves win, people.
Boston bullpen blows Sale gem
So here's what Red Sox ace Chris Sale did against the Rays on Thursday ...
View Profile Chris Sale BOS • SP • 41 vs. TB, 3/29 IP 6 H 1 R 0 SO 9 BB 3 Pitches/strikes 92
That's some vintage Sale right there, albeit with some sensible Opening Day workload restrictions. Matt Barnes followed up him with a scoreless seventh, and going into the bottom of the eighth the Sox led 4-0 and had roughly a 96 percent chance of winning the game. Well, then this happened in that bottom of the eighth ...
Joe Kelly relieved Matt Barnes
D. Robertson: Ball, Ball, Ball, Strike looking, Strike looking, Foul, Ball, Robertson walked
R. Refsnyder: Ball, Ball, Strike looking, Strike swinging, Strike looking, Refsnyder struck out looking
M. Duffy: Foul, Strike looking, Ball, Ball, Duffy doubled to deep right center, Robertson scored
K. Kiermaier: Ball, Ball, Ball, Strike looking, Strike swinging, Ball, Kiermaier walked
C. Gomez: Strike looking, Ball, Strike (foul tip), Ball, Ball, Ball, Gomez walked, Duffy to third, Kiermaier to second
Brad Miller hit for C.J. Cron
Carson Smith relieved Joe Kelly
B. Miller: Strike looking, Ball, Ball, Ball, Ball, Miller walked, Duffy scored, Kiermaier to third, Gomez to second
W. Ramos: Strike looking, Strike looking, Strike swinging, Ramos struck out swinging
D. Span: Strike looking, Ball, Foul, Ball, Ball, Foul, Span tripled to deep right, Kiermaier, Gomez and Miller scored
A. Hechavarria: Ball, Ball, Hechavarria reached on an infield single to second, Span scored
Joey Wendle hit for Daniel Robertson
J. Wendle: Strike looking, Pickoff attempt, Pickoff attempt, Wendle grounded out to shortstop
End of the 8th (6 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors)
That 6-4 Rays lead held up, and the Sox as such blew a painful one to start the 2018 season.
Jones hits walk-off bomb for O's
Well, it didn't take long for us to see the first walk-off home run of 2018. The Twins and Orioles are tied at 2-2 in the 11th at Camden Yards, and Adam Jones is about to send us home ...
✌️
Go head and walk us off, Adam Jones!
(via @masnOrioles) pic.twitter.com/Sbt7YQPiZW — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 29, 2018
Yep, that's a winner. That's the third walk-off homer of Jones' career. Speaking of third walk-offs ...
@Orioles beat Twins with walk-off HR by Adam Jones in 11th inning, their 3rd straight walk-off win on Opening Day.
Via @EliasSports, Baltimore is 1st team in MLB history to win 3 straight season openers via walkoff. — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 29, 2018
The Orioles, at least throughout recent history, don't disappoint on Opening Day.
Davidson powers White Sox to Opening Day history
Against the Royals on Thursday, White Sox DH Matt Davidson, fresh off a 26-homer rookie campaign in 2017, went deep three times ...
As our own Matt Snyder notes, those three homers put Davidson in elite Opening Day company and also helped the White Sox tie an Opening Day record for power outputs. Read more here.
Happ starts the season with a homer
The first pitch of the new season is supposed to be a fastball down the middle for a called strike, right? That's the way every team opens the season. It's practically a tradition. Gentlemen's agreement.
Well, on Thursday, Ian Happ decided he wasn't going to start the new season by taking a fastball down the middle. He instead ambushed Jose Urena's first pitch -- the first official pitch of the 2018 season -- for a solo home run. Check it out:
Let's settle in and enjoy the first pitch of the 2018 @MLB seaso-- pic.twitter.com/VdNov3BeTx — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 29, 2018
First homer of the season came on the first pitch of the season. How about that? Happ socked five leadoff homers during spring training, you know. seems to me the Cubbies have found their new leadoff hitter.
Oh, and by the way, Cubs reporter Michael Cerami made good on his bet to jump into Lake Michigan if Happ hit a leadoff homer on Opening Day. A bet's a bet.
Marlins, Cubs honor Stoneman Douglas victims
Thanks to their 12:30pm ET start time, the Marlins and Cubs played the first game of the 2018 regular season Thursday afternoon. The two teams plan to honor victims of the shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, throughout their four-game series.
The Marlins will wear a special Stoneman Douglas patch on their jerseys.
Here’s the Stoneman Douglas patch the Marlins will be wearing throughout the opening seriea pic.twitter.com/RWtOfG8XYx — clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) March 29, 2018
The Cubs wore Stoneman Douglas shirts during batting practice Thursday. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo graduated from Stoneman Douglas and returned to Parkland a few weeks ago to deliver a speech at the vigil.
Blue Jays retire Halladay's number
Former Cy Young award winner Roy Halladay was killed in November when a plane he was piloting crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. Prior to Thursday's season opener, the Blue Jays retired Halladay's No. 32 and added him to the Level of Excellence at Rogers Centre.
Roy Halladay joins the Level of Excellence and has his No. 32 retired by the #BlueJays. #DocForever pic.twitter.com/4F4Mqw4xcS — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 29, 2018
No. 32 joins No. 12 (Roberto Alomar) and No. 42 (Jackie Robinson) as the only retired numbers in Blue Jays' history.
Giancarlo goes deep twice in first game with Yankees
Welcome to the Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton. He swatted a two-run home run in his very first at-bat as a Yankee on Thursday.
With a 117.3 mph exit velocity, that home run is the hardest hit homer Statcast has recorded at Rogers Centre since the system debuted in 2015. It's also the hardest hit opposite field home run Statcast has recorded at any ballpark.
Here, for the baseball enthusiast, is radio broadcaster John Sterling's home run call for Stanton. Needs work, I think.
Anyhow, Stanton wasn't done. In the ninth, he utterly crushed one to center ...
Looks like that trade is working out. 😳 pic.twitter.com/AZBc71li7Y — MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2018
Mercy. That one traveled 434 feet and left the bat at 109.4 mph. That blast also put Giancarlo in select Yankee company ...
Last try ...
Giancarlo Stanton is the 7th Yankee with a multi-HR game on Opening Day all-time, and the first since 1963.
The list:
Giancarlo - today
Joe Pepitone - 1963
Roger Maris - 1960
Mickey Mantle - 1956
Russ Derry - 1945
Samuel Byrd - 1932
Babe Ruth - 1932 — Seth Rothman (@SethDRothman) March 29, 2018
Davis hits leadoff for first time
Orioles manager Buck Showalter is not opposed to batting a slugger leadoff. Both Manny Machado and Adam Jones have hit leadoff at times the last few years, and on Opening Day 2018, first baseman Chris Davis got the call at leadoff.
#Orioles Baseball is back!
Here’s our #OpeningDay lineup as we open the 2018 season at home vs the Twins. @Dylan_Bundy making his first Opening Day start. #Birdland pic.twitter.com/GazzwQAG6z — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) March 29, 2018
It was, not surprisingly, the first career start at leadoff for Davis. He'd previous batted in every other lineup position in his career. Davis is certainly an unconventional leadoff hitter, but he'll take a walk and he of course has power. Absent a more traditional leadoff, why not give Davis a whirl? (He led the game off with a fly out, by the way.)
Syndergaard fans 10 in uneven start
Bit of a weird outing for Noah Syndergaard against the Cardinals on Thursday. He struck out 10 in six innings and his stuff looked absolutely filthy ...
... but he also allowed two home runs (Yadier Molina, Jose Martinez) and four runs on six hits overall. Syndergaard's fastball averaged 97.6 mph and topped out at 99.1 mph, so the velocity was there. Just seemed like whenever he made a mistake and caught too much of the plate, the Cardinals put a real good swing on it.
Despite that, the 10 strikeouts are the second most on Opening Day in franchise history.
Syndergaard the second Met ever with 10+ Ks on Opening Day. Pedro Martinez had 12 in 2005. — Tim Britton (@TimBritton) March 29, 2018
Syndergaard missed most of last season with a torn lat. The Opening Day results were okay at best, but his stuff looked good, and that's the most important thing coming back from injury. As long as stays healthy and holds that stuff all season, I reckon Thursday's outing will be one of the worst of his season. Syndergaard is that good.
Gentry makes 2018's first home run robbery
The first outfielder to rob a home run this season? That would be O's right fielder Craig Gentry. He took a solo shot away from Eddie Rosario of the Twins in the first inning Thursday afternoon. To the action footage:
Well done, Gentry. Always nice to get that first home run (robbery) out of the way on Opening Day.
Springer starts Opening Day with a leadoff homer (again)
Ian Happ was not the only player to begin his team's season with a leadoff home run Thursday. George Springer did it for the defending World Series champions as well.
Homers in #WorldSeries Games 4-7. Now a #OpeningDay dinger.
By George … pic.twitter.com/5HhPSi8jIf — MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) March 29, 2018
Fun fact: That is career home run No. 100 for Springer.
Another fun fact: Springer led off last season with a home run as well. Leadoff homers on back-to-back Opening Days is pretty darn cool. Springer is the first player in history to do it.
Springer is first player in MLB history to lead off back-to-back seasons with a HR. Former Astros OF Terry Puhl (1978. '80) was the only previous player to lead off two different seasons with a dinger. — Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 29, 2018
The 2018 season started the same way as the 2017 season for the Astros and Springer. Will it end the same way? They sure hope so.
Nunez hits inside-the-park homer
Ian Happ hit the first homer of the new season and Craig Gentry robbed the first homer of the new season. Eduardo Nunez? He hit the first inside-the-park homer of 2018. He can thank Denard Span and Kevin Kiermaier for some, uh, communication issues.
First homer of 2018, just the way you drew it up. 😉 pic.twitter.com/8QawD06uwe — Red Sox (@RedSox) March 29, 2018
It's been 50 years -- 50 years! -- since a Red Sox player hit an inside-the-park home run on Opening Day.
Per @SoxNotes, Nunez HR was the first Opening Day inside-the-parker for the Sox since 1968 (Yaz). — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 29, 2018
The last two home runs the Red Sox have hit are inside-the-parkers. Rafael Devers hit an inside-the-park shot in Game 4 of the ALDS last year.
Dodgers hope to extend Opening Day winning streak
The Dodgers have won their last seven Opening Days, the longest active Opening Day winning streak in baseball. Not coincidentally, the great Clayton Kershaw has started all seven of those games. His stats in seven career Opening Day starts are just silly:
5-0 record
45 2/3 innings
0.99 ERA
0.66 WHIP
52/6 K/BB
The Dodgers have outscored their opponents 49-11 during their seven-game Opening Day winning streak. They'll look to keep that streak alive against Ty Blach and the rival Giants on Thursday.
Kershaw, by the way, will set a new franchise record with his eighth consecutive Opening Day start this year, breaking a tie with Don Sutton.
Harper looking to extend Opening Day homer streak
Only one player, Nationals wunderkind Bryce Harper, has hit a home run each of the last three Opening Days. He took Bartolo Colon deep on Opening Day 2015, Julio Teheran deep on Opening Day 2016, and David Phelps deep on Opening Day 2017. He also hit two homers on Opening Day 2013. Harper is 7 for 18 (.389) with five home runs, four walks, and four strikeouts in five career Opening Days.
Alas, Harper will have to wait until Friday to try to extend his Opening Day home run streak. The Nationals and Reds were rained out in Cincinnati on Thursday.
Quick hits
Live Updates
Today is Opening Day 2018, the beginning of a new baseball season. You can find out how to watch any and all of today's 13 games elsewhere on the site.
For the readers wanting to immerse themselves in as much baseball as possible, consider this your destination for the day. We'll be live-blogging and curating the best of the day's action from the day's first pitch until its final out.
Check back early and often. And don't forget to enjoy the games.
Will the World Series be a repeat of 2017? Who will be the best pitcher in baseball? Our writers give their verdicts as the new season begins
One bold prediction ...
Most of baseball’s speed-up rules will be a gigantic flop. Fans and players will hate the new mandate that puts a runner on second base to start every extra inning. Baseball has been tinkered with for generations but this is a fundamental change that will destroy the flow of the game. LC
The Astros will threaten the Seattle Mariners’ 2001 record of 116 victories. With a rotation that includes a reinvigorated Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers and Charlie Morton, who is still riding World Series Game 7 mojo, it’s hard to imagine their offense not crushing all before them. But beware: record win totals don’t always lead to a ring. DL
Baseball set an all-time home run record in 2017 with 6,105 blasts, 400 more than in the 2000 season and the peak of the steroid era. To attribute all of those home runs to players swinging harder at the plate and “juiced baseballs” seems a bit naive considering ... well, all of modern baseball history. So here’s the prediction: some big names will be linked to PEDs this year. And another prediction: most baseball fans under 40 won’t care. DG
Shohei Ohtani: the future of baseball or empty hype? Read more
The Judge-Stanton axis is …
... powerful but don’t expect them to be on the field together all season. While having two huge sluggers in their prime is a coup for the Yankees, injuries held Stanton to just 115 games in the previous seasons before last year. He and Judge will hit a lot of home runs but New York could have a huge hole to fill if Stanton goes on the disabled list in August or September. LC
... producing energy, enough to light up a small town. I’m not talking about home-run juice, but rather the byproduct, windpower. Judge and Stanton combined to strike out 310 times last season: if renewables are your thing, find a way to capture the gales whipping up in the Bronx. DL
Must-watch baseball television. It’s hard to drop in on even the best baseball players for a single game throughout the 162-game schedule and expect magic. Watch five Mike Trout games all year, for example, and you might have the misfortune of seeing him go 0-for-4 every time, even in the midst of a .350/45/130 season. But Judge and Stanton are guaranteed every night to deliver either massive home run(s) or mammoth whiffs. And most nights it will be both. DG
MVP winners
Marcell Ozuna and Mike Trout. Ozuna had a breakout season for the Marlins last year and many people never noticed because it was for, well, the Marlins. Now in St Louis he will play meaningful games while still hitting in a productive line-up. The Angels may be good enough to play into fringe contention, meaning Trout won’t have to fight voter bias against players from losing teams. LC
Jose Altuve earned his MVP last season, but the AL vote would have been much closer if Mike Trout didn’t miss over a month to injury. Everyone’s favorite amateur weatherman wins the big ugly plaque every other season, and I’m forecasting another. Bryce Harper already plays angry – what’s he going to be like in his long-awaited contract year? Torrid: it’s not even going to be close. Should we start the bidding at $500m? DL
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Giancarlo Stanton hit 59 home runs last year and had a 1.007 OPS while playing in a pitchers’ park. Now that he’ll get 81 games in Yankee Stadium – as well as nearly 20 more in Fenway Park and Camden Yards – and have much better protection around him in the lineup, 70 homers is a real possibility. Or maybe 70 intentional walks. Either way, the MVP is Stanton’s if he stays healthy. In the NL, give it to Paul Goldschmidt for soldiering on with big numbers despite not having nearly as much talent around him. DG
Cy Young winners
Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale. A pair of back injuries the last two seasons have kept Kershaw from winning the award four of the last five years. If he can make 30 starts no one will have better numbers. Sale has come close several times, if he can avoid a glitch like the one he had late last summer he is probably the American League’s best pitcher. LC
Clayton Kershaw hasn’t won a Cy Young in three seasons – for this southpaw, that feels like a Cubs-like drought. His season will end in an even larger cash bonanza after an opt-out or Dodger contract extension. The gap between Corey Kluber and the rest of the AL in 2017 was almost two WAR points (if WAR is your thing). There’s no reason to believe he can’t be just as dominant in 2018. DL
There will be a good argument to be made after Clayton Kershaw’s career is over to change the name of the honor to the Young/Kershaw Award. He’ll win his fourth (currently-dubbed) Cy Young Award this year. In the American League, a rejuvenated Justin Verlander is the frontrunner – unless he splits the vote with any of the two other Houston starters with Cy Young potential in Dallas Keuchel and Gerrit Cole. DG
NL East winners
The Nationals would win almost any division they are in but they have the fortune of playing in the NL East, which may end up not having another team with a winning record. The Nats should get a big season from Bryce Harper in his contract year and have a solid bullpen that could finally win them a postseason series. LC
The current national disgrace in DC would pale in comparison to a Nationals bust in the NL East. The Mets need their long list of “ifs” to hit if they’re to compete, the Phillies are trending upwards but need more time, Atlanta missed a winter of opportunity when their GM was banned for life, and Miami have a great shot at a Florida League title. It’s Washington’s to lose. DL
With Bryce Harper still under contract for one more season, this is Washington’s division to lose. But if Washington somehow struggles, maybe they’ll trade Harper before the deadline to his favorite team growing up: the New York Yankees. They sure could use another power bat. DG
NL West winners
The Dodgers play in baseball’s best division but they have so much depth they should win the West again for the sixth straight year. They have built a team of versatile players and can tap into a deep farm system to cover for almost any injury. Arizona and Colorado will make runs but don’t have the pitching to match LA. LC
The NL West is the only thing the Dodgers can count on winning – they’re up to five straight crowns. Their question is, can they finally win a World Series after a 30-year drought, a somewhat staggering number considering their royalty status. The Giants losing Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija to injuries means there’s little chance at taking on LA. We could have two wildcard spots from this division again if the Giants and Diamondbacks do well. DL
Baseball no longer a supergiant but it is still the most American of sports Read more
The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, but bottomed out last year at 64-98. They’ve gone all-in on turning it around by acquiring Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen, but those players – like the team they’ve joined – also were a lot better between 2010 and 2014 than they are today. The Dodgers should win the division again with ease. DG
NL Central winners
St Louis and Milwaukee are both improved but the Cubs are still the best team in this division. They have fixed their biggest problem, the bullpen, by adding Brandon Morrow and Steve Cishek. Chicago will still be able to hit, and now they won’t be giving away games in the eighth and ninth they may well be back in the World Series. LC
Milwaukee are unique: a middle of the road team actually trying to win. Impressive additions include Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain. If I’m drinking the Kool-Aid, let’s say they’re an arm or two short for the division but will earn a wildcard spot. The Cardinals must win now for manager Mike Matheny’s sake but they’re a patchwork outfit at best. You know where this is going: a third straight Central crown for the evil empire out in Chicago. DL
The Cubs have seen the Astros blow by them as baseball’s new supposed dynasty-in-the-making, but Chicago still don’t have any real competition in their own division. The Brewers added some talent, but probably not enough. The Cardinals mostly stood pat after an 83-79 season. And the Pirates got just enough in exchange for McCutchen and Gerrit Cole to remain competitively mediocre again. Oh, and the Cincinnati Reds exist, too. DG
AL East winners
These Yankees look very much like the great teams of old with a loaded line-up, solid rotation and excellent bullpen. The addition of Giancarlo Stanton will be enough to get them past the Red Sox and make them a serious World Series threat. LC
By far the most intriguing division. Two outliers: the unsung Orioles for whom it’s a quarter to doom, with three core all-stars set to depart soon, and the Jays, with a rotation possibly propelling Toronto onto an unlikely run. Otherwise it’s yet another edition of Yankees-Red Sox. Will Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge stay healthy? Is JD Martinez another Boston bust? Which rookie manager, Alex Cora or Aaron Boone, will wilt first? For me, this is setting up like a classic Sox meltdown: Yanks in a laugher. DL
It’s easy to complain about the Yankees and Red Sox being on national TV all the time, but they also happen to be the clear two best teams in the AL East this year and legitimate World Series contenders. Admit it: this year’s 500 primetime matchups will be a good watch. Give the edge to the Yankees thanks to the addition of Stanton, who will help New York clinch the division in the final weekend of the season with a line drive that rips a hole through the Green Monster. DG
AL West winners
Houston might actually be better than last year … if that is possible. A deep rotation and line-up filled with impossible players to get out will probably push the Astros past 100 wins again this year. The Rangers and Angels could experiment with six-man rotations and Seattle are better but none of these teams will come close to catching the champions. LC
If you’re an Angels or a Mariners fan (and what the heck, an Athletics fan), you know that the only hope you have at even touching the Astros is a spate of injuries ... or Carlos Correa’s wedding planning becoming a major team distraction. It’s hard to imagine the defending champions struggling with something as meek as the AL West. Otherwise, it’s all eyes on Ohtani. DL
Last year the Astros won the AL West by a 21-game margin. Don’t expect it to be as close this year. DG
AL Central winners
Last September, Cleveland looked like the favorites to win the World Series but an inexplicable collapse in the postseason was a disappointing end to a tremendous late-year run. The Indians are too good to not repeat but watch out for the Twins who are on the rise. LC
Does anyone remember Minnesota made the playoffs after selling at the trade deadline and were actually up 3-0 on the Yankees in the first inning of the wildcard game? The Twins have it in them to scare the Indians just a touch if their offense continues to fire and their pitching takes a half-step up, which it can after off-season acquisitions. Otherwise, I’d bet the house on this division finishing in the exact same order it did a season ago. DL
The best sports team in Cleveland in 2018 just so happens to be the Indians. (Sorry, Browns.) Their one-two punch at the top of the rotation in Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco is as good as any in the league. DG
NL wildcards
Cardinals and Rockies. LC
Brewers and Mets. DL
Diamondbacks and Mets. DG
AL wildcards
Blue Jays and Red Sox. LC
Blue Jays and Red Sox. DL
Red Sox and Twins. DG
ALCS result
Astros over Indians 4-2. LC
Yankees over Astros 4-3. DL
Astros over Yankees, 4-2. DG
NLCS result
Dodgers over Cubs 4-3. LC
Dodgers over Brewers 4-1. DL
Dodgers over Cubs, 4-3. DG
World Series winners
Dodgers over Astros 4-2. This time Kenley Jansen doesn’t hang a ninth-inning, Game 2 slider and Houston don’t come back to beat the Dodgers. This may be LA’s last season with Clayton Kershaw and they will want to get at least one championship with him. LC
Dodgers over Yankees 4-3. The only thing missing from Clayton Kershaw’s Koufaxian-ish career is a title. This is the year the Dodgers ace wins three games in a World Series and finally walks off a winner. Of course, it could have happened last year, if not for curious decisions by skipper Brian Roberts combining with the crumbling confidence of Yu Darvish. This time it’s Aaron Boone’s chance to spiral in the spotlight, as the Yankees latest dynasty is delayed for one more season after a highly celebrated seven-game series. DL
Astros over Dodgers 4-2. Considering the Dodgers are one of the richest teams in sports and will open the season with a payroll in the range of $180m, it’s hard to fathom the huge drop-off in talent from Clayton Kershaw to the rest of the starting rotation. Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu aren’t slouches, but they’re also a bit underwhelming considering the franchise’s resources. Maybe the Dodgers will upgrade before the trade deadline, but as of now, Houston’s rotation gives them a huge advantage in a series. DG
