The Dodgers had the perfect regular-season report in baseball at 43-17 and are 9-Three within the postseason after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers within the wild card spherical and San Diego Padres within the Nationwide League Division Sequence earlier than needing seven video games to defeat the Atlanta Braves within the NL Championship Sequence.

The Tampa Bay Rays had the perfect regular-season report within the American League at 40-20 and are 9-5 within the postseason after sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays, dispatching the New York Yankees in a five-game ALDS and the Houston Astros in a seven-game ALCS.

Complete report: The Dodgers are 52-20; the Rays 49-25. They’ve gained 101 of 146 video games between them, a .692 successful proportion. Let’s have a look at how them examine, place by place:

WORLD SERIES POSITION-BY-POSITION MATCHUPS

STARTING ROTATION

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, who has a mediocre 11-12 report and 4.31 ERA in 35 profession playoff video games, 28 of them begins, will begin Recreation 1, however being pushed to seven video games within the NLCS will disrupt the crew’s World Sequence pitching plans. Supervisor Dave Roberts stated he’ll “should be artistic” in Recreation 2, which may very well be a bullpen recreation that includes Dustin Could and Tony Gonsolin. Walker Buehler will pitch Recreation 3, aligning the ace for a possible Recreation 7, and Julio Urías possible will begin Recreation 4.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw pitches towards the Atlanta Braves in Recreation Four of the NLCS at Globe Life Area in Arlington, Texas. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Instances)

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Rays: Tyler Glasnow, the 6-foot-Eight right-hander who will begin Recreation 1, can dominate together with his high-90s fastball and massive curve, however he’s additionally given up six homers in 19 1/Three playoff innings. Blake Snell, the left-hander who will begin Recreation 2, contains a 95-mph fastball, slider, curve and changeup and has a 3.20 ERA in 4 playoff begins. Charlie Morton, the veteran right-hander with an 0.46 ERA in three Recreation 7 appearances (together with with the Astros towards the Dodgers in 2017), is lined as much as begin Recreation Three and … Recreation 7.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow pitches throughout Recreation Four of the ALCS towards the Houston Astros on Oct. 14 in San Diego. (Gregory Bull / Related Press)

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EDGE: Even

BULLPEN

Dodgers: Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol all rebounded from earlier playoff hiccups, and Pedro Báez was dominant in his final three NLCS outings, giving up one hit and putting out 5 in three innings, giving Roberts 4 stable choices from the precise aspect. Rookie left-hander Victor González has proven promise, however fellow left-handers Adam Kolarek and Jake McGee have been erratic.

Rays: A deep, versatile and infrequently dominant aid corps has allowed supervisor Kevin Money to have a brief leash together with his starters. Proper-handers Nick Anderson, who has a energetic 95-mph fastball and sharp curve, Pete Fairbanks, who has a 98-mph fastball and wipeout slider, and Diego Castillo, who contains a 98-mile two-seam fastball, share closing and setup duties. There are sidearm throwers from the precise (Ryan Thompson) and left (Aaron Loup) sides.

EDGE: Rays

FIRST BASE

Dodgers: Max Muncy hit .192 with 12 homers and 27 RBIs in 58 video games, a big drop from a 2019 All-Star season wherein he hit .251 with 35 homers and 98 RBIs. However his plate self-discipline stays very good — he’s drawn 15 walks towards 17 strikeouts in 12 playoff video games — and he’s offered pop with two homers, three doubles and eight RBIs.

Rays: Ji-Man Choi, who debuted with the Angels in 2015, has offered shocking energy, with a .952 OPS, two homers and 4 RBIs in 12 playoff video games, however he’s greatest recognized for his Gumby-like capacity to stretch and contort his stout 6-foot-1, 260-pound body whereas stretching for errant throws. Proper-handed-hitting Yandy Diaz or Mike Brosseau may begin towards the left-handed Kershaw.

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EDGE: Rays

SECOND BASE

Dodgers: Chris Taylor suffered a right-ankle damage in Recreation 5 of the NLCS, however after sitting out Recreation 6, he returned for Recreation 7 and had a single and a double. After crushing a game-tying pinch-hit homer within the sixth inning Sunday, Kiké Hernández may see enjoying time at second, particularly towards the Rays’ left-handed starters.

Rays: Brandon Lowe hit .269 with a .916 OPS, 14 homers and 37 RBIs within the common season however has struggled within the postseason, batting .115 with 18 strikeouts. The improved plate self-discipline that served him nicely within the common season, when he swung at 20.9% of pitches outdoors the strike zone, has disappeared in playoffs, Lowe swinging at 34.3% of pitches outdoors the zone.

EDGE: Dodgers

SHORTSTOP

Dodgers: Corey Seager has been a beast within the playoffs, batting .298 with a 1.124 OPS, six homers, 4 doubles, 15 RBIs and 13 runs in 12 video games, incomes NLCS Most worthy participant honors and the admiration of teammate Mookie Betts, who stated his job as leadoff man is “to get on base and keep there till [Seager] hits me in, which doesn’t take lengthy.”

Dodgers’ Corey Seager celebrates his house run towards the Atlanta Braves throughout the first inning in Recreation 6 of the NLCS on Oct. 17 in Arlington, Texas. (Eric Homosexual / Related Press)

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Rays: Willy Adames is not any match for Seager offensively — he hit .259 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 2020 and is batting .132 with three RBIs in 14 playoff video games. However the 25-year-old from the Dominican Republic is a defensive whiz with very good instincts and reflexes, the vary to make performs up the center and within the gap.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Willy Adames tries to catch in Recreation 7 of the ALCS on in San Diego. (Gregory Bull / Related Press)

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EDGE: Dodgers

THIRD BASE

Dodgers: Justin Turner has had a quiet postseason in comparison with his often sturdy Octobers, batting .209 with one homer and 4 RBIs, however that one homer was big, a solo shot in a three-run first inning of a 3-1 NLCS Recreation 6 win. He additionally made an enormous defensive play in Recreation 7, diving to tag Dansby Swanson in a rundown between third and residential, scrambling to at least one knee and throwing out Austin Riley at third to finish a double play.

Rays: Joey Wendle went six for 11 with 4 runs, one strikeout and one stroll within the first three video games of the division sequence, however in 9 video games since he’s hit .111 with two RBIs and 9 strikeouts. If Wendle continues to wrestle, he may lose enjoying time to Diaz.

EDGE: Dodgers

LEFT FIELD

Dodgers: AJ Pollock emerged because the on a regular basis starter by hitting a team-high 16 homers and 34 RBIs within the common season, however his .229 common), no homers and two RBIs in 11 playoff video games may flip the place again right into a platoon with the left-handed-hitting Joc Pederson, who’s batting .375 with a homer and 5 RBIs in 10 playoff video games.

Rays: Randy Arozarena, the 25-year-old rookie from Cuba who missed the beginning of the season after a constructive COVID-19 check, has been the breakout star of the playoffs, batting .382 (21 for 55) with a 1.288 OPS, seven homers 10 RBIs and 14 runs in 14 video games. The slugger has greater than twice as many postseason hits as some other Rays participant.

EDGE: Rays

CENTER FIELD

Dodgers: Cody Bellinger didn’t come near replicating his 2019 MVP season, batting .239 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs, however he’s been extra locked in October, batting .250 with three homers and 10 RBIs. Bellinger is shortening his swing with two strikes and spoiling robust pitches like he did Sunday, when he capped an eight-pitch at-bat with a game-winning homer within the seventh.

Rays: Kevin Kiermaier gained’t strike concern into opposing pitchers, however his glove will frustrate opposing hitters. Kiermaier has been considered one of baseball’s greatest defensive middle fielders since 2010, as he confirmed in Recreation Three of the ALCS, when he made two diving catches, considered one of a Carlos Correa flare to shallow middle with runners on second and third wherein Kiermaier coated 64 toes in 3.Eight seconds.

EDGE: Dodgers

RIGHT FIELD

Dodgers: Mookie Betts made good performs in every of the ultimate three NLCS video games, racing in to make a shoestring catch of Swanson’s flare with runners on second and third in Recreation 5, leaping on the wall to rob Marcell Ozuna of additional bases in Recreation 6 and robbing Freddie Freeman of a homer in Recreation 7. He’s hitting .311 with 10 runs and eight walks in 12 playoff video games.

Dodgers proper fielder Mookie Betts robs Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman of a fifth inning homer in Recreation 7 of the NLCS. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Instances)

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Rays: Manuel Margot has offered shocking energy within the playoffs, with 5 homers and 11 RBIs in 13 video games. He additionally made an outstanding play in Recreation 2 of the ALCS, racing into foul territory to make a leaping catch of George Springer’s slicing drive with two on earlier than tumbling over the wall and falling six toes to the bottom. He held onto the ball for the ultimate out.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Manuel Margot hits a solo house run towards the Houston Astros in Recreation 6 of the ALCS in San Diego. (Jae C. Hong / Related Press)

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EDGE: Dodgers

CATCHER

Dodgers: Austin Barnes will catch Kershaw, however Will Smith will deal with the majority of the catching duties. Smith had a five-hit, three-RBI recreation within the division series-clincher towards the Padres and two big hits within the NLCS, a score-tying three-run homer within the sixth inning of Recreation 5 and a score-tying two-run single within the third inning of Recreation 7.

Rays: Mike Zunino is a subpar defender who has thrived on the plate in his first postseason. The all-or-nothing slugger is batting .216, however 4 of these hits are homers, and he has eight RBIs. Zunino hit a solo homer and a sacrifice fly in Tampa Bay’s 4-2 win over Houston in Recreation 7 of the ALCS.

EDGE: Dodgers

DESIGNATED HITTER

Dodgers: Pederson, Smith, Pollock, Turner and Edwin Rios have been rotating , however they’ve mixed to hit solely .195 with one homer, 4 RBIs, with 12 strikeouts and two walks because the DH.

Rays: Diaz, Hunter Renfroe, Yoshi Tsutsugo and Austin Meadows have offered minimal manufacturing, combining to hit .135 with a .526 OPS, two homers, two doubles, three RBIs and 13 strikeouts in 14 playoff video games.

EDGE: Dodgers

BENCH

Dodgers: Hernández can play each place however catcher and supplies a potent right-handed bat towards left-handed starters or relievers. Pederson and Rios are stable left-handed-hitting choices to pinch-hit, DH or play the sector. Backup catcher Barnes is a powerful defender and game-caller.

Rays: There isn’t almost as a lot firepower because the Dodgers’ bench, however Money can create platoon choices with right-handed-hitting nook infielder Diaz, outfielder Renfroe and first baseman Mike Brosseau, and outfielderTsutsugo supplies a bat from the left aspect.

EDGE: Even

This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Instances.