The Los Angeles Dodgers will face the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium Wednesday night in a Game 7 that will decide what has been a thrilling World Series that provided home runs, close games and comebacks.
The Dodgers are seeking their first World Series win since 1988 -- which was also the team's last World Series appearance. The game marks a significant moment in Dodgers history as the only Game 7 ever played at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Minnesota Twins in seven games in the 1965 Series, but that deciding game was played at Metropolitan Stadium south of the Twin Cities.
Sandy Koufax pitched a three-hitter in that game, striking out 10, in a 2-0 victory over the hosts.
In a fashion typical of this year's series, the Dodgers tied the best-of-seven series at three games a piece Tuesday with a 3-1 victory as four relievers shut out the Astros over the final 4 1/3 innings, limiting them to two hits, and Joc Pederson hit a solo homer in the seventh inning for an insurance run.
Yu Darvish will pitch for the Dodgers Wednesday against fellow right-hander Lance McCullers Jr.
McCullers was the winning pitcher and Darvish the loser in Houston's 5-3 victory in Game 3 Friday at Houston. McCullers allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking four, before being relieved by right-hander Brad Peacock, who held the Dodgers hitless over the final 3 2/3 innings.
The 24-year-old McCullers, seen throwing in the Dodger Stadium outfield after Tuesday night's game, said he "wasn't very sharp" Friday.
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"I knew that early, though, so I knew it was going to be a grind for me pretty much the whole outing, which it was," McCullers said. "This is a very good-hitting team. They're patient but yet they'll make you pay for mistakes. So I have to go out there and ... just execute my game plan and I need to execute a little better in certain spots."
McCullers spent the 2014 season, his third as a professional, with the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, then an Astros Class-A affiliate. McCullers was 3-6 with a 5.47 ERA for Lancaster. He made his major league debut the following season, going 6-7 with a 3.22 ERA for Houston.
McCullers' father, Lance Sr., pitched for four teams in the majors from 1985-92.
Darvish allowed four runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings, the shortest outing in his major league career, which began in 2012.
If it was the regular season, I probably would've (kept) going," Darvish said through a translator. "I wouldn't say it was the worst outing I ever had."
The Dodgers lost three Game 7s in best-of-seven series when they were based in Brooklyn, all to the New York Yankees. The Dodgers defeated the Yankees, 2-0, in Game 7 of the 1955 Series on Johnny Podres' eight-hitter to win their only World Series championship when they were in Brooklyn.
This will be the 39th time a best-of-seven World Series has been extended to a final game, including 1912, when eight games were played because of a Game 2 tie. The home team has an 18-20 record in Game 7, but has won nine of the past 11, beginning with the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982.
This will be the third time a World Series will conclude at Dodger Stadium. It happened previously in 1963, when the Dodgers swept the Yankees, and in 1978, when the Dodgers lost to the Yankees in six games. This will be the first time either team has played in November. This is the sixth Series to extend into November, including each of the last two.
Tuesday marked the second Game 6 to be played at Dodger Stadium. The other was in 1978 when the Yankees defeated the Dodgers 7-2 to win their second consecutive World Series title. The Dodgers swept the 1963 Series from the Yankees, their only World Series sweep.
It was the first time the Dodgers have played a World Series game on Halloween and the fifth all-time.
