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| 3:40 PM PT4:40 PM MT5:40 PM CT6:40 PM ET18:40 ET22:40 GMT6:40 3:40 PM MST5:40 PM EST6:10 PM VEN2:40 UAE (+1)4:40 PM CT, May 26, 2023 Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida Attendance: 19,715 |
Dodgers, Rays meet in rematch of 2020 World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers at Tampa Bay Rays
- The Dodgers beat the Rays in the 2020 World Series, four-games-to-two, but their last regular-season meetings were in 2019, when they split four games: two at Tampa Bay (1-1) and two in Los Angeles (1-1).
- The Dodgers' 2.54 ERA in road games last season was the lowest by any MLB team since 1968 and the lowest for the Dodgers since 1920 (Brooklyn, 2.39). The Dodgers have a 5.52 road ERA this year (2.92 at home). They have finished a season with a road ERA of 5.00 or higher only three times: 5.54 in 1929, 5.30 in 1925 and 5.11 in 1934 (all by Brooklyn).
- The three longest hitting streaks by Dodgers players this season are all current streaks: 14 games by Freddie Freeman (.429, 24/56), nine by J.D. Martinez (.333, 13/39) and eight by Mookie Betts (.313, 10/32). Freeman's hitting streak is his longest since he hit safely in 18 consecutive games for the Braves in 2020 (Aug. 14-Sept. 4).
- Noah Syndergaard has issued only six walks in 41.1 innings this season. His average of 1.31 walks per nine innings is the fourth lowest in the majors among pitchers who've made at least eight starts, behind George Kirby (0.77), Zach Eflin (1.17) and Zack Greinke (1.26).
- The Rays are 24-5 at Tropicana Field this season. With a victory tonight Tampa Bay would become the fifth MLB team in the expansion era to win at least 25 of its first 30 home games in one season. The four teams to do that since 1961 are the 1972 White Sox (26-4), 1978 Red Sox (26-4), 1979 Expos (25-5) and 1998 Yankees (25-5).
- Jalen Beeks has a 2.28 ERA in his 12 games as an opener for the Rays over the last two seasons (seven in 2022, five this year). He pitched more than two innings in only one of those games (3.0 IP at Cincinnati on April 17 this year). Beeks has a 3.75 ERA in his 48 relief appearances over the last two seasons.
After falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games in the 2020 World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays have had to wait well over two years for a chance to cleanse their palates.
Tampa Bay will finally get the opportunity to do so on Friday night when it opens a three-game series against the Dodgers in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Neither team has skipped a beat since meeting in the Fall Classic two years ago, with the Rays posting their winningest season in franchise history in 2021 (100-62) and Los Angeles recording the second-most wins in National League history a season ago (111-51).
Now both teams sit in first in their respective divisions as the season creeps up on the two-month mark, and Tampa Bay leads the majors with a 37-15 record.
The Rays have been especially good at home, going a stunning 24-5 at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay took three of four games from the Blue Jays to begin the week, capping the series with a 6-3 victory on Thursday to improve to 5-2 on its current 10-game homestand.
Toronto had no answer for the Rays on the basepaths in the finale as Tampa Bay matched a season high with seven steals.
"It's a dangerous lineup. Not only hitting-wise, but just running the bases, being on the basepaths," Rays right-hander Zach Eflin said of his team. "It's what we do when we're doing well, and that's what we're gonna continue to do."
Left-hander Jalen Beeks (1-2, 4.68 ERA) will look to make sure Tampa Bay continues its home dominance when he serves as Friday's opener.
Beeks last pitched on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed one run on one hit with two walks and three strikeouts in two innings.
In his lone appearance against the Dodgers, Beeks worked 4 2/3 innings of relief back on May 21, 2019, allowing five runs on eight hits. He walked two and fanned four.
Right-hander Noah Syndergaard (1-3, 5.88) will oppose Beeks in search of his first win since April 30.
Syndergaard most recently took a no-decision against the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday after giving up three runs on four hits in five innings. He issued one walk, hit a batter and tallied four strikeouts.
In two career starts versus the Rays, Syndergaard is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA.
Although Los Angeles is coming off Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Braves, the Dodgers were still able to take two of three games from Atlanta.
Despite Wednesday's setback, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts was still proud of his team's response to a dreadful four-game series against the Cardinals in which the Dodgers dropped three games and were outscored 32-23.
"Being on the road for seven straight days. The time difference and all that stuff. The way we bounced back, collectively, I thought we did a fantastic job," Roberts said. "For me, the effort, how we played, winning two of three ... like I said, really good signs."
The series against the Rays will conclude a 10-game road trip for Los Angeles, which is 14-13 away from home this season.
--Field Level Media
Updated May 25, 2023
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