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Dodgers beat Astros in World Series Game 1: Final score, things to know

Houston Astros vs. LA Dodgers 2017 World Series Game 1 Highlights | MLB

Clayton Kershaw attacking the strike zone made him dominant in Game 1 | SportsCenter | ESPN

The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the 2017 World Series with a crisp 3-1 win (box score) over the Houston Astros in Tuesday night's series opener. Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel both worked at a lightning quick pace and were locked in a pitchers' duel into the late innings. All four runs in Game 1 scored on home runs.

Taylor started the game with a bang

Keuchel's first career World Series pitch resulted in a home run. Chris Taylor gave the Dodgers a very quick 1-0 lead with a long home run to left field on Keuchel's first pitch of Game 1. The ball landed more than halfway up the bleachers, 447 feet away from home plate, according to Statcast.

To the action footage:

This is the second straight World Series game to begin with a leadoff homer. Dexter Fowler took Corey Kluber deep to start Game 7 of the World Series last year. Also, Taylor's home run is only the fourth Game 1 leadoff homer in World Series history.

The Escobar homer was an inside-the-park job against Matt Harvey, as you may remember.

Kershaw allowed another homer

These days pretty much every pitcher is home run prone, and that includes super-aces like Kershaw. He allowed a home run for the ninth consecutive start in Game 1, easily the longest such streak of his career. Prior to this season he'd never allowed a home run in more than four consecutive starts. Alex Bregman took Kershaw deep in the fourth inning Tuesday.

Kershaw has now allowed seven home runs in four starts and 24 1/3 innings this postseason, which is an awful lot. He allowed eight home runs in 149 regular-season innings in 2016.

As for Bregman, it's been a very long time since an American League player this young went deep in the World Series.


Alex Bregman (23 years, 208 days) is the youngest American League player to homer in a World Series game since Manny Ramirez (23 years, 148 days) did so in Game 4 of the 1995 World Series.


Young Manny was a sight to behold. Bregman is pretty great, too.  

Kershaw struck out a lot of batters, too

No team struck out less often than the Astros during the regular season. Their 17.3 percent strikeout rate was easily the lowest in baseball, more than a full percentage point lower than the team with the second lowest strikeout rate (Indians at 18.5 percent).

You would not have been able to tell the Astros has the 2017's lowest strikeout rate in Game 1. Kershaw fanned 11 batters in his seven innings. Here is his final pitching line:

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Clayton Kershaw SP / Dodgers (2017 World Series Game 1 vs. Astros)
IP: 7 H: 3 R: 1 BB: 0 K: 11

Kershaw is only the third pitcher this season to strike out 10-plus Astros in a game. Here's the list:

  • Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: 11 strikeouts in seven innings in World Series Game 1.
  • Aaron NolaPhillies: 10 strikeouts in six innings on July 26.
  • Corey Kluber, Indians: 10 strikeouts in seven innings on April 27.

Furthermore, Kershaw is the first Dodgers pitcher with 10-plus strikeouts in a World Series game since the great Sandy Koufax struck out 10 Twins in his complete-game shutout in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series. It has been nearly a half-century since a pitcher struck out as many batters in Game 1 of the World Series as Kershaw.


The last pitcher with 11+ strikeouts in Game 1 of the World Series was Bob Gibson in 1968, when he set the WS record with 17 Ks.


Through four starts this postseason, Kershaw has a 2.96 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. He's struck out 27 and walked five. That'll work.

Turner's postseason heroics continue

Justin Turner is fast gaining a reputation for being one of the best postseason hitters in baseball history. He went into Game 1 with a career .368/.481/.632 batting line in October. Among players with at least 100 postseason plate appearances, only Lou Gehrig (1.214) and Babe Ruth (1.214) have a higher OPS than Turner (1.113).

In Game 1 on Tuesday, Turner added another huge postseason hit to his resume, as he broke the 1-1 tie with a sixth inning two-run home run against Keuchel. Taylor drew a two-out walk as the previous batter to extend the inning.

That is the fourth home run in nine postseason games for Turner this year. He went deep once against the Diamondbacks in the NLDS, and then twice against the Cubsin the NLCS. It seems like every homer the guy hits in the postseason is a big one.

This was only the 13th time in 88 starts since Opening Day 2015 that Keuchel allowed two homers in a game. He's not the game's premier ground ball pitcher for nothing.

History is on the Dodgers' side

According to WhoWins.com, teams that win Game 1 of the World Series have gone on to win the series 63.9 percent of the time. Teams that win Game 1 at home, like the Dodgers, have gone on to win the series 66.7 percent of the time. Read More Here

Blake Griffin went ‘Chappelle Show’ Prince after major dunk

Blake Griffin dunk

Blake Griffin lit things up on Tuesday with another one of his amazing dunks.

In the first quarter of the Los Angeles Clippers’ game against the Utah Jazz, Griffin went hard to the basket and slammed on Rudy Gobert with what may have been his best dunk since the one on Mozgov.

Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Clippers - Full Game Highlights | October 24, 2017 | 2017-18 NBA season

Blake rises for the @LAClippers#ItTakesEverything

It wasn’t just the way he dunked that was awesome; it was how Griffin just hung on the rim like a boss that also stood out. The comparisons to the infamous Prince sketch from “Chappelle’s Show” came right away — for good reason:

View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

You have two options: Get out of the way or get baptized.

I am dead

View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

Same

Hopefully Griffin invited Gobert over for pancakes afterwards. Read More Here

Blazers beat Pelicans to extend home-opener streak

Portland Trail Blazers forward Ed Davis, right, shoots over New Orleans Pelicans forward DeMarcus Cousins, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. The Trail Blazers won 103-93. (Craig Mitchelldyer/AP)

PORTLAND, Ore. — CJ McCollum scored 23 points and the Portland Trail Blazersextended their NBA-record winning streak in home openers to 17 games with a 103-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Damian Lillard and Evan Turner each added 13 points for Portland, which is off to a 3-1 start for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

DeMarcus Cousins had 39 points and 13 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double to start the season. The Pelicans were hurt when Anthony Davis departed with a left knee injury in the first quarter.

McCollum hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Portland up 87-81 with 7:32 left. Lillard, who had been cold through three quarters, added a layup and another 3 to extend the lead to 92-81.

The Pelicans answered with a 10-0 run to close to 92-91 with 4:06 left. Lillard was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Blazers a cushion at 99-83 with 1:25 left.

Davis left for the locker room midway through the opening period after he appeared to knock knees with Lillard. In his sixth NBA season, Davis had 27 points and 17 rebounds in New Orleans’ 119-112 victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday. Read More Here

New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trailblazers: October 24, 2017

Pelicans' Anthony Davis leaves game with knee injury; MRI comes back negative

Update: Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said after the game on Tuesday that the MRI on Davis' knee came back negative, and the team will await further details.


Alvin Gentry tells reporters in Portland that he was informed the MRI on @AntDavis23 was negative, but that they’ll know more Wednesday.


That loud sound you heard Tuesday night was the entire city of New Orleans collectively gasping for air. That's because Pelicans forward Anthony Davis exited the team's game against the Portland Trail Blazers with a left knee injury.

After banging knees with Blazers point guard Damian Lillard in the first quarter, Davis went to the locker room and was later ruled out for the rest of the game.



Anthony Davis knocks knees with Lillard. Will not return tonight.

Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers Full Game Highlights October 24, 2017-18 NBA season

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