The World Series Prep You Need
It’s come down to this. The NLCS and ALCS races have concluded, with the LA Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays set to face off in the World Series. This has been an odd year for MLB, thanks to COVID-19 and a shortened season, but there has definitely been no shortage of excitement. The first game in the best-of-seven series went to the Dodgers 8-3, with fans finally starting to be allowed in the stands as the season was wrapping up. Baseball fans are anxious to see if the Rays can pull off an upset in the series, while diehard Dodgers fans think they already know who won.
The NLCS Battle Goes The Distance
It looked like the Atlanta Braves were going to pull off an underdog victory when they got ahead of the Dodgers in the NLCS race. However, they couldn’t hang on and the Dodgers rallied to force a Game 7, which they took in an impressive 4-3 victory Sunday. There was no clear winner until late in the contest, and the Dodgers are on their way to the World Series for the third time in four years. They have yet to walk away with a championship from those appearances.
The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988, when they took down the Oakland A’s. After the recent failed attempts at a championship, they’re more than ready to put a trophy on the mantel. However, the Rays are going to put up a fight.
The ALCS Battle Also Goes The Distance
The Rays were forced to take on the Houston Astros in the ALCS competition, and should have put it away early on. They went up 3-0 before the Astros, for some magical reason, were able to come back and force the series out to seven games. However, the Rays were determined to make their first trip back to the World Series since 2008 – the only other year they have made it. That season found them losing against the Philadelphia Phillies, and Tampa is ready to turn baseball on its head against the Dodgers.
The Rays relied a lot on defense to get where they are now, and also had some help on offense. In the first inning of Game 7, Randy Arozarena put up a two-run hit to help Tampa ultimately win the game, making him just one of four rookies to ever receive an MLB championship series MVP award. The last time was in 2013, when Michael Wacha of the St. Louis Cardinals received the honors.
Real Faces In The Stands
For virtually all of the 2020 MLB season, the only faces seen in the stands were cardboard cutouts. This changed at the very end of the postseason competitions, and the World Series will have some live fan attendance, as well. MLB is going to allow up to 11,500 fans in the stands at Globe Life Field in Texas, home to the Texas Rangers. Attendees should expect to see a lot of restrictions in place, but at least they’ll be able to say they were there for one of the most exciting World Series in recent history.
