The Rays and Dodgers have named their two starters for Game 1 of the 2020 World Series, which gets underway on Tuesday night at neutral site Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
For Game 1, Tampa Bay will turn to 27-year-old right-hander Tyler Glasnow, and in Game 2 27-year-old lefty Blake Snell gets the call. The Dodgers will give ace Clayton Kershaw the nod for Game 1.
Kershaw, 32, will be on full, four days' rest for the series opener. The veteran southpaw finished the regular season with a 2.16 ERA/196 ERA+ with a 7.75 K/BB ratio in 58 1/3 innings. Kershaw started Game 2 of the NL Wild Card round against the Brewers, Game 2 of the NLDS against the Padres and Game 4 of the NLCS against the Braves. He made the NLCS Game 4 start after he was scratched from his scheduled Game 2 start due to back spasms. His 2020 playoff stats include a 3.32 ERA in three starts (19 innings) with 23 strikeouts and two walks.
Glasnow in the regular season pitched to a 4.08 ERA/104 ERA+ with a 4.14 K/BB ratio in 57 1/3 innings. Glasnow primarily relies on a big fastball that averages 98 mph and a curve. In the 2020 postseason, Glasnow owns an ERA of 4.66 in four starts (19 1/3 innings) with 25 strikeouts and eight walks. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young winner, logged a 3.24 ERA/131 ERA+ and a 3.50 K/BB ratio in 11 regular season starts while leaning primarily on his fastball and changeup. This postseason, he's made four starts (19 2/3 innings) with a 3.20 ERA and 19 strikeouts against 10 walks.
The Dodgers this season had a .837 OPS against right-handers and a .779 OPS against left-handers. Hitters presently on the Dodgers' roster have combined for 25 career plate appearances against Glasnow, and they have a slash line of .350/.480/.800 over that tiny sample. Against Snell, they've combined for 35 plate appearances -- almost all by Mookie Betts -- with a line of .290/.343/.452.
