The Yankees are fighting to stay alive as they host their first Fall Classic game in 15 years.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The World Series is back in action tonight, after a day off that was ostensibly for travel but also to avoid a conflict with NFL Sunday. There’s sure to be plenty of excitement at Yankee Stadium as the ballpark hosts its first World Series game since 2009. And there will be even more excitement in my household if the raucous Yankee fans are quickly stunned into silence by a Dodgers beatdown.
The Yankees have their backs up against the wall, trailing 2-0 in the series after a pair of close losses in Los Angeles. Even more unfortunately for the Yanks, Shohei Ohtani is expected to be back in the Dodgers’ lineup after making a quick recovery from the ugly shoulder injury he suffered in Game 2. Veteran Dodgers righty Walker Buehler, author of 17 career postseason starts, will go against Clarke Schmidt, who’s making his third.
The series isn’t over by any means, and a Yankees win tonight would get them onto solid footing with eyes on tying the series tomorrow. On the other hand, the Dodgers could all but ice the series if they’re able to pull out a victory tonight and take a commanding 3-0 lead. Let’s hope they can put this series to bed without it ever needing to return to L.A.
Links
Because You Asked – The Recycler – School of Roch
Roch Kubatko again answers questions from readers, including one who wants to move the Most Valuable Oriole off of shortstop. Sheesh, tough crowd.
After winning Players Choice rookie award, Orioles’ Cowser sets sights on AL Rookie of the Year – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Rich Dubroff breaks down the AL Rookie of the Year race. It seems like Cowser has as good a shot as anyone, but I have no idea which way the votes are going to go in this somewhat underwhelming field.
Pitching injuries: Easy to discuss, hard to solve – Steve Melewski
The first person who is able to solve pitching injuries will become very rich indeed. OK, OK, I’ll do it.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Five former Orioles were born on this day: infielder Corban Joseph (36), outfielder Nate McLouth (43), catcher Bob Melvin (63), and right-handers Juan Guzmán (58) and the late Sammy Stewart (b. 1954, d. 2018).
On this date in 2005, Rafael Palmeiro officially became a free agent, ending his ill-fated second stint with the Orioles (and his major league career). Palmeiro had been one of baseball’s most prolific sluggers in his first go-round with the O’s from 1994-98, then made a ballyhooed return in 2004 and collected his 3,000th career hit in August 2005, but became a baseball pariah later that year after failing a PED test and receiving a 10-game suspension.
Palmeiro returned to play seven games after his suspension, going 2-for-26 while wearing earplugs to drown out the boos from opposing fans, before the O’s essentially told him to go home for the rest of the season. He never played again.