World Series: Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers providing us an instant classic
By Jason Burke
The World Series has yet to be decided, but this one already has to be among the best of all time.
When the Championship Series teams had been decided, I, like many baseball fans out there, was rooting for a matchup between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers because we all obviously knew that it would be one of the best baseball series we’d ever see. We all knew that as a fact.
It wasn’t the story lines that made me want this one. Not the one with the Goliath Dodgers and their endless supply of money taking on a team that was spending $35 million on their entire roster just a few short years ago. Not the one that entails Sports Illustrated’s prediction back in 2014 about our 2017 Astros overlords.
Nope.
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I just wanted to see two great teams really slug it out. And that’s what we’re getting.
The Dodgers have the edge in the bullpen you say? Be a shame if someone tuckered them out. The Astros don’t have a bullpen? Actually that was has held more or less – at least as far as traditional relievers go.
Last night’s game 5 was absolutely bonkers and each game has shown us that we know literally nothing about baseball. The Dodgers scored 12 runs in a game that Clayton Kershaw started and lost. Let that sink in. Two Cy Young winners combined for 8 1/3 innings on Sunday night, allowing both team’s lack of reliable arms shine in what has to be one of the top five baseball games I’ve ever witnessed.
There is a short personal list of top games for me, being an A’s fan from birth, and off the top of my head there was last year’s game 7 of the World Series, the 2014 American League wild-card game, game two of this year’s World Series and then game five (last night). I’ll throw Ramon Hernandez‘s walk-off bunt against the Red Sox in the ALDS in there to make it a full five, but this championship round has been stellar.
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I think we can all agree (maybe less so for Astros fans) that we all want this thing to go to a game 7, because this Series has been so much fun for those of us without a rooting interest.
I’m also curious – where does last night’s game rank for you among the games that you’ve witnessed? What beats it out? Comment below, or feel free to at me!