Yankees and Dodgers World Series to features stars on and off the field
The baseball field will be filled with stars during the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers, but so will the stands. Bob Nightengale tells us what to expect.
Sports Seriously
Major League Baseball’s 2024 World Series has arrived, a matchup between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, two of the most storied franchises in sports.
Back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 2009, the Yankees are hoping to add to their record haul of 27 championships. The Dodgers meanwhile, are in the World Series for the fourth time in eight seasons, winning it all in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Some of MLB’s biggest stars will be on display in the best-of-seven series including likely 2024 MVPs Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. These teams feature six former MVPs in Judge, Ohtani, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and the injured Clayton Kershaw – not to mention Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, who is set for a historic free agent contract after the World Series.
Game 1 kicks things off on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, with the second game scheduled for Saturday in Los Angeles before the series heads to Yankee Stadium for Games 3-5.
Follow along for live updates from Friday’s game:
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had the Dodger Stadium crowd excited in the bottom of the first, connecting on Gerrit Cole’s first pitch but it was caught in center field by Aaron Judge. Mookie Betts also had a fly out deep in left field that briefly brought the crowd to their feet thinking it was a home run.
Battling an ankle injury throughout the postseason, Freddie Freeman hit a triple with two outs – but Cole got Teoscar Hernandez to line out to end the inning.
Dodgers and Yankees remain scoreless at the end of the first inning.
– James H. Williams
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty threw 18 pitches in the first inning, walking Juan Soto and striking out Aaron Judge.
Giancarlo Stanton reached base on an error by Tommy Edman, which moved Soto to second.
Flaherty worked around the error by getting Jazz Chisholm to ground out to end the inning.
– James H. Williams
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers honored Fernando Valenzuela before Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the Yankees with a moment of silence.
Valenzuela, who spent the first 11 years of his 17-year MLB career with the Dodgers, died at age 63 on Tuesday.
He won the World Series, Rookie of the Year and the National League Cy Young Award in 1981.
He returned to the Dodgers as a Spanish-language broadcaster in 2003 and stepped away from his duties during the final weeks of the 2024 regular season to “focus on his health.”
Blue ribbons were also placed on Valenzuela’s two Silver Slugger Awards (1981 and 1983) located in a trophy case near the clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.
If the World Series extends to Game 6, it will be played in Los Angeles on Nov. 1, Valenzuela’s birthday.
– James H. Williams
Dodgers catcher Will Smith and his wife, Cara, welcomed a new addition to the family on Oct. 22.
Smith’s newborn daughter, Layton Elizabeth, was born just two days after the Dodgers won the National League Championship Series in Los Angeles. Cara and their first daughter were in attendance for the game.
Smith has spent his entire six-year MLB career with the Dodgers, including the 2020 World Series championship season.
– James H. Williams
First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
- Location: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
- Time: 8:08 p.m. ET
- Yankees: Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA) – The 2023 AL Cy Young winner missed the early part of the season due to injury. He’s made three starts in the 2024 posteason, posting a 3.31 ERA.
- Dodgers: Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.17 ERA) – Acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline, the right-hander has a 7.04 ERA in three postseason starts this year. He pitched seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Mets but was routed in his Game 5 start, giving up eight runs in three innings with no strikeouts.
Yankees lineup today
- Gleyber Torres (R) 2B
- Juan Soto (L) RF
- Aaron Judge (R) CF
- Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 3B
- Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
- Anthony Volpe (R) SS
- Austin Wells (L) C
- Alex Verdugo (L) LF
Dodgers lineup today
- Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
- Mookie Betts (R) RF
- Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
- Teoscar Hernández (R) LF
- Max Muncy (L) 3B
- Enrique Hernández (R) CF
- Will Smith (R) C
- Gavin Lux (L) 2B
- Tommy Edman (S) SS
2024 World Series predictions
Read USA TODAY Sports MLB experts’ full predictions here
- Bob Nightengale: Dodgers in 7
- Gabe Lacques: Dodgers in 6
- Steve Gardner: Dodgers in 7
- Jesse Yomtov: Yankees in 7
- Scott Boeck: Dodgers in 6
World Series umpires – Game 1
- Home plate: Carlos Torres
- First base: Mark Carlson (crew chief)
- Second base: Doug Eddings
- Third base: Mark Ripperger
- Left field: Chad Fairchild
- Right field: Todd Tichenor
- Reserve: Andy Fletcher
Full umpire lineups for Games 1-4 here
Fox World Series announcers
Fox is broadcasting the 2024 World Series – with play-by-play announcer Joe Davis and analyst John Smoltz. Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci are reporting from the dugouts.
Fox’s pre- and postgame shows feature Kevin Burkhardt, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter.
Who is throwing first pitch tonight?
LOS ANGELES — Orel Hershiser and Steve Yeager will throw out the first pitch before Game 1 of the 2024 World Series between the Dodgers and the Yankees.
Hershiser spent the first 12 years (1983-1994) of his career with the Dodgers and won the World Series MVP in 1988 before playing for Cleveland, the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. He returned to the Dodgers in 2000, pitching in six games.
Yeager spent the first 14 years of his MLB career with the Dodgers from 1972 to 1985. Yeager was one of the Dodgers’ three co-MVPs of the World Series against the Yankees in 1981. He played for the Seattle Mariners in 1986.
– James H. Williams
Dodgers World Series roster: LA loses key pitcher to injury
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen will be missing a crucial piece from its arsenal in the World Series.
The team’s roster announced Friday did not include reliever Evan Phillips, whose outing in the clinching Game 6 of the National League Championship Series was cut short over injury concerns.
While Phillips was replaced on the roster by fellow right-hander Brusdar Graterol, who was out one month with a shoulder injury, the loss of Phillips deletes a crucial piece of the Dodgers’ postseason bullpen alignment.
– Gabe Lacques
Juan Soto contract talk comes after World Series
LOS ANGELES – The vast riches beyond his wildest dreams await just weeks from now. His impact in just one season with the most storied franchise in baseball has placed him back on the game’s biggest stage.
Yet Juan Soto knows, deep down, that for as fantastic his 2024 season as a New York Yankee mercenary has been, as rich his bank account will be once he hits free agency, that the meaning of it all – the definition of success – is riding on the outcome of this World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Not yet. Not yet. I have one more step to go – and that’s winning the World Series,” Soto said Thursday at Dodger Stadium, on the eve of the Yankees’ first World Series appearance since 2009.
Country musician Brad Paisley is singing the national anthem before Game 1 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
Born in West Virginia, the three-time Grammy winner is a big Dodgers fan.
Dodgers jersey patch honors Fernando Valenzuela
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers added a No. 34 patch to their uniforms for the World Series and Valenzuela will be remembered prior to Game 1 and throughout Dodger Stadium.
The stadium’s entrance has served as a memorial for the late pitcher with candles, flowers, pictures and – of course – the Mexican flag.
“It’s just one person that we’re gonna keep talking about and keep on having his legacy live on,” said Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo, a former Dodger who played for Valenzuela on the Mexican national team.
He won’t be physically present when the Dodgers and Yankees play ball on Friday night, but there is belief Valenzuela will still keep an eye over his team.
“He’s a legend,” Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said. “It’s just sad he won’t be here for this series, but he’s probably got a great seat upstairs.”
Simulated World Series: Freeman’s clutch blast leads Dodgers over Yankees in Game 1
How will this year’s World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports’ Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.
The game featured a total of six home runs, three of them in the first inning, as the Yankees got out to an early lead on Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run blast off Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty.
But in the bottom of the frame, L.A. struck back with six runs before Yankees starter Gerrit Cole had even recorded an out. Mookie Betts plated a pair with a homer to left and Will Smith capped the scoring with a grand slam to left off a bewildered Cole to put the Dodgers up 6-2.
However, the Yankees kept the pressure on and managed to chip away at the lead. Aaron Judge went deep in the sixth to plate three runs and bring the Yankees to within one. Then with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, Judge singled in two to put New York ahead 9-8.
The Dodgers staged their own rally in the bottom of the eighth against Yanks reliever Jake Cousins. Shohei Ohtani doubled to right with one out, stole third and came home to tie the game on Betts’ RBI single.
After Betts stole second, Freeman unloaded with a monster 447-foot blast to right field to put the Dodgers on top to stay.
List of World Series winners
- 2023: Texas Rangers
- 2022: Houston Astros
- 2021: Atlanta Braves
- 2020: Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2019: Washington Nationals
- 2018: Boston Red Sox
- 2017: Houston Astros
- 2016: Chicago Cubs
- 2015: Kansas City Royals
- 2014: San Francisco Giants
- 2013: Boston Red Sox
- 2012: San Francisco Giants
- 2011: St. Louis Cardinals
- 2010: San Francisco Giants
- 2009: New York Yankees
- 2008: Philadelphia Phillies
- 2007: Boston Red Sox
- 2006: St. Louis Cardinals
- 2005: Chicago White Sox
- 2004: Boston Red Sox
- 2003: Florida Marlins
- 2002: Anaheim Angels
- 2001: Arizona Diamondbacks
- 2000: New York Yankees
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