Astros, Dodgers meet in Game 1 of the World Series
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The Houston Astros face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night for Game 1 of the World Series, marking the first matchup of 100-win teams in the MLB's championship round in almost half a century. The last such matchup saw the 108-win Baltimore Orioles defeating the 102-win Cincinnati Reds in 1970.
The Dodgers are celebrating their first return to the October Classic since 1988. Ace Clayton Kershaw will take the mound for the Dodgers, while the Astros — whose last World Series saw them swept by the Chicago White Sox in 2005 — are likewise starting a southpaw in Dallas Keuchel.
FiveThirtyEight gives the Dodgers slightly higher odds of emerging from the best-of-seven series victorious, with a 55 percent chance of winning the World Series compared to the Astros' 45 percent. That being said, The New York Times declared that there is "no underdog" in the matchup, with Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer adding: "I don't care how many games you've won … When it's four out of seven, it's hard to stop momentum."
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The game begins 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
