The Weekly Rundown: 10/20/24 - 10/26/24

The Dodgers have all the momentum as the World Series heads to the Bronx.

Good morning and happy Sunday!

It’s a quick rundown today with only two World Series games to recap. By next week’s rundown, we’ll know the World Series winner and officially switch into offseason mode with free agency news and rumors.

To get these rundowns delivered to your e-mail every Sunday, take a moment to subscribe (FREE) below:

Thanks! Let’s jump in. . .

---

RIP Fernando Valenzuela

We’ve lost several MLB greats over the last few months. Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Pete Rose, and Luis Tiant to name a few.

Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela joined the list Tuesday at only 63 years old.

Valenzuela won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, Cy Young Award, and the World Series with L.A. in 1981. The Mexican-born left-hander had four top-five Cy Young finishes and was a six-time All-Star in his 17-year MLB career.

Gold Glove Finalists

American League

Pitchers

• Cole Ragans (Kansas City Royals)

• Seth Lugo (Kansas City Royals)

• Griffin Canning (Los Angeles Angels)

Catchers

• Freddy Fermin (Kansas City Royals)

• Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners)

• Jake Rogers (Detroit Tigers)

First basemen

• Ryan Mountcastle (Baltimore Orioles)

• Nathaniel Lowe (Texas Rangers)

• Carlos Santana (Minnesota Twins)

Second basemen

• Nicky Lopez (Chicago White Sox)

• Marcus Semien (Texas Rangers)

• Andrés Giménez (Cleveland Guardians)

Third basemen

• Ernie Clement (Toronto Blue Jays)

• José Ramírez (Cleveland Guardians)

• Alex Bregman (Houston Astros)

Shortstops

• Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals)

• Anthony Volpe (New York Yankees)

• Brayan Rocchio (Cleveland Guardians)

Left fielders

• Alex Verdugo (New York Yankees)

• Colton Cowser (Baltimore Orioles)

• Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians)

Center fielders

• Jarren Duran (Boston Red Sox)

• Jake Meyers (Houston Astros)

• Daulton Varsho (Toronto Blue Jays)

Right fielders

• Wilyer Abreu (Boston Red Sox)

• Juan Soto (New York Yankees)

• Jo Adell (Los Angeles Angels)

Utility

• Mauricio Dubón (Houston Astros)

• Willi Castro (Minnesota Twins)

• Dylan Moore (Seattle Mariners)

National League

Pitchers

• Luis Severino (New York Mets)

• Zack Wheeler (Philadelphia Phillies)

• Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves)

Catchers

• Patrick Bailey (San Francisco Giants)

• Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks)

• Will Smith (Los Angeles Dodgers)

First basemen

• Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies)

• Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves)

• Christian Walker (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Second basemen

• Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks)

• Brice Turang (Milwaukee Brewers)

• Bryson Stott (Philadelphia Phillies)

Third basemen

• Nolan Arenado (St. Louis Cardinals)

• Ryan McMahon (Colorado Rockies)

• Matt Chapman (San Francisco Giants)

Shortstops

• Masyn Winn (St. Louis Cardinals)

• Dansby Swanson (Chicago Cubs)

• Ezequiel Tovar (Colorado Rockies)

Left fielders

• Ian Happ (Chicago Cubs)

• Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (Arizona Diamondbacks)

• Brandon Marsh (Philadelphia Phillies)

Center fielders

• Jacob Young (Washington Nationals)

• Brenton Doyle (Colorado Rockies)

• Blake Perkins (Milwaukee Brewers)

Right fielders

• Jake McCarthy (Arizona Diamondbacks)

• Sal Frelick (Milwaukee Brewers)

• Mike Yastrzemski (San Francisco Giants)

Utility

• Kiké Hernández  (Los Angeles Dodgers)

• Brendan Donovan (St. Louis Cardinals)

• Jared Triolo (Pittsburgh Pirates)

World Series

Yankees-Dodgers Game 1

It was a pitchers’ duel between Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty in Game 1. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, when Dodgers catcher Will Smith knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly.

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton responded in the top of the sixth. He crushed a two-run homer to continue his stellar postseason and give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

Mookie Betts tied it back up with a sac fly in the eighth inning.

The game went to extra innings, where Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe drove in a run to put New York up 3-2. But in the bottom of the 10th, history was made.

Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman stepped up to the plate against Nestor Cortes and hit the first-ever walk-off World Series grand slam.

Dodgers lead series, 1-0

Game 2

It wasn’t Carlos Rodon’s night at Dodger Stadium

Tommy Edman picked up where Freddie Freeman left off with a solo homer in the second inning.

Juan Soto tied it back up at 1 with a shot of his own off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the third.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer off Rodon in the bottom of the third. Freeman made it back-to-back bombs to put L.A. up 4-1.

Giancarlo Stanton added an RBI single in the ninth, but L.A. closed out the 4-2 win to take a commanding series lead to the Bronx.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they could be without their superstar Shohei Ohtani for the rest of the series. Ohtani suffered a subluxation (partial dislocation) of his left shoulder while attempting to steal a base and will undergo tests to determine the severity of the injury.

Dodgers lead series, 2-0

Here’s the schedule for the rest of the World Series:

Monday, Oct. 28
Game 3: 8:08 p.m. (FOX)

Tuesday, Oct. 29
Game 4: 8:08 p.m. (FOX)

Wednesday, Oct. 30
Game 5 (if necessary): 8:08 p.m. (FOX)

Friday, Nov. 1
Game 6 (if necessary): 8:08 p.m. (FOX)

Saturday, Nov. 2
Game 7 (if necessary): 8:08 p.m. (FOX)