From Jack Harris: From the outside, the Dodgers know the easy narrative to their season.
About how, after beginning the campaign with the highest expectations imaginable, they spent much of the year failing to live up to the hype.
How, during what was already a dismal second-half slump, they seemed to reach rock bottom when they squandered a no-hitter and three-run lead in a stunning ninth-inning loss in Baltimore last month.
How, in the six weeks since, they’ve looked like a rejuvenated and refocused club, following that nightmarish defeat with a 15-5 finish to the regular season and torrid march through October — going 9-1 en route to a National League pennant and return trip to the World Series, which will begin with Game 1 on Friday night.
In hindsight, however, the Dodgers also insist the story isn’t that simple.
The peaks and valleys of this season, they felt, were never as extreme as they appeared.
Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Blue Jays in the World Series
How Dodgers are navigating their World Series bye week: ‘Keep sharpening your skills’
Here’s how to see the Dodgers in the World Series in person without a ticket
Blue Jays defeat Mariners in ALCS, setting up World Series showdown with Dodgers
MLB POSTSEASON SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All times Pacific
ALCS
Seattle vs. Toronto
Seattle 3, at Toronto 1 (box score)
Seattle 10, at Toronto 3 (box score)
Toronto 13, at Seattle 4 (box score)
Toronto 8, at Seattle 2 (box score)
at Seattle 6, Toronto 2 (box score)
at Toronto 6, Seattle 2 (box score)
at Toronto 4, Seattle 3 (box score)
World Series
Dodgers vs. Toronto
Friday at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio
Saturday at Toronto, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio
Monday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio
Tuesday, Oct. 28 at Dodgers, Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio
*Wed., Oct. 29 at Dodgers, Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio
*Friday, Oct. 31 at Toronto, Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio
*Saturday, Nov. 1 at Toronto, Fox, AM 570, KTNQ 1020, ESPN Radio
*-if necessary
LAKERS
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Screens in the practice facility display the Lakers’ three mantras. JJ Redick repeats them on a loop. Players have started to parrot them as well.
“Championship habits. Championship communication. Championship shape.”
From the team’s three points of focus to the black “obsession” T-shirts designed by general manager Rob Pelinka, winning the Lakers’ 18th title is task No. 1 in Redick’s second season in charge.
Here are five story lines after training camp as the team opens the regular season Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors:
With LeBron James out, Lakers lean on Luka Doncic to open season
Luka Doncic expecting tough test vs. Stephen Curry and Warriors without LeBron
The new NBA TV deal begins Tuesday. Where are my games?
LeBron James is off the hook for $865.66 as fan calls off ‘Second Decision’ lawsuit
CLIPPERS
The Clippers made an offseason push with a win-now perspective, adding a pair of former All-Stars in the backcourt and a pair of veterans up front, plus a promising 6-foot-11 rookie center.
The two areas of concern for the Clippers as they again take aim for the playoffs — and the hopes of advancing past the first round for the first time since their trip to the Western Conference finals in 2021 — are age and chemistry. When they open the season Wednesday against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, the Clippers likely will have the oldest team in the league with an average age of 33.2 years. By contrast, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the title last season at an average age of 24.7 years.
Can coach Tyronn Lue fit all the pieces of the puzzle together?
RAMS
From Gary Klein: As the Rams begin their off week feeling good about themselves, opposing defensive coordinators have to be experiencing a slight sense of dread.
The Rams’ on Sunday defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars and improved to 5-2 without injured star receiver Puka Nacua, using the opportunity to fully showcase their developing weapons.
None more so than rookie receiver Konata Mumpfield and rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson.
Mumpfield caught the first of Matthew Stafford’s five touchdown passes, a five-yard play that put the Rams in the lead.
Mumpfield, a seventh-round draft pick from Pittsburgh, said he “prayed in college and high school to learn from” a player such as teammate Davante Adams, the three-time All-Pro who caught three touchdown passes.
“It’s kind of, like, amazing,” Mumpfield said. “Every time you step out there, you’re like, dang, you’re out there with a Hall of Famer and a guy that you watched. And just how he approaches the game and how cerebral he is with his technique and everything.”
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1950 — Tom Powers of Duke scores six touchdowns — three rushing, three receiving — in a 41-0 victory over Richmond.
1956 — Billy Howton of the Green Bay Packers catches seven passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-17 victory over the Rams.
1961 — Eddie Arcaro wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup for a record 10th time. His mount, Kelso, wins his second straight Gold Cup.
1967 — The expansion Seattle SuperSonics win their first NBA game, a 117-110 overtime victory over San Diego.
1973 — Fred Dryer of the Rams becomes the first NFL player to record two safeties in a 24-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
1979 — Chicago Bulls guard Sam Smith scores the first 4-point play in NBA history during a 113-111 loss to the Bucks at Milwaukee.
2006 — Michigan State rallies from a 35-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Northwestern 41-38 in the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I-A history. Brett Swenson kicks the winning 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds left following an interception by Travis Key.
2007 — Rob Bironas kicks an NFL-record eight field goals, the last a 29-yarder with no time left to give Tennessee a 38-36 win over Houston. Bironas adds two extra points to set the NFL record for most points by a kicker, with 26. The Texans, trailing 32-7, survive backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels’ four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Rosenfels’ fourth touchdown pass, a 53-yarder to Andre’ Davis to put Houston up 36-35 with 57 seconds to play, ties an NFL record.
2007 — New England’s Tom Brady passes for 354 yards and a team-record six touchdowns in a 49-28 victory over Miami.
2012 — Tamika Catchings scores 25 points to help the Indiana Fever win their first WNBA title with an 87-78 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
2017 — Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov extend their season-opening points streaks to nine games, sending the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1.
Compiled by the Associated Press
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1975 — Carlton Fisk breaks up a thrilling contest with a homer in the 12th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and force a seventh game in the World Series.
1980 — The Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series for the first time in their 98-year history, defeating the Kansas City Royals 4-1 in six games.
1998 — The New York Yankees win 3-0 at San Diego, sweeping the Padres for their record 24th World Series championship.
2006 — Two rookie pitchers start the World Series for the first time. Anthony Reyes pitches into the ninth inning to help St. Louis cruise past Detroit and Justin Verlander 7-2 in Game 1.
2015 — Daniel Murphy and the New York Mets finish a playoff sweep of the Chicago Cubs with an 8-3 victory to reach the World Series. Murphy homers for a record sixth consecutive postseason game.
Until next time…
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