Sports
World Series G1: Yankees-Dodgers Preview, Props & Prediction
Oct 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals in game four of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images LOS ANGELES — A World Series from Major League Baseball’s wildest dreams is set to begin Friday when the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers take the field for Game 1.
ODDS AND TRENDS
The Dodgers are consensus 1.5-run favorites at home, and have been backed by 61 percent of the run-line money and 69 percent of the total bets at BetRivers.
However, the public has been split on the moneyline. The Yankees have drawn 70 percent of the money at +108, while the Dodgers have been supported by 53 percent of the total bets at -125.
Two high-powered offenses has led to most books offering the total run scored between 8.5 and 9.0 points. It’s the former at BetRivers, with the backed by 58 percent of the money and 83 percent of the bets.
PROP PICKS
–Shohei Ohtani Home Run (+210 at BetMGM): Little surprise that the Dodgers’ Japanese superstar has drawn the most popular prop at the book in terms of money wagered. Through 12 postseason games, Ohtani has a modest three home runs to go with 10 RBIs. However, two of those homers have come in the past four games
–Gerrit Cole Under 15.5 Total Outs Recorded (-159 at BetRivers): This has garnered 3.2 percent of all money wagered on player props at the book for Game 1. While posting a 3.31 ERA, Cole has averaged 16.3 outs during his first three postseason starts for the Yankees this year. Friday night will produce high-stress situations from the first pitch all the way down through Los Angeles’ deep lineup. And the Yankees’ bullpen is fresh after a six-day layoff.
SERIES HISTORY
The best-of-seven series for the Commissioner’s Trophy is also a matchup of expected MVP winners in Ohtani and Aaron Judge of the Yankees, who combined for 112 home runs in the regular season, with five more between them in the postseason.
It will also be a celebration of baseball’s past as the century-old franchises meet in a World Series for the 12th time. The Yankees won eight of the previous 11 matchups, but the Dodgers won the most recent showdown in 1981.
“Having two historic franchises like this, going at it again, what a better stage, what a better show it’s going to be,” Judge said.
Los Angeles was led to that 1981 title by left-hander Fernando Valenzuela, who passed away Tuesday and will be remembered this week.
THE NEWS
Amid their long and winding histories, each franchise still has something to prove. The Yankees have advanced to the postseason eight times in the past 10 seasons but haven’t been to the World Series since their 2009 title.
The Dodgers have been in the playoffs each of the last 12 seasons, winning 11 National League West titles, but the only championship in that stretch came in the abbreviated 2020 season. This will be Los Angeles’ fourth World Series appearance in eight seasons.
“The last couple of years have been tough. We didn’t make it as far as we wanted to,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said about consecutive NLDS failures. “We just kind of bought into the plan of just buying into the team. Be there for each other.”
After playoff series victories over the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians, the Yankees will send right-hander Cole to the mound in Game 1. Cole was 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 regular-season starts after returning from an elbow strain.
In three starts this postseason, Cole is 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA, including a Game 2 start in the ALCS when he gave up two runs over 4 1/3 innings of a 6-3 victory. In eight career starts against the Dodgers, Cole is 4-2 with a 5.01 ERA, giving up one run in six innings to pick up a win last season.
“I think the challenge in big games is to make them really no bigger than they really are,” Cole said. “It’s the same game we’ve been playing all year.”
After an injury-plagued season, the Dodgers advanced with series victories over the San Diego Padres and New York Mets. They will hand the ball in the opener to right-hander Jack Flaherty, who was 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts after a late-July trade from the Detroit Tigers.
Flaherty is 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in three postseason starts, dominating the Mets with seven scoreless innings in Game 1 before giving up eight runs in Game 5. His only career start against the Yankees was last season when he went six shutout innings in a win.
Judge is expected to land his second MVP award in three seasons. He didn’t win the honor in 2023, when he missed eight weeks with a toe injury that occurred during a June game at Dodger Stadium.
Judge will be capably backed by Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 27 home runs in the regular season and has five more in the playoffs. Juan Soto hit 41 home runs in his first season in New York and provided the go-ahead home run in the fifth and final game of the ALCS.
THEY SAID IT
In his first season of a heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million contract, Ohtani made history by becoming the sport’s first 50-50 player with 54 homers and 59 steals. He has three homers in the postseason.
“I pictured myself getting this far with the contract that I’ve signed,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Just being able to play on this kind of stage, with the team effort, all the games were really hard. I’m just glad that we’re at this stage right now.”
PREDICTION
The Yankees desperately want to win one of the first two games to wrest home-field advantage away in the series. They have an excellent opportunity to do just that in Game 1, depending on which version of Flaherty takes the mound. New York counters with the extremely reliable Cole, who won’t be phased by the moment when two iconic teams clash in the Fall Classic. –Yankees 7, Dodgers 4
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
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