World Series 2017 Schedule: Complete Guide for Dodgers vs. Astros

For the first time since 1970, two teams with 100 or more wins will face off in the World Series when the 101-61 Houston Astros play the 104-58 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Houston is looking for its first World Series title in team history. The Astros made the Fall Classic once in 2005, losing four games to zero against the Chicago White Sox.

Los Angeles hasn't made the World Series since 1988, when it beat the Oakland Athletics in five games. The Dodgers have won six titles in franchise history.

Here's a look at the schedule and a complete guide to the World Series for each team.

Schedule

Tuesday, October 24 (Game 1): Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers

Wednesday, October 25 (Game 2): Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers

Friday, October 27 (Game 3): Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros

Saturday, October 28 (Game 4): Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros

*Sunday, October 29 (Game 5): Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros

*Tuesday, October 31 (Game 6): Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers

*Wednesday, November 1 (Game 7): Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers

Fox will televise each game, all of which will begin at 8 p.m. ET. An asterisk indicates the game will be played if necessary.

Los Angeles Dodgers

How They Got Here

Remarkably, the Dodgers were two games under .500 and four games out of first place in late April.

However, L.A. found itself on top of the National League West after a successful May and embarked on a torrid stretch for the majority of the summer, going 56-11 over 67 games.

That sparked talk as to whether the Dodgers could break the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners' record for most wins in a regular season (116), but L.A. then went on a 1-16 skid into mid-September.

The Dodgers still finished with 104 wins and proceeded to sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Divisional Series before beating the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs in a five-game National League Championship Series.

Hitting and Baserunning

L.A. has found offensive success through the long ball this year. Five Dodgers hit 21 or more home runs, with rookie first baseman Cody Bellinger leading the team with 39. The 22-year-old also paced L.A. with 97 RBI.

As a team, the Dodgers smacked 221 dingers, good enough for fourth in the National League.

The Dodgers are not going to create havoc on the base paths, but outfielder Chris Taylor is a fast leadoff hitter capable of taking the extra base. He led the team with 17 stolen bases (only two others had 10 or more).

Taylor was the co-NLCS MVP with third baseman Justin Turner, who was the only regular with a batting average higher than .300 (.322 to be exact). Elsewhere, outfielder Yasiel Puig was second on the team with 28 homers, and shortstop Corey Seager finished second with a .295 batting average.

Overall, the Dodgers' lineup is deep and balanced, with nearly everyone capable of hitting a ball out.

Pitching and Fielding

The Dodgers' starting rotation is the best in baseball, led by three-time National League Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw.

The 29-year-old finished with 18 wins, 202 strikeouts and a 2.31 ERA this season. Fellow All-Star and southpaw Alex Wood also posted an excellent year, with 16 victories and a 2.72 ERA.

Trade deadline acquisition Yu Darvish and left-hander Rich Hill round out the rotation. Darvish went 4-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 49.2 innings, while Hill won 12 and punched out 166 batters.

The bullpen is just as impressive and deep, led by closer and NL Cy Young candidate Kenley Jansen, who saved 41 games and went 5-0 with a 1.32 ERA. He's backed by a host of talented relievers, including Brandon Morrow (6-0, 2.06 ERA) and Josh Fields (5-0, 2.84 ERA).

L.A. finished in the middle of the major-league pack in errors and fielding percentage.

Houston Astros

How They Got Here

The Houston Astros took first place in the American League West on April 14 and never looked back, nearly leading the division wire to wire throughout the entire season.

Houston's first half of the year was scalding hot, as it went 54-27 to start. The Astros cooled off a bit in the end of July and August, but they maintained a double-digit game lead in the division throughout the entire summer.

A 20-win September helped buoy the team to 101 wins en route to finishing with the No. 2 seed behind the Cleveland Indians in the American League playoffs.

Houston beat the Boston Red Sox three games to one in the American League Division Series before winning a tough, hard-fought seven-game American League Championship Series with the New York Yankees.

Hitting and Baserunning

The Houston Astros were the best hitting team in baseball this year, sporting a .282 batting average. They also finished second in home runs with 238.

Second baseman Jose Altuve, a front-runner for the American League MVP award, led the majors with a .346 average.

Shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder Josh Reddick and utility man Marwin Gonzalez also eclipsed the .300 mark, with first baseman Yuli Gurriel falling just short at .299.

Outfielder and leadoff hitter George Springer paced the team with 34 home runs. He, Altuve and Correa started for the All-Star team.

Altuve also led the Astros with 34 stolen bases. Third baseman Alex Bregman (17) is the only other Astro with 10 or more steals.

Pitching and Fielding

The Houston Astros have two dominant aces at the top of their rotation in the form of left-hander Dallas Keuchel and right-hander Justin Verlander, who came over to Houston from the Detroit Tigers after an August trade.

Keuchel finished the season with 14 wins and a 2.90 ERA, and Verlander went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA. He also struck out 43 batters in 34 innings.

The X-factor is Lance McCullers, a dominant pitcher for most of his young career who battled injuries in the second half of this season.

McCullers looked like he returned to form in the American League Championship Series, however, most notably when he threw four shutout innings to close the door on the Yankees in Game 7.

Charlie Morton will be the likely fourth starter, and he's earned that right after throwing five brilliant shutout frames in Game 7 to earn the victory.

The bullpen has been inconsistent, finishing 17th in the major leagues in ERA. As Houston showed in this series, however, it can call on one of its other starters to do the job in a series-clinching game.

Houston's fielding has been spotty, as it finished 20th in the league in errors with 99.

Prediction

The Houston Astros have the edge at the plate, but the Dodgers have a deeper starting rotation and bullpen. They also have home-field advantage, which is important considering that Minute Maid Park has been raucous this postseason.

In the end, the Dodgers will win the World Series in six, and Clayton Kershaw will be the MVP after winning two games.