World Series 2020: Schedule and Predictions for Dodgers vs. Rays Game 3

After splitting the first two games of the 2020 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays will attempt to take control of things in Game 3 on Friday night. 

Clayton Kershaw pitched the Dodgers to a victory in the series opener with eight strikeouts and two hits allowed over six innings. 

The Rays responded in Game 2 with a dominant pitching performance early from Blake Snell, excellent relief help from Aaron Loup and Diego Castillo, and Brandon Lowe hitting two homers and driving in three runs. 

With both teams looking to break the early stalemate in this series, the Dodgers and Rays will send their respective aces to the mound.

Walker Buehler was last seen throwing six shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. Charlie Morton has only allowed one earned run in three playoff starts this season. 

2020 World Series Game 3 Schedule

Date: Friday, Oct. 23

Start Time: 8:08 p.m. ET

Network: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com

Prediction

If history is any indication, the winner of Game 3 should feel good about their chances of going on to win the series:

Trying to find a pitching advantage between the two starters is extremely difficult. Buehler has been more hittable than Morton this postseason, though that says a lot more about how good Morton has played than anything the Dodgers right-hander has done wrong. 

Buehler's worst start of the playoffs was his first when he gave up two runs in four innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 26-year-old only allowed three hits and struck out in a game the Dodgers won 4-2. 

One advantage the Dodgers have in the game is their ability to hit right-handed pitching. Los Angeles tied for first in MLB in weighted runs created plus (126), second in weighted on-base average (.355) and second in OPS (.837) against righties during the regular season. 

The Rays didn't finish higher than 13th in any of those categories. 

Tampa Bay does have an advantage when the game goes to the bullpen, as it showed in Game 2. Nick Anderson, Pete Fairbanks, Loup and Castillo allowed just three hits and two earned runs in 4.1 innings after Snell was removed. 

Another potential problem for Morton and the Rays is Los Angeles doesn't chase pitches out of the zone. The Dodgers had the lowest percentage of swings on pitches outside of the strike zone (26.5) during the regular season. 

Morton's go-to off-speed pitch is a curveball that opponents had a .456 slugging percentage against this season.

The Rays got a welcome sight in Game 2 when Lowe's bat came to life for the first time in the playoffs. He was 6-for-56 with one extra-base hit in the previous 15 games. 

Tampa Bay doesn't have a lineup capable of standing toe to toe with the Dodgers. Morton needs to be at his best for the Rays to win. The Dodgers are more versatile in the lineup and have more ways to win games, whether it be in a slugfest or tense pitching duel between Buehler and Morton. 

Prediction: Dodgers 5, Rays 2