WORLD SERIES GAME 3
Astros-Dodgers preview: McCullers and Darvish square off in a key pitching matchup
SportsMap staff
Oct 20, 2017, 10:46 am
It's Game 3 of the World Series. MLB.com
The Astros and Dodgers play Game 3 of the World Series today. Here is a preview of the game. Check back during the game for inning by inning updates:
When: 7:20 p.m.
Where: Minute Maid Park.
TV: Fox Sports.
Streaming: Fox Sports Go.
Pitching matchup: Lance McCullers vs. Yu Darvish.
Series: Tied 1-1.
The breakdown: The Astros have momentum after Wednesday night's amazing win. They Astros send out McCullers, who had a great start in New York in Game 4 of the ALCS then pitched four dominant innings of relief in Game 7 to clinch the AL pennant. The Astros will face a familiar face as the Dodgers send out Yu Darvish, whom they acquired from the Rangers earlier this year. In Darvish's two starts against the Astros this year as a Ranger he was part of a 7-1 loss where he allowed three runs and also a 6-1 win where he allowed just one. For his career, Darvish is 5-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 14 starts against Houston. A key for the Astros could be George Springer, who can be streaky and appears to be heating up.
Series schedule
Time/Date Site/Result Pitchers
Game 1 Tuesday Dodgers 3, Astros 1 Kershaw (W), Keuchel (L)
Game 2 Wed. Astros 7, Dodgers 6 Devenski (W), McCarthy (L)
Game 3 Today Minute Maid Park McCullers vs. Darvish
Game 4 Sat., 7:20 p.m. Minute Maid Park Morton vs. TBA
Game 5 Sun., 7:20 p.m. Minute Maid Park TBA
Game 6* Oct. 31 , 7:20 p.m. Dodger Stadium TBA
Game 7 * Nov. 1, , 7:20 p.m. Dodger Stadiun TBA
*-if necessary.
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The Houston Texans are entering the 2025 NFL Draft with a roster on the rise and a franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud—but what happens next is anything but certain.
Draft experts are calling this year’s class one of the most difficult to project, especially in the back half of the first round, where opinions on prospects vary widely. For the Texans, who hold the No. 25 overall pick, this presents both opportunity and risk. With no glaring positional holes but several areas in need of long-term upgrades, Houston’s approach will provide insight into how the front office views its roster—and, more specifically, how it plans to protect its most valuable asset: Stroud.
Stroud was sacked 52 times last season, second only to Chicago's Caleb Williams. That reality underscores the Texans’ top priority heading into the draft: fortifying the offensive line. How they do that could reveal what they truly think of tackle Blake Fisher and whether Tytus Howard’s future lies at guard or tackle.
A number of linemen are on the Texans’ radar for their first-round pick, including Alabama interior mauler Tyler Booker, versatile North Dakota State tackle Gray Zabel, and Oregon’s athletic pass protector Josh Conerly. Texas standout Kelvin Banks and Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson also bring physicality and pedigree, while Josh Simmons of Ohio State is a long-term project coming off a torn patellar tendon.
Still, wide receiver is the other major position of interest. If Houston opts to go wideout in the first round, names like Arizona’s Tet McMillan, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, Missouri’s Luther Burden, and Texas' Matthew Golden offer a blend of polish, upside, and explosiveness.
A best-case scenario? The Texans land an offensive lineman in the first round and then leverage their extra third-round pick to trade up for a sliding receiver like Burden early in the second. That would give Houston immediate trench help and another weapon for Stroud without having to choose between the two priorities.
No matter what direction the Texans go, this year’s draft is set to be the most unpredictable of the Stroud era. And that might be just how Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans like it.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as the crew from Texans on Tap discusses all the topics above and much more!
And be sure to watch our live reaction to the Texans' first round pick this Thursday night on our SportsMap Texans YouTube channel!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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