[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I am no longer amazed at the statistical history that today's sports databases can mine and produce; I am sure, for example, that they could tell you how many times baseball players have spit while on the field throughout history (it must be in the quadrillions by now).

But I am amazed by some of the things still being unearthed after all this time. I just read that, in all the games that have been played in 117 World Series, Jorge Soler's blast was the first time in Series history that the first batter of the game homered.

Previously, four others had hit leadoff homers in the bottom half of the first inning: The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor (2017), Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar (2015), Boston’s Dustin Pedroia (2007) and Baltimore’s Don Buford (1969). But none in the top half of the first inning. Fancy that.

Yesterday's first:

Facing the prospect of back-to-back bullpen games, Atlanta asked the rookie Dylan Lee, who had only two regular-season relief appearances this year, to start on Saturday.

Lee became the first pitcher to make his first major league start in the World Series. Unsurprisingly, he sputtered.