2020 World Series ties to Washington Nationals and DMV...

WASHINGTON – Former Nationals’ reliever Blake Treinen, now with the Dodgers, was called upon by manager Dave Roberts to pitch in the fourth inning on Sunday night against the Atlanta Braves.

Treinen, who struggled late in regular-season play, came through with two scoreless innings and the Dodgers came back to beat the Braves 4-3 in the seventh and deciding game of the NLCS.

“We’re resilient,” Dodgers’ outfielder Cody Bellinger told reporters.

“This is our year,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers turned a big double play thanks to third baseman Justin Turner as the Braves missed a great chance to add on with Treinen on the mound in the fourth.

“The double play by Justin, with Treinen just coming in to limit damage, started it to keep the game where it’s at,” Roberts said.

Now Treinen, 32, who pitched for the Nationals from 2014-17, and the Dodgers will face Tampa Bay as the World Series begins Tuesday at the home of the Texas Rangers – who were the Washington Senators through the 1971 season.

Both teams have several players with ties to the DMV region.

And each team has a former of University of Maryland star: Brandon Lowe of the Rays and Adam Kolarek of the Dodgers.

Dodgers’ regular Chris Taylor, who can play infield and outfield, went to Frank W. Cox High in Virginia Beach and was drafted out of the University of Virginia by Seattle in 2012.

The right-handed hitter batted .270 with eight homers in regular-season play this season.

Lefty reliever Kolarek is from Catonsville High in Maryland and was used to face Juan Soto of the Nationals in the playoffs last year.

Right-hander Josh Sborz, who pitched in four games for the Dodgers this year, went to McLean High in Northern Virginia and the University of Virginia. He has not been on the playoff rosters.

A senior advisor and special assistant with the Dodgers, according to the Baseball America directory, is Pat Corrales – a former Major League player and manager who was also a coach for several seasons with the Nationals.

The director of player development for the Dodgers in Will Rhymes, a former Major League infielder who his big league career with Tampa Bay in 2012. He played at Triple-A Syracuse in the Washington system in 2013-14.

The Rays have several connections to the capital region:

Infielder-outfielder Lowe, the top player for the Rays in regular-season play, is a native of Newport News, Virginia, and was drafted out of the University of Maryland by the Rays in the third round in 2015.

Nate Lowe, who was not on the roster for the NLCS, was born in Norfolk, Virginia and went to high school in Georgia. He hit .224 in regular-season play for the Rays, who had the best record in the American League.

Tampa Bay pitcher Ryan Yarbrough is a native of Texas who was a standout at ODU in Norfolk. He was drafted in the fourth round in 2014 out of ODU by Seattle.

Oliver Drake, another reliever for Tampa Bay this year, played in college at Navy, was drafted by the Orioles and broke into the majors with Baltimore. He was not on the roster for the NLCS.

Mike Brosseau, who hit a game-winning homer in the ALDS for the Rays, played in the Valley Baseball League of Virginia for the Waynesboro Generals while he was in college at Oakland of Michigan.

Off the field, pro scout Ken Califano of the Rays was a long-time resident of Stafford, Virginia before he moved to Maryland. He went to Milford Mill High near Baltimore and played in the 1970s in the Orioles’ farm system.

Rays’ amateur scout Zach Clark pitched in college at Maryland, Baltimore County and was drafted by the Orioles. He played in the minors in Aberdeen, Salisbury, Frederick, and Bowie in Maryland and for Triple-A Norfolk before appearing in one game for the Orioles – in 2013 against Seattle.

According to the 2020 Baseball America directory, Chuck Ricci is a national crosschecker in scouting for Tampa Bay. Ricci was drafted by the Orioles out of his New Jersey high school in 1987 and pitched in the minors for Frederick, Hagerstown, Bowie, and Rochester in the Baltimore system. Ricci pitched in seven games for the Phillies in 1995.

Andy Freed, a long-time radio announcer for the Rays, went to high school in Howard County, Maryland, and to Towson University.

Andrew Friedman, the president of baseball operations for the Dodgers, used to work in the front office of the Rays.

“I have close personal relationships; [they are] some of my closest friends,” he told reporters.

“But my focus is what we’re doing here. We came back from 3-1. All of our focus was on tonight, and now we’re focused on four more wins.”

He has no known ties to D.C. area.

The Nationals played the Rays this year but not the Dodgers, even though the latter is in the NL.