The Houston Astros play host to the Washington Nationals in Game 1 tonight.
ROCHESTER, NY – Former Rochester Red Wings infielder Brian Dozier and right-handed pitcher Ryan Pressly are both on the 25-man rosters of their respective teams for the 2019 World Series. The seven-game series begins tonight in Houston with an 8:08 p.m. ET first pitch.
Dozier signed with the Nationals in January and hit .238/.340/.430 with 20 doubles, 20 homers, 50 RBI, and 54 runs scored in 135 MLB games this season. He was originally selected in the eighth round by Minnesota in 2009 out of Southern Mississippi and played 48 games for Rochester in 2012. This will be Dozier’s second straight World Series appearance after reaching the Fall Classic with the Dodgers last year, who acquired him from the Twins on July 31, 2018.
Pressly was acquired by the Astros from the Twins on July 27, 2018 and went 2-3 with three saves and a 2.32 ERA (14 ER, 54.1 IP) in 55 MLB appearances in 2019. He set an MLB record with 40 consecutive scoreless games from August 15, 2018-May 20, 2019. Pressly pitched in 49 games for the Red Wings over three seasons from 2014-17, going 3-6 with 10 saves and a 2.91 ERA (26 ER, 80.1 IP). He was originally selected in the 11th round by Boston in 2007 out of Marcus High School (Flower Mound, TX) before being taken by Minnesota in the Rule 5 Draft prior to the 2013 season.
A former Wing will be on the active roster for a World Series Champion for the third straight year and fourth in the last five: Eduardo Núñez with Boston in 2018, Francisco Liriano with Houston in 2017, and Drew Butera with Kansas City in 2015.
Rochester has had a former player appear in a Fall Classic game for five straight years entering 2019, joining the players above, from 2014-18: Jeff Manship with Cleveland in 2016, Michael Cuddyer and Sean Gilmartin with N.Y. Mets in 2015, and Josh Willingham with Kansas City in 2014.
Technically, a Red Wing has played in a World Series 12 straight years but many of those played in the Fall Classic prior to joining the Wings. Those players include Bartolo Colón with N.Y. Mets in 2015, Quintin Berry and Craig Breslow with WS Champion Boston in 2013, Berry with Detroit in 2012, David Murphy with Texas in 2011 and 2010, Phil Hughes with WS Champion N.Y. Yankees in 2009, Curt Schilling and Bobby Kielty with WS Champion Boston in 2007, and LaTroy Hawkins with Colorado in 2007. Other former Rochester players who played for the Red Wings prior to appearing in the World Series during that same period include Delmon Young with Detroit in 2012, Kyle Lohse with WS Champion St. Louis in 2011, J.C. Romero with WS Champion Philadelphia in 2008, Nick Punto with WS Champion St. Louis in 2011, and Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza with Tampa Bay in 2009.