2017 World Series Game 7: Dodgers vs. Astros, Wednesday 11/1, 7 p.m. CT

Thanks to the Dodgers’ win in Game 6, we got one more day of the Cubs as “reigning World Series champions.” That reign will end tonight with the winner of this game taking over that title. A World Series drought will end tonight, no matter who wins. But if you add up the years of the Dodgers drought (29) and the Astros drought (55), you still come up 24 years short of what the Cubs went through.

The work of the Cubs to win a championship in 2018 will begin in about three and a half months. In the meantime, enjoy the last meaningful major-league baseball game of 2016.

Here are today’s particulars.

Yu Darvish vs. Lance McCullers Jr.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

We have tonight a pitching rematch of Game 3, in which Yu Darvish didn’t make it out of the second inning. Lance McCullers also got hit fairly hard by the Dodgers — four hits and four walks in five innings — but managed to throw well enough for the Astros to win the game.

I assume it’s all hands on deck tonight, as it was for the Cubs in Game 7 last year. Clayton Kershaw, who has two days’ rest after pitching Game 5 Sunday, will certainly be available in the bullpen, as will Houston’s Game 5 starter Dallas Keuchel, but don’t be surprised to see Justin Verlander in this game, either. The teams have all winter to rest.

Tonight’s game is on Fox-TV. Announcers: Joe Buck, John Smoltz, Tom Verducci and Ken Rosenthal.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

MLB.com Gameday (classic mode)

(Note: Going forward, I am going to link to the “classic” Gameday here because MLB.com broke the links I used to use to get to their “new” Gameday. If you click on this link, you can then click on “New Gameday” at the bottom of the page to get to the updated version. Note that the “classic” Gameday won’t load until just before game time.)

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

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This is the only thread for today’s game. Enjoy, and discuss amongst yourselves.