Shohei Ohtani and LA Dodgers: 3 things to know about Yankees' opponent in World Series

LOS ANGELES — Get ready for history to be made.

Major League Baseball got one of the most enticing World Series matchups after the Dodgers took down the Mets in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday.

Now, beginning Friday, the Yankees and Dodgers will meet in the World Series for the 12th time in history. It will be the first time the two franchises have met since they squared off in 1981 when the Dodgers took the title in six games.

You won't want to miss it.

As the Yankees prepare to take on the Dodgers in their first trip to the World Series since 2009, here are three things to know about the Dodgers in their run through the National League:

Stars align: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts on fire

Even with Freddie Freeman hobbled with a severely sprained ankle, the Dodgers enter the World Series getting supreme production from their two former MVPs: Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts.

After a relatively quiet NLDS, which included one home run, four RBI and 10 strikeouts, Ohtani broke out in the NLCS against the Mets. The Dodgers designated hitter, who is set to capture his third MVP after a 54-home run, 59-stolen base season, was 6-for-18 with two home runs, five RBI, seven runs and eight walks in the NLCS entering Game 6.

Betts, who had a pair of two-hit games against the Padres, doubled that production against the Mets. In the first five games of the NLCS, Betts was 8-for-22 with two home runs, eight RBI, six runs and three doubles. He had a massive game in the Dodgers' Game 4 win, going 4-for-6 with three runs and four RBI.

Unsung heroes: Tommy Edman, Max Muncy making big contributions

When the Dodgers made a three-team deal to acquire hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech from the White Sox at the trade deadline, the acquisition of Tommy Edman from the Cardinals flew under the radar.

Now, the former Cardinals Gold Glover is making a massive impact for the Dodgers. Edman had a massive NLCS against the Mets, rising to the cleanup spot and tying a Dodgers record with 11 RBI in the championship series. He was 9-for-22 with seven RBI entering Sunday's game before tagging a double, home run and driving in four RBI in their series-clinching win.

Max Muncy, who dealt with an oblique injury during the regular season that limited him to 73 games, broke out early in the NLCS. The Dodgers third baseman opened the series with a two-run single in Game 1 then set a new major-league record by reaching base in 12 straight at-bats between Games 2 and 4. He had two home runs, four RBI and four runs entering Game 6.

Rookie outfielder Andy Pages showcased some of his potential in the Dodgers' Game 5 loss to the Mets, ripping a pair of home runs and driving in four of the Dodgers' six runs.

What a relief: Dodgers relying on uncanny pitching approach

With the Dodgers dealing with injuries to Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin, they have relied on three starting pitchers — Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler — to reach the World Series.

All three starting pitchers have had up-and-down performances throughout the playoffs.

Flaherty has been the hardest, tagged for 12 runs by the Padres and Mets in losses in NLDS Game 2 and NLCS Game 5. In between, in Game 1 of the NLCS, Flaherty delivered seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts and two hits and two walks allowed.

After giving up five earned runs in three innings in his postseason debut, Yamamoto has allowed a combined two runs in 9⅓ innings with 10 strikeouts in his latest two starts.

In Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres, Buehler gave up six earned runs in five innings and was dealt the loss. But he responded in Game 3 of the NLCS with four scoreless innings.

The Dodgers have deployed three bullpen games, with mixed results, leaning heavily on the high-leverage arms of Kopech, Evan Phillips, Daniel Hudson and Blake Treinen to cover the gaps.

World Series 2024 schedule

Game 1 , Friday, Oct. 25 : Yankees at Dodgers, Time TBD

Game 2 , Saturday, Oct. 26 : Yankees at Dodgers Time TBD

Game 3 , Monday, Oct. 28 : Dodgers at Yankees, Time TBD

Game 4 , Tuesday, Oct. 29 : Dodgers at Yankees, Time TBD

Game 5 (if necessary) , Wednesday, Oct. 30 : Dodgers at Yankees, Time TBD

Game 6 (if necessary) : Friday, Nov. 1 , Yankees at Dodgers, Time TBD

Game 7 (if necessary) , Saturday, Nov. 2 : Yankees at Dodgers, Time TBD

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Shohei Ohtani and LA Dodgers: 3 things to know about Yankees' opponent in World Series