Astros-Phillies World Series Game 1: Snoop Dogg checks in

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New year, new Framber

5:07 p.m.: A year ago, Framber Valdez was rocked in two World Series starts. But it’s a more consistent and more mature Astros lefthander who’ll take the mound for Game 2 against the Phillies. — Greg Rajan

Not THAT Robby Thompson

4:55 p.m.: On Thursday, Astros manager Dusty Baker joked that the real Robby Thompson was the 11-year big league second baseman who played for Baker in San Francisco, not Phillies manager Rob Thomson. The Phillies manager said he hears that all the time and gets “hundreds of Robby’s baseball cards” mailed to him for autographs every year. He says he kindly returns the cards if the fan includes a self-addressed envelope. If not? “They go in the garbage. Sorry.” —Matt Young

No Snoop Dogg for Thomson

4:34 p.m.: About 30 minutes after Astros manager Dusty Baker said he heard from Snoop Dogg wishing him good luck in the series, a reporter asked Phillies manager Rob Thomson if maybe he got a similar call. “I didn’t,” Thomson said before the question was even finished. “I heard from Dave Keon. If you don’t know who Dave Keon is, he’s a famous Toronto Maple Leaf.” Thomson grew up in Ontario and it sounded like the call from the Hockey Hall of Famer was just as thrilling as one from one of the biggest rappers in the world. —Matt Young

One for the old guys

4:22 p.m.: There’s been an uptick recently in older managers in baseball, including the Texas Rangers hiring Bruce Bochy last week. This World Series pits 73-year-old Dusty Baker against 59-year-old Rob Thomson. Both Baker and Thomson suggested that teams are seeing a balance between analytics and old-school baseball. “I don’t know, maybe people realize it takes years to hone your craft,” Baker said. “Also, the need to intertwine modern baseball and older baseball and the fact these guys are human beings, not just numbers. I’m glad I’ve had some relative success. I’m glad Bucky (66-year-old Buck Showalter ) and (6y-year-old Brian) Snitker) and these guys have had relative success where you’re more trusted at this point in our lives.” —Matt Young

Message from Snoop Dogg

4 p.m.: Dusty Baker said he received congratulations and well-wishes this week from “some homeboys and some homegirls.” Among them? Rapper Snoop Dogg. —Chandler Rome

Pettis back

3:55 p.m.: Gary Pettis has been cleared by team doctors and will coach third base in Game 1 of the World Series, manager Dusty Baker said. Pettis missed the entire ALCS with an illness. — Chandler Rome

How big is Game 1?

3:43 p.m.: Astros outfielder Chas McCormick said a win in tonight’s Game 1 would be “ginormous” for Houston. Historically, teams that win the opening game of the World Series have gone on to claim a championship 64 percent of the time. But the Astros have never won Game 1 of the World Series (0-4). — Danielle Lerner

All about Wawa

3:28 p.m.: Astros center fielder Chas McCormick is playing against his favorite team from childhood since he grew up in West Chester, Pa., about 35 miles outside Philadelphia. Although Buc-ees is a staple here in Texas, McCormick said before Friday’s Game 1, he still loves Wawa, the convenience store that dominates Pennsylvania. “Huge Wawa fan,” said McCormick before adding his go-to orders. “Meatball sub and I’m a big buffalo cheesesteak guy. —Matt Young

Don’t forget the taste

3:15 p.m.: By now, you’ve probably seen Jeremy Peña make the heart shape with his hands to celebrate big hits. During an on-field interview after a playoff game, he said the gesture is for his mother, but he has since clarified that, saying, “The heart thing is for my mother, just showing appreciation for everything she’s done for me. And, not just for my mother, but my father as well. They’ve sacrificed so much for me, so it’s something I do for them.” The 25-year-old Peña was raised in the Dominican Republic by his mother Carmen Cecilia and father Gerónimo, who played seven seasons in the big leagues as an infielder for St. Louis and Cleveland. The family moved to Providence, RI, when he was nine years old. —Matt Young

Astros lineup

3:02 p.m: Trey Mancini gets the start at designated hitter in Game 1 of the World Series against Aaron Nola. —Chandler Rome

1. Jose Altuve, 2B
2. Jeremy Peña, SS
3. Yordan Alvarez, LF
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Kyle Tucker, RF
6. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
7. Trey Mancini, DH
8. Chas McCormick, CF
9. Martín Maldonado, C
Justin Verlander RHP

Phillies lineup

2:55 p.m.: Phillies lineup against Justin Verlander:

1. Kyle Schwarber, LF
2. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
3. JT Realmuto, C
4. Bryce Harper, DH
5. Nick Castellanos, RF
6. Alec Bohm, 3B
7. Bryson Stott, SS
8. Jean Segura, 2B
9. Brandon Marsh, CF
Aaron Nola, RHP

It’s raining, it’s pouring

2:52 p.m.: The weather report from Minute Maid Park: Rain. Lots of rain.

It’s pouring in downtown Houston four hours before the first pitch of Game 1. Thankfully, the Astros’ ballpark has a roof and the rain shouldn’t be an issue Friday night. Unless you’re trying to walk to the stadium, drive in traffic or navigate the streets.

If you’re lucky to have a ticket, arriving a little earlier than normal might be helpful. I also need new shoes. —Brian T. Smith

Alex Bregman to face college roommate

2:44 p.m.: This will probably be talked about a lot tonight, but Alex Bregman was college roommates with Phillies’ Game 1 starter Aaron Nola when they played together at LSU. Nola is a year older and Bregman recalls Nola introducing him to how good pitching is at the college level the first time he faced him in practice. As far as how they got along? Great, except, “I was the messy one,” Bregman admits. —Matt Young

Nice to have a roof

2:25 p.m.: The rain is coming down hard in downtown Houston right now, but this is where Minute Maid Park’s roof comes in handy. And so far it’s apparently not raining hard enough for rain to come down inside the ballpark, which has happened on occasion. And today’s conditions end any debate on whether the roof will be open or closed tonight. — Greg Rajan

Darling on the Dusty train

2:25 p.m.: It would be foolish to think of the Astros as a sentimental favorite in this World Series since Houston remains public enemy No. 1 to plenty of fan bases around baseball for its 2017-18 sign-stealing operation.

But there is a contradiction when it comes to Houston skipper Dusty Baker, who, judging by national media coverage and sentiment, many within the game would like to see win the biggest thing that’s eluded him in his long baseball life — a championship as a manager .

Ron Darling, the former major league pitcher who works as an analyst for TBS and MLB Network, did little to conceal his desire to see Baker win the World Series in his third crack at it from the dugout.

“Dusty is one of my dear friends,” said the 62-year-old Darling. “I’ve known him since I was a kid when I was trying to get people out. Everything in my heart would love Dusty to get the only box he hasn’t checked in his amazing career. It’s hard for me to go against a man that I admire with my whole soul.

“The kind of managers that teams hire today, there’s an appreciation for their talent, but I’m not sure if there’s a love for them as a human being. The universal love that baseball has for (Baker) is across the board. Even if you were a passing Philadelphia fan, if they weren’t to get it and Dusty were to get it, you’re happy for an individual who’s gone through everything you can do.

“He takes what I think is the beginning of baseball in 1947 with Jackie (Robinson) all the way through Yordan Alvarez and everywhere in between. I would like to see it just for him so he has his day on the field before he goes into the Hall of Fame off the field.” — Greg Rajan

Mr. Smith goes to Houston

2:21 p.m.: It’s quite the role reversal within 12 months for Will Smith.

A year ago as the Braves’ closer, he finished off the Astros in the World Series as part of a dominating postseason for the veteran lefthander, who didn’t allow a run in 11 outings.

But he struggled this season with Atlanta before being traded to Houston before Aug. 2 trade deadline for Jake Odorizzi.

Smith was left off the Astros’ rosters for the American League division and championship series before being added to the World Series roster Friday since the Phillies have more left-handed hitters than the Mariners and Yankees.

“It’s pretty wild,” Smith said of his situation before the World Series. “Obviously, we won it here last year with a different team and I’m on the team that we beat. So there were some jokes thrown around when I first got here, but it was all in good fun.

“But it’s baseball. It’s a business and you learn to turn the page. These are the 26 guys you’re with and you’re all trying to pull from the same side of the rope.”

Smith was part of a lockdown bullpen in Atlanta last postseason, with the likes of Luke Jackson, Tyler Matzek and AJ Minter setting him up. He said the Astros’ bullpen, loaded with leverage options, is “similar.”

“Our starting staff here is what helps us out a lot with them going seven, sometimes eight (innings) every night,” Smith said. “The less outs we have to go, the better we look like a ‘pen. The starters do the heavy lifting for us and you can pull any guy out of a hat and there’s a good chance he’s going to dominate his inning coming out of the ‘pen.” — Greg Rajan

Framber Valdez to start Game 2

2:20 p.m.: The Astros will start Framber Valdez in Game 2 of the World Series. Valdez faced a reserve-laden Phillies lineup during the final game of the regular season, striking out 10 and surrendering two hits across five scoreless innings. — Chandler Rome

Astros-Phillies preview

• Is the World Series a win-lose situation for Astros GM James Click?
• Smith: Astros have a legitimate chance to lift the city, dispel haters
• Justin Verlander, still ferocious on the mound, has become a mentor
• Bryan Abreu’s journey to bullpen strength for the Astros
• Ryan Pressly has hit the right notes at closing time for Astros
• Astros vs. Phillies: How they match up in the World Series
• Dusty Baker’s wise words, stories make players his biggest fans
• Bryce Harper an Astro? It was oh so close to happening
• Brad Lidge on Astros-Phillies, who he’s rooting for and that Albert Pujols homer
• Reassuring ways help coach Josh Miller make the most of Astros’ arms
• Astros will put the ball in play. Will the Phillies field it?
• Scene from Philadelphia: Phillies’ ‘Red October’ energizes a city
• Marlins hire Astros executive Oz Ocampo as assistant GM
• Yo vs. y’all: A house divided for the Astros-Phillies World Series
• When Houston became a baseball town: 1980 NLCS loss to the Phillies
• Visual essay: Astros’ narrow loss to the Phillies in the 1980 NLCS
• Meet the crew that keeps Minute Maid Park in shape
• Sportsbooks nervous about Mattress Mack’s Astros World Series bet
• What’s too hard for Jeremy Peña? Ranking his big hits
• ‘I was the messy one’: Alex Bregman, Aaron Nola recall roommate days
• What helped Astros’ Jose Altuve go through a long hitless stretch
• How divisional play helps set up NL East teams for long playoff runs
• Houston vs. Philadelphia: Tale of the tape for the World Series
• Eagles QB, Houston native Jalen Hurts clarifies his fandom in the World Series
• New concession items introduced for Astros-Phillies World Series