The Houston Astros, 2017 world champions of baseball. Three seasons later, the Dodgers and their fans still aren’t buying it.

The teams from that World Series will play Tuesday and Wednesday for the first time since revelations of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, and it will be the elephant in Minute Maid Park.

“I don’t think a lot of opinions or the way guys think has changed in this time, but at the end of the day, we’re going to go out and win ballgames,” Justin Turner said last week.

"I think both sides are going to have a chip on their shoulder,” said Alex Wood, who is not scheduled to pitch in Houston. “Especially after what happened in 2017. Those guys, as vocal as me and a lot of our guys have been with regards to that -- it's just a gut-wrenching situation.

“We haven't had a lot of talks about it since Spring Training. I think guys are trying to look forward and not back. We have one thing on our mind -- to win as many games as possible in this 60-game season to try to make it back to the World Series and finish the job."

Setting aside 2017, the two-game set should give the Dodgers a clearer read on their future than the opening series four-game split against the Giants. The Astros are still a powerhouse, the only team that won more games than the Dodgers last year (107 vs. 106) and they were built for Minute Maid Park. And for their first trip this season, the Dodgers will be dealing with the added necessity of following rigid travel protocols.

Walker Buehler and Dustin May will start the games for the Dodgers. Neither was on the 2017 World Series club. Buehler is making his season debut after reporting to Summer Camp behind schedule. He was asked about the payback narrative.

“There’s some sense of pride going in there and playing good baseball,” said Buehler. “I wasn’t on that team. Watching and thinking back, wanting the guys who were there to experience that and holding that trophy, sure. But at the end of the day, that can’t change our mindset.”