Red Sox, Dodgers gear up for what should be epic World Series
BOSTON -- It was 14 years ago that pinch runner Dave Roberts pulled off
what has to be the biggest stolen base in the long history of the Boston
Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Tuesday night, Roberts, now a manager, brings his Los Angeles Dodgers,
seeking the franchise's first title since 1988, into Fenway for the 2018
World Series.
Boston's Chris Sale faces LA ace Clayton Kershaw in Game 1.
The Red Sox, winners of a franchise-record 108 games during the regular
series, cruised to their fourth Series in 15 years (they won the first
three, the last in 2013). They needed just nine games to dispose of the
New York Yankees and the champion Houston Astros to continue what has
been a yellow brick road.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, have survived what has been a gauntlet
that started when they were 16-26 back in May. They were in third place
in the National League West in September, won a 163rd game to advance to
the playoffs and then beat the winners of the East (Atlanta) and
Central (Milwaukee) winners to reach the promised land.
They won Game 7 on the road at Milwaukee Saturday night and will again
be without home field advantage for their second straight World Series.
This is a matchup of the first- (Boston) and third-highest payrolls in baseball.
Both are deep teams and Roberts has gotten it done by playing his entire
roster -- even sitting veterans like Matt Kemp, who made the All-Star
team by carrying the team in the first half.
"Honestly, we have no choice but to buy into it," Matt Kemp said with a
laugh during the NLDS. "We got guys on the bench that could go somewhere
and play every single day and make an impact. But we're trying to win a
championship, and every guy is on the same page."
"We just got so many dangerous guys in our lineup and even on the bench. So it's pretty cool to see that."
Cody Bellinger and Yasiel Puig homered and Kershaw closed out the deciding game in Milwaukee.
The Red Sox, who have won four in a row and gone 7-2 in the postseason,
haven't played since last Thursday after completing a three-game sweep
in Houston.
They won those three games without Sale, who started Game 1 (four
innings, too many pitches) but missed his Game 5 start due to a stay in
the hospital with a stomach ailment he joked (we think) was the result
of a belly button ring infection. He was to have started Game 6.
"Just had a stomach thing," said Sale, who earned his first postseason
win in the ALDS. "It's not fun. It's definitely not fun watching your
team. Got to do what you got to do, though. It happened, we dealt with
it, and we're here now. We keep rolling."
While Kershaw has never faced the Red Sox, Sale does own two career
appearances -- one start -- against the Dodgers, but they were back in
2011 and '12. He allowed nine hits and seven runs and walked five in six
innings.
Kershaw, who has had his postseason struggles (9-8, 4.09 ERA, lifetime),
will be working on short rest but only pitched one inning (15 pitches)
Saturday on his throw day. There was some speculation former Red Sox
left-hander Rich Hill would start Game 1, but Kershaw makes his first
Fenway start.
"I don't really think about that stuff," Kershaw said. "I appreciate the
history and everything that goes along with Fenway Park. But I came
here, I don't know how long ago, 2000-something, and got to at least see
it, got to be here, got to appreciate the stadium and things like
that."
As far as his team's journey, the left-hander said, "It doesn't matter
how you get there. But to get to go back after last year is
unbelievable. Where we came from this year, it's a testament to these
guys, man. It's a great group. We're excited, we're gonna celebrate
tonight, but we don't want to lose again, so we'll be ready to go."
Manny Machado, who quickly became a villain in the NLCS with a
questionable slide at second and then a kick at the ankle of Jesus
Aguilar, has also had his moments against Boston -- his 2017 slide on
Dustin Pedroia injuring the second baseman's knee. It's an injury that's
not fully healed as Pedroia missed all but three games this season.
Machado played nine games against the Red Sox this season before being
traded to the Dodgers, batting .278 with a homer and seven RBIs. Seven
of those games were at Fenway, where he hit .310 with the homer and RBIs
in seven games.
In his career, he has played 95 games against Boston, batting .277 with
16 homers, 52 RBIs and a .796 OPS -- .278 with 8/32/.783 in 49 games at
Fenway.
Machado is 6-for-19 (.316) with a homer against Sale, while former
Minnesota Twin is 12-for-47 (.255) with three home runs against the
skinny left-hander.
J.D. Martinez is 3-for-8 (.375) with a homer against Kershaw, but Eduardo Nunez is 2-for-12 (.167).
When the series shifts to Los Angles for Games 3, 4 and 5, the Red Sox
will add Martinez, their DH, to the lineup in right field. That will
move Betts to either centerfield -- or second base. The latter is the
spot he was playing as a prospect and he has been working out there in
recent days and is ready to go when called.
The Series features the first matchup of minority managers -- and Cora
and Roberts are also the first managers in MLB history who both played
for both World Series teams.
Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright, who has been out with knee surgery, could be activated for the Series.
This is the second World Series matchup between these two old franchises
-- the Red Sox defeating the Brooklyn Robins 102 years ago.
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