Powered by Eduardo Nunez‘s three-run home run and Andrew Benintendi‘s four-hit night, the Boston Red Sox seized a quick lead in the World Series with their Game 1 victory on Tuesday. Despite a number of mishaps, the Los Angeles Dodgers should not hang their heads too much — they chased Sox ace Chris Sale in the fifth and got into the Red Sox bullpen, as Boston manager Alex Cora used six relievers. Will that have an impact in Game 2 if L.A. can force Cora to go to his bullpen early again? No game in October is played in isolation.
The most important thing of the day: David Price already exorcised his postseason demons with his series-clinching win over the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. Does that mean he has a clean slate and will be a key to the Red Sox bringing the World Series to an early conclusion, or was that the blip that fans in Fenway will forget after his start in Game 2?
World Series Game 2: Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox
Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 1.97 ERA in the regular season) vs. David Price (16-7, 3.58 ERA), 8:09 p.m. ET, Fox and ESPN Radio
The stakes: The Dodgers do not want to head home in an 0-2 hole, and the Red Sox would love to get them into one to put their chance of closing out L.A. on the warm West Coast into the realm of possibility. We haven’t had a team clinch a World Series title at home since 2013, when the Red Sox closed out the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6.
If the Red Sox win: They’ll be just two wins away from clinching it all and becoming the first team to win it all while also defeating two 100-win opponents in the postseason (the Yankees and the Astros).
If the Dodgers win: We’ve got ourselves a series, living up to its advance billing. No sweeps, just two great teams trading blows and ratcheting up the drama. The Dodgers also will earn some breathing space to head home and help find a way to keep Boston’s offense in check in L.A.
One key stat to know: After beating the Dodgers in Game 1 with southpaw Clayton Kershaw on the mound initially, the Red Sox are now a combined 15-5 in Fenway Park in the regular season and postseason when opponents start a lefty. How does that bode for the left-handed Ryu?
The matchup that matters most: Manny Machado vs. Price. They’ve seen a lot of each other during Machado’s years in Baltimore, when Machado hammered five home runs off the veteran lefty in 44 plate appearances, while cranking out a 1.024 OPS. If the Dodgers create a potential big inning that brings Machado up against Price, it could mean crooked numbers on the scoreboard — or a quick hook for Price.
The story on social media: After Mookie Betts stole a base in the World Series? You better believe everyone was talking about what was in it for them, courtesy of Taco Bell.
When you just got free tacos for the entire country. pic.twitter.com/KZoPszVWip
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) October 24, 2018
The prediction: Cora mentioned after Game 1 just how few times this season Betts, Benintendi and J.D. Martinez have all been hot at the same time — but that’s exactly what we might be seeing happen at an ideal time for Boston. I predict that big three helps the Red Sox jump on Ryu early in Game 2, giving Price enough of a lead to work with to get the Sox back to L.A. with a 2-0 lead. But the Dodgers are capable of rattling off two or three straight wins when the action does shift to Dodger Stadium, so this series is far from over no matter what happens Wednesday night at Fenway. Red Sox 5, Dodgers 3 — Dan Mullen, ESPN.com