For the first time in over a century, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers will meet in the World Series. Game 1 will be at Fenway Park.
After six months of long and grueling games, the World Series is finally upon us, and it features two of the most historic teams in baseball history: the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The last time both of these squads faced off most of us were probably not born. The last time the World Series featured these two teams happened to be in 1916, when Babe Ruth was a star for the Sox, and the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn.
In fact, the Dodgers were actually known as the Robins at the time, and played at the legendary Ebbets Field. Not only that, but Boston’s home during that era ended up being at Braves Field because of its ability to hold more people.
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Therefore, this series will also be the first instance where either team plays in each other’s respective ballparks.
When you think of LA vs. Boston, you think historic, specifically when it comes to basketball. Weirdly enough however, while both of these squads have very successful franchises, neither of them have crossed paths all that much.
According to ABC news, together, the Red Sox and Dodgers have put up 42 winning seasons, 25 playoff appearances, six pennants, and three titles since the wild-card era made its debut 25 years ago. Those three titles were all won by Boston too (2004, 2007 and 2013).
Regardless of historical context, everyone should be looking forward to a series like this, especially since there’s a lot of subplots present within the match-up.
Here, I want to look at three big storylines that baseball fans should look out for when watching the 114th Fall Classic.
Manny Machado’s return to Fenway
Manny Machado’s tenure with the Baltimore Orioles featured a multitude of instances where the Sox inexplicably threw behind him. Here’s a video of Chris Sale and Matt Barnes doing just that in a couple of regular season games over the past few years. Both times did not work in Boston’s favor, as the star third baseman belted a home run in his preceding at-bats.
The clip also brings to light the many facets of Machado’s game, specifically on defense. Some of the catches he makes at his position are almost impossible for other third basemen, and his two Gold Gloves reflect that ( he should have more honestly).
According to MLB.com, Machado has hit .289 against all of the Boston Red Sox pitchers (all when he was still with the Orioles), and has the most success against Drew Pomeranz. Luckily for the Sox, Pomeranz probably won’t find himself pitching in this World Series, especially since he’s rarely been utilized so far in the 2018 postseason.
Instead, manager Alex Cora should look into using the other lefty, Eduardo Rodriguez. Machado surprisingly happens to be a dismal 0-8 when facing him this year. On top of that, the third baseman is a combined 2-9 in 2018 against Chris Sale and David Price, something that will be crucial when the games roll around. Ideally, both of those southpaws will be Cora’s options as one and two starters.
I’m also sure the bad blood still exists between Sale and Machado, even if a lot has changed since their altercation back in 2016. Although Machado is in a new uniform, he’s still facing the same team that always gives him problems. And normally when he’s angry, he’ll produce, so Boston must eliminate any problems before he gets hot.
Can Jackie Bradley Jr. continue his dominance?
Here’s something Boston Red Sox fans don’t hear often; Jackie Bradley Jr. has come up big with his bat recently. Normally when people hear his name, they think spectacular defense (which is still very much the case). However, what the center fielder is doing at the plate this postseason is very unprecedented for him.
Despite only batting .200 in the ALCS against Houston, the left-handed hitter smacked two of the biggest home runs of his career, and had a go-ahead three-run double in Game 2, which turned the entire series around. One of the homers was a Grand Slam that essentially put the contest away on the road in Game 3.
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Site Expert Tarringo Basile-vaughan even dubbed Bradley as the new Mr. October. With his nine RBIs against tough pitching in that series, I can see why.
Now the question is, how long can he keep this up until he falls back down to earth hitting-wise?
Knowing Bradley’s usual numbers, there’s no way the center fielder can keep producing like this forever. Without much of a history against the Dodgers, it should be interesting to see how Bradley (and the lineup in general) reacts to starters that he hasn’t seen before, specifically with Clayton Kershaw, or Kenley Jansen.
What Bradley does have on his side is the folk hero aspect. Every once in awhile, an unlikely player emerges from the dust, and enters the forefront of the sport for just a few short moments.
This normally occurs in the playoffs, as Boston fans saw with Terry Rozier back in the 2018 NBA postseason. Or, when David Freese had his own magical run back in the 2011 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. There’s plenty of examples, and Bradley could be the next one to enter the history books.
He’s already cemented his legacy on the defensive end. Now it’s time to show baseball fans what he can do at the plate on the biggest stage in the world with everyone watching.
Can David Price solidify himself as a second starter?
David Price finally looked like that coveted $200 million player in Boston’s Game 5 ALCS clincher. The lefty pitched six innings, giving up no runs on nine strikeouts.
Much like with Bradley, we really don’t have a lot of data as far as match-ups go between Price and the Dodgers. He’s only faced Machado, Brian Dozier, and Trayce Thompson. The only reason he’s faced any of those guys is because they were all in the American League at some point. Regardless, Machado and Dozier have combined to go 2-7 against the lefty.
Other than that, I’ve probably talked about Price’s chronicles in the postseason to the point where there’s not much else to say. If you want about more his ups and downs, here’s an piece on his ALCS-clinching win, as well as an article detailing the necessary adjustments Price must make during these 2018 playoffs.
All in all, because there’s so much mystery between these two teams, the 2018 World Series should feature a tight conflict.
Both squads have their flaws as well, specifically on the pitching side of things. The only real constant has been their aces.
Speaking of which, Kershaw and Sale are most likely set to start Game 1 on Tuesday, barring any problems (Sale was in the hospital for a part of the Astros series). If all goes well, this could be another classical World Series for the record books.
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, it could mean a first World Series win since 1988.
For the Boston Red Sox, it would be a special moment for the young guys who have struggled in the past couple of postseasons. Let the games begin, and let history ride its course.