Boston Red Sox: 5 greatest World Series moments of the decade 2010s

Eduardo Nunez pinch-hit three-run homer

In the top of the 7th inning, the Boston Red Sox were leading the Dodgers 5-3 when Ryan Brasier came in to toe the rubber. Brasier got Joc Pederson to ground to short, but back to back singles by Max Muncy and Justin Turner, plus a walk to Yasmani Grandel loaded the bases with one out. Red Sox nemesis Manny Machado then drove in Muncy on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to one. Eduardo Rodriguez was summoned to get Cody Bellinger to pop out to center.

Looking for some insurance runs, the Red Sox struck back in the bottom of that frame. Andrew Benintendi hit a ground-rule double. Mitch Moreland K’d. J.D. Martinez was intentionally walked. Xander Bogaerts whiffed. So after a leadoff double, the Sox were in danger of stranding Benny on second. Dave Roberts, playing the matchup game brought in lefty Alex Wood to face Rafael Devers. In three plate appearances that night, Devers was 1-2 with a walk, a hit, and an RBI.

Alex Cora chose to pinch-hit for his young superstar and bring up hobbled right-handed veteran Eduardo Nunez. I hated the move at the time.

But two pitches later Nunez cranked a three-run homer off the left-field light tower to put the Boston Red Sox ahead for good.  Sixty-four percent of teams that win game one of the Fall Classic eventually become champs, so this homer was about as clutch as they come.