Big Rings in Boston
Red Sox edge Dodgers for fourth title in 14 years
The city of Boston has enjoyed its fair share of sport championships with 37 total , and 11 in the past 16 years. Dominantly, this year’s World Series felt different. Boston won a franchise best 108 games in route to a major league best 108–54 record. Boston’s 108 regular season wins puts them in the conversation as arguably one of the greatest teams of all time. Led by MVP candidate Mookie Betts and triple crown contender J.D. Martinez, the Red Sox proved in the 2018 World Series why they were baseball’s best team all season long.
Going into the postseason, bullpen issues and David Price’s postseason record (was 0–9 prior to) were the only legitimate concerns placing doubt on a serious championship run, but these concerns were quickly turned to afterthoughts as Price pitched to a 3–0 record over his last four starts yielding a 1.37 ERA in addition to also providing valuable relief from the bullpen. Red Sox first year manager, Alex Cora, did an excellent job in managing the bullpen as he utilized his starters Price, Porcello, Sale and Nathan Eovaldi in many key situations.
Rookie pitcher, Walker Buehler, took the mound for LA in Game 3 for what was the biggest start of the season. With the Dodgers down 2–0 looking to avoid the insurmountable 3–0 series deficit, Buehler did not let the magnitude of the game get in his way. The rookie phenom pitched seven scoreless innings before the Dodgers were able to finally edge Boston on the strength of a Max Muncy walk off home run.
Despite the losing effort, Cora’s decision to give the ball to Nathan Eovaldi in the bottom of the 12th inning was a chess move. Eovaldi went on to throw six solid innings (97 pitches) of two run ball (1 ER), and if not for a costly Ian Kinsler error in the 13th, Eovaldi would’ve gotten the win. Eovaldi’s performance garnered much praise from players and coaches around the league. The move allowed Cora to rest his ace in Chris Sale in the face of the longest World Series game ever recorded. Game 3 lasted 18 innings and an astounding seven and a half hours.
Eovaldi was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays before the season’s trade deadline, but it was journeyman Steve Pearce who may have been Boston’s most impactful trade deadline acquisition. Pearce hit two home runs in Game 5 to fuel the clinching effort in a 5–1 win. “This is the greatest feeling of my life. When you’re a kid, this is where you want to be, and it’s happening right now,” Pearce said. “This is a great moment. I’m so glad I get to share it with everybody.”
The first baseman was actually hitless through the series’ first three games. On Saturday, Pearce hit a game tying home run in the eighth inning, then put the game on ice with a bases clearing double in the ninth to give Boston a 9–6 Game 4 win. Pearce’s Game 4 and Game 5 performances earned him the 2018 World Series MVP.
We will wait to see if Mookie Betts will join Pearce in receiving MVP honors by earning regular season MVP. Betts turned in a career best season winning the AL and major league batting title. His unique combination of power, speed, and defense has made Betts a bonafide star.
Betts finished 2018 with a .346 average while also reaching the 30–30 mark (30 steals and 30 home runs), but what made the Red Sox was their impressive depth.
While Betts will likely win his first MVP award, his teammates also turned in exceptional seasons. Outfielder and DH J.D. Martinez challenged for the triple crown, Andrew Benintendi showed star potential in his sophomore season, and Xander Bogaerts hit the 40 double/100 RBI mark for the first time in his career.
Boston’s core of stars carried the team all season long with helpful playoff contributions from players like Pearce, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Eduardo Nunez. The Red Sox proved time and time again throughout the series they were baseball’s best team against anyone who stepped in the box. With this group of players, Boston seems poised to make another impressive run in 2019.
Jordan is a Junior English major and Journalism minor from Atlanta GA. Attending Morehouse college, Jordan strives to become a recognized sports media journalist.
