A two-run single by J.D. Martinez provided the winning margin for the Boston Red Sox as they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in Game 2 of the 2018 World Series.
The win gives the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the series, as the action now shifts to Los Angeles starting on Friday.
Two-Out Rally Sparks Red Sox
Boston has thrived in two-out situations all year long, and that trait was exemplified in the fifth inning on Wednesday night. With the Dodgers holding a 2-1 lead, the Red Sox started the bottom of the fifth with two outs before rallying to load the bases off Los Angeles starter Hyun-Jin Ryu.
The Dodgers responded by bringing in Ryan Madson to pitch to Steve Pearce. Madson issued a walk that forced in the tying run, then gave up the single to Martinez before getting out of the inning.
“Madson has been our guy for quite some time, and he’s pitched out of big spots there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in his postgame press conference. “I just felt like I really liked him against Pearce.”
But the move didn’t work out, as Boston’s propensity for two-out heroics gave the team a lead it wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the night.
“Everyone is talking about that, we’re coming through with these two-out things,” Martinez said after the game. “But to me, I just feel that we do a really god job of not giving up, not giving that last out away.”
Boston starter David Price made his second straight solid playoff appearance, allowing two runs on three hits over six innings to get his first career World Series win.
“This is the biggest stage in baseball,” Price told reporters after the game. “To be able to do that, it feels good, for sure. I’m pumped for myself, pumped for all my teammates and coaches for us to be two wins away.”
Dodgers Can’t Figure Out Boston Lefties
The Dodgers offense has been struggling against Boston’s left-handed pitching, as Roberts has decided to sit many of his top hitters in the first two games of the series in search of better matchups. In fact, Los Angeles is the first team in MLB history to bench all four of its leading home-run hitters for Game 1 of a World Series – something they did in Game 2 as well.
But with Cody Bellinger, Yasmani Grandal, Max Muncy, and Joc Pederson all sitting, the Dodgers have hit .175 over the first two games, with only one extra-base hit so far.
“It’s hard to have guys like Pederson, Muncy, Bellinger on the bench, but this is something we’ve done a lot in September and throughout the postseason and it’s proved to be successful,” Roberts said.
The Red Sox now head to Los Angeles in a dominant position. According to William Hill, Boston is a 1/7 favorite to win the World Series, while the Dodgers are a 5/1 pick to mount a comeback.
Friday’s Game 3 will see Rick Porcello take the mound for the Red Sox against Walker Buehler of the Dodgers. Bwin lists Los Angeles as a -154 favorite to pick up the win at home.
