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The Red Sox Are Headed To LA, Up Two Games To Nothing In The World Series

World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v Boston Red Sox - Game Two

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The Los Angeles Dodgers don’t deserve to be on the same field as the Boston Red Sox.

There, I said it. I’ve been holding that in since they clinched the National League pennant and now I feel so relieved to get that out. This isn’t just a Dodgers thing, either. So, to all the fans out in LA with their newly-purchased Dodgers gear on today, please don’t take this personally. Back in July, I made a bet with Big Cat that the National League representative in the World Series wouldn’t win more than one game in the World Series. The Yankees were just that good, the Astros were even better, and the Red Sox are a motherfucking WAGON.

I actually saw some Dodgers fans attempting to use the payroll excuse after this one because the Red Sox spent $217 million on David Price, who was excellent again in a second consecutive postseason start, and $110 million on JD Martinez, who drove in the game-winning runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. You’re the Dodgers. That’s like Jose Canseco complaining that pitchers were using PEDs in the Steroid Era. It’s just not gonna play.

When it ended up being the defending National League champion Dodgers that the Red Sox drew in the World Series instead of the highly likable Milwaukee Brewers, I assumed that Manny Machado wouldn’t waste any time placing himself at the epicenter of Red Sox fans’ wrath. Machado, to his credit, has kind of kept a low profile in the World Series to this point. If anything, it’s been the Dodgers’ excuse making, not Machado, that’s made them so easy to hate in this series.

First, you had Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt complaining that the bullpens are too close to the fans. Like, boo fuckin’ hoo, dog. That’s called home field advantage. Are your pitchers being physically harmed? No? Just some shit talking while they’re warming up? Aw, that’s so hard. Life is so hard sometimes. If only Clayton Kershaw were making more money in one start than most people will make over ten years, then maybe it would be easier for guys like him to handle it.

Then, you had Ryan Madson complaining that it was too cold to pitch in Boston. This was before he walked in a run and blew Game 2. I’m just gonna say it — it’s SO unfair that only the Dodgers had to pitch in the cold weather in Boston. The league should really take a look at that after the season’s over. If you want a fair and level playing field, then both teams should have to play in the same weather conditions. If I were a Dodgers fan, I would be livid that only the Dodgers had to play out there in the cold weather. Very unfair and unjust. Luckily for Madson, the series now shifts back to sunny, warm LA where Madson has a 7.36 ERA this year.

Let’s talk about the game, though. Remember when David Price sucked in the postseason? Me neither. After closing out the American League Championship Series in Houston, Price followed up that gem by going six three-hit innings for the second straight game. He allowed a pair of runs this time, one on a sac fly and another on a dinky base hit, but that was it. Hardly any hard contact, if any.

The three walks were really the only blemishes in Price’s first World Series start ever, not that home plate umpire Kerwin Danley did him many favors. But at the end of the day, it was another good start for Price in the postseason, each one replacing the previous as the biggest start of his life. And he keeps delivering.

We mentioned JD Martinez earlier — I have to believe that ankle isn’t doing so hot. Thankfully, his performance hasn’t suffered, as he drove in the two game-winning runs, but he is struggling big time getting down the line. Before, it was a no-brainer to put Martinez in right field and move Mookie Betts to second base in the National League ballpark, but now I’m not so sure that I want JD out in right field trying to run down fly balls in the World Series with a bad ankle. At least, not for a full game.

But then again, this is the World Series and I’m sure he’s going to try to tough it out. We’ll see how he looks, because Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that JD’s ankle isn’t going to prevent him from playing the outfield in LA. But that was before we got a look at him running in Game 2. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens there.

With a 4-2 lead after Price’s departure, that Red Sox bullpen was up to their old tricks again. You know, that same Red Sox bullpen that was supposed to prohibit the Red Sox from winning a World Series. I’m sure you recall. Joe Kelly took the seventh and went three up, three down with a couple strikeouts. Then, Cora ran the Nathan Eovaldi play in the eighth.

I fucking love Cora, by the way. Just no mercy for anybody in the postseason. All these dickheads on radio talking about how the Red Sox had no bullpen beyond Craig Kimbrel and then Cora just goes to guys like Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and Eovaldi to lock down the eighth inning in multiple postseason games. The trio of starters haven’t allowed a run or a walk in six innings when called upon in relief situations this postseason.

Now, the Red Sox head to LA up two games to nothing. It’s gonna be Rick Porcello versus the rookie, Walker Buehler. The 24-year-old Dodgers right-hander got touched up for five earned runs in his postseason debut against the Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS, and then gave up four more to the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS.

He did, however, pitch lights out in four and two thirds innings in Game 7, striking out seven. It’s also worth noting that he’s allowed a home run in every postseason start he’s made thus far. Porcello didn’t look too sharp against the Astros in his Game 4 start in the ALCS, but he still gave the Red Sox a chance to win the game, holding Houston to four runs in a game that Boston would go on to win, 8-6.

Final score: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2 — Boston leads World Series 2-0

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