Agreeable script for Red Sox
WELL-RESTED TEAM READY TO HOST DODGERS IN GAME 1 OF WORLD SERIES
For first-year Red Sox manager Alex Cora, the calendar has been as cooperative as you could draw it up for his American League champions.
Set a franchise record for regular-season wins, polish off the New York Yankees 3-1 in the ALDS, then take down the World Series champion Astros 4-1 in the ALCS and get back home to rest up before the final test. Even better, Cora’s already making off-day plans for Thursday night in Los Angeles.
“The Lakers are playing at night, whoever wants to invite me to see the Lakers, that would be great,” Cora said with a laugh prior to his team’s morning workout Sunday at Fenway Park.
In all seriousness, the Sox certainly didn’t mind seeing the Dodgers need seven games to finish off Milwaukee and earn their ticket to the World Series, which begins here on Tuesday night. They also didn’t mind effectively wrapping up the AL East by mid-September on their way to 108 wins, followed by relatively easy series victories over the Yankees and the Astros en route to the AL pennant.
So when the good stuff gets underway at what is expected to be a frigid Fenway Park Tuesday, is there much of an edge to the Red Sox, who also have home-field advantage at one of the best venues for such a perk?
Cora won’t go that far, but acknowledges the script as it has played out to this point has been a preferred one.
“In the situation we’re in, we were able to slow (some of the Sox pitchers) down in September thinking about October,” Cora said. “That’s why (Rick Porcello) was able to do the things he’s been doing and Chris (Sale) and Nate (Eovaldi).
“We had a good plan coming into October because we had the lead and we were able to rest them and now you can see them perform at a high level when it matters.”
While the Dodgers were making their way here on Sunday, the Red Sox were taking care of business on the field. Team president Dave Dombrowski is believed to be behind what will be three consecutive off day workouts, recalling his days as GM of the Detroit Tigers. In the two years they made it to the World Series, the Tigers were flat early after easy wins in the ALCS.
When the clubhouse opened following Sunday’s session, these Red Sox certainly seemed rested and relaxed.
Garbed out in World Series gear, several players were autographing baseballs and making final ticket arrangements for family and friends.
Pitcher David Price was chowing down on a Wahlburger and tater tots while watching the end of the Titans-Chargers NFL game on the big screen.
And with everything wrapped up by noon, a Sunday of watching football was on the docket for many.
WHO’S ON SECOND?
On Sunday, Cora backtracked somewhat from talk that right fielder Mookie Betts will spend a fair bit of time at second base for the Dodger Stadium portion of the series.
With no DH for the three games scheduled in the National League park, Cora wants to keep the big bat of J.D. Martinez in the lineup and is considering moving him to right field.
He certainly doesn’t want to take Betts’ bat out of the order, either, and figures with his background as an infielder, he just might work out fine at second base, especially with the Sox’ dependency on strikeouts and fly ball outs. The downside, of course, is Betts has a Gold Glovecalibre arm and range in right.
Meanwhile, when regular second baseman Ian Kinsler was asked about such a lineup, he paused before a somewhat terse reply. “I’m just here to win, man,” Kinsler said. “It doesn’t matter who plays second, or first or who pitches, we’re just trying to win games.”
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Get set for hyperbolic overload on the long history of both teams, who square off in the World Series for the first time since 1916.
The Dodgers franchise was then known as the Brooklyn Robins and Fenway Park had been built just four years earlier. That series wasn’t played at the home of the Green Monster, however. The NL’s Boston Braves played at a bigger stadium, Braves Field, so the Boston portion of the series was held there.
Those 1916 Red Sox featured a 21-year-old pitcher by the name of Babe Ruth.
SETTING SALE
Cora confirmed Sale will start Game 1 but deferred when asked who would get the ball Wednesday. Price, who finally got a post-season win with his six shutout innings in Game 5 at Houston, started Game 2 in each of the past two series.
“He’s excited to pitch Game 1,” Cora said of Sale. “He’s been our guy since Day 1. Him pitching (the opener), it’s something we mapped out through September. That was the plan all along.”