INSIDE THE MATCHUPS
The 114th World Series kicks off Tuesday night when the Red Sox play host to the Dodgers at Fenway Park. Who has the edge? Let’s break it down by unit and skill.
GETTING ON BASE: The Red Sox posted a .339 on-base percentage during the regular season to the Dodgers’ .333, and when you break it down by who will get the most plate appearances, Boston’s advantage grows. Boston fields four regulars — Mookie Betts (.438), J.D.
Martinez (.402), Andrew Benintendi (.366) and Xander Bogaerts (.360) — who got on base at least 36 percent of the time. The Dodgers’ Justin Turner (.406) will play every day, but will the lefty-swinging Max
Muncy (.391) against Boston southpaws Chris Sale and David Price? Edge: Red Sox
POWER: When the Red Sox prepare for this matchup, they’ll probably look at the Dodgers’ statistical breakdown and muse, “Hey, this reminds us of that team we eliminated in the ALDS!” Like the Yankees, the Dodgers rely heavily on the home run. They went deep 235 times in the regular season, second only to the Yankees’ 267, and they’ve added 13 more in the postseason. The Red Sox have homered a relatively modest 217 times this season, including the playoffs. Martinez led everyone here with 43 homers, while Muncy topped the Dodgers with 35. Edge: Dodgers ON THE BASEPATHS: Complementing the Red Sox’s bat-on-ball offensive approach is their effectiveness in swiping bases. In Betts (30), Benintendi (21) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (17), they have a trio who ranks ahead of the Dodgers leader in steals, Yasiel Puig (15). Edge: Red Sox INFIELD: Neither team relies upon a steady quartet; the Red Sox have Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez on a thirdbase timeshare and Brock Holt and Ian Kinsler at second base — and Betts could play second in the non-DH games at Dodger Stadium — plus Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce at first base, while the Dodgers utilize three second basemen ( Brian Dozier, Muncy and Chris Taylor) and Muncy and David Freese at first base. Quite simply, the Dodgers’ unit — including Manny Machado playing a better shortstop than he did with the Orioles — converts more balls into outs than the Bosox’s unit. Edge: Dodgers
OUTFIELD: Bradley and Betts are two of the best outfielders in the game, and Benintendi belied his poor defensive metrics with a game-ending (and maybe game-saving) catch in Game 4 of the ALCS. Martinez’s placement in the outfield for Games 3, 4 and 5 will hurt. The Dodgers, meanwhile, rely on a decent if not great group featuring, Cody Bellinger, Kiké Hernandez, Matt Kemp, Joc Pederson, Puig and Taylor. Edge: Red Sox
No one warms the Dodgers’ bench, and the AL rules for games 1, 2, 6 and 7 will allow the Dodgers to make their substitutions based solely on matchups and not worry about the pitcher’s spot in the lineup. In addition to the names mentioned above, the Dodgers will play both catchers Austin Barnes and
Yasmani Grandal. The Red Sox have been placing three catchers on their roster for flexibility, with Christian Vazquez getting most starts, Sandy Leon coming in late and Blake Swihart … mostly warming the bench. Edge: Dodgers
ROTATION: Red Sox Game 1 starter Chris Sale last pitched in Game 1 of the ALCS, after which he wound up hospitalized with a stomach ailment. His strength and durability have to be in question. On the other side, likely Game 2 starter
David Price has flipped his script, his Octoberphobia seemingly cured, and probable Game 3 starter Nathan Eovaldi is peaking after a second Tommy John surgery; reliable Rick Porcello rounds out the rotation. The Dodgers go with future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who has battled his own October demons, as well as rookie Walker Buehler and lefties Rich
Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Edge: Even BULLPEN: The Red Sox have spent their 115-win season (so far) countering the 2018 notion that you need a super bullpen to prevail. Their closer Craig Kimbrel regularly flirts with disaster — he claims he has fixed a pitch-tipping issue — and this month, manager Alex Cora has often turned to his starters to help a bullpen group featuring righties Ryan Brasier, Heath Hembree, Joe Kelly and Brandon Workman and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. The Dodgers can count more on a corps that has included closer Kenley Jansen, converted starters Kenta Maeda and Alex
Wood, rehabilitating (from left shoulder surgery) youngster Julio Urias and these season-long relievers: righties Pedro Baez,
Dylan Floro, Ryan Madson and lefty Caleb Ferguson. Edge: Dodgers
MANAGER
Alex Cora looks to become the fifth rookie skipper ever to win it all. Goodness, has he been impressive, with nary a misstep along the way. Yet his counterpart
Dave Roberts has led the Dodgers for three years and can boast of two pennants and a National League Championship Series loss. Perhaps over this next week-plus, one of them will distinguish himself over the other. Edge: Even
INTANGIBLES
The Red Sox have convinced themselves they’re the least respected 108-win team in history, and they might be right. They responded to trolls by the Yankees’ Aaron Judge (in the ALDS) and the Astros’ Alex Bregman (in the ALCS) by not losing in their opponents’ ballparks. The Dodgers, meanwhile, hit a low point of 16-26 in May before righting themselves, although they had to play a 163rd game just to secure the NL West over the Rockies. Both teams, in other words, look plenty motivated and resilient. Boston’s October road record, though…