PRICE MAKES DODGERS PAY
SOX TAKE 2-0 LEAD
BOSTON — Unless the Dodgers unlock the mystery of the Red Sox pitchers, the World Series so many lusted for because of the fascinating history of each franchise is going to put generations of folks outside of New England to sleep.
Like a lot of teams these days, the Dodgers are built around their hitters losing balls over walls, and when that doesn’t happen, they struggle to score.
So far in two World Series games at hitter-friendly Fenway Park, the Dodgers appear to be swinging wet newspapers instead of wooden bats. How much of that is their ineptness at the plate and how much is because the Red Sox could stuff Tommy Kahnle into an extralarge uniform and he would get guys out at this point is open to debate.
Yet, watching the Red Sox roll to a 4-2 win over the Dodgers in front of 38,644 inside New England’s cold living room in Game 2 on Wednesday evening, it’s apparent the losers need to find some way to dent the Red Sox pitchers soon.
“We know what we got to do, we are going to their park,’’ Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi said of the best-of-seven affair moving from the frigid Atlantic coast to the comfortable breeze coming off the Pacific.
Games 3 and 4 are slated for Friday and Saturday nights at Dodger Stadium. If a Game 5 is necessary, it will be played Sunday night in Los Angeles.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora looked at the 2-0 lead as an insurance policy.
“At least we know if things don’t go well in LA we are coming back [home] so that is good,’’ Cora said.
This is the 55th time a team has jumped to a 2-0 lead in the World Series. In the previous 54 times, 43 of those clubs have won the World Series. The last 10 teams to grab a 2-0 lead have won the World Series.
David Price’s postseason renaissance continued with a six-inning outing in which he allowed two runs, three hits, walked three and struck out five. The veteran lefty loaded the bases without an out in the fourth and allowed just two runs that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, but it could have been a lot worse.
“That was very important. I just told myself to continue to make pitches. I made a lot of good pitches that inning,’’ said Price, who has won his past two postseason starts. “That was a tough inning, it could have spun out of control pretty fast.’’
A three-run fifth inning was an example of how the Red Sox operate when at their best. Christian Vazquez, the No. 9 hitter, shot an opposite-field, two-out single to right field. Mookie Betts followed with a single and HyunJin Ryu walked Benintendi. That brought right-hander Ryan Madson into the game. He walked Steve Pearce to force in a run and gave up a two-run single to J.D. Martinez that gave the Red Sox a 4-2 lead.
Price retired the final seven batters he faced, Joe Kelly worked a perfect seventh, Nathan Eovaldi did the same in the eighth and Craig Kimbrel recorded the final three outs for the save.
“I thought the compete was there. You have to give credit to Price, he made pitches when he needed to,’’ said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose hitters are batting .175 (11for-63) in the first two games and .200 (2-for-10) with runners in scoring position. “We had him on the ropes.’’
Now it’s Roberts’ club clinging for something to avoid landing in a 3-0 ditch.
“We have to find a way to win a baseball game. I thought we played these guys pretty straight up,’’ Roberts said. “They got the hit and we didn’t.’’