MVP Pearce leads Sox, the team of the century
LOS ANGELES» The Boston Red Sox really are that great.
David Price proved his postseason mettle, Steve Pearce homered twice and Boston beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 51 on Sunday to finish off a onesided World Series in five games.
A tormented franchise during decades of frustration and despair before ending an 86year championship drought in 2004, the Red Sox have become baseball’s team of the century with four titles in 15 seasons.
“It’s very special. Seeing all these grown men over there, just acting like kids, that’s what it’s all about,” Red Sox starting pitcher Price said.
Alex Cora’s team romped to a 172 start and a clubrecord 108 wins, then went 113 in the postseason, dispatching the 100win New York Yankees and the 103victory and defending champion Houston Astros in the playoffs. Cora became the first manager from Puerto Rico to win a title and just the fifth rookie manager overall.
Pearce, the World Series MVP, hit a tworun homer on Clayton Kershaw’s sixth pitch. Solo homers by Mookie Betts in the sixth inning and J.D. Martinez in the seventh quieted the Dodger Stadium crowd, and Pearce added a solo drive off Pedro Baez in the eighth.
“We are a bunch of grinders,” Pearce said, “and this is exactly where we knew we were going to be.”
Pearce, a June acquisition from Toronto, had three homers and seven RBIs in the final two games of the Series.
After losing to Houston in Game 7 last year by the same 51 score, the Dodgers became the first team ousted on its home field in consecutive World Series since the New York Giants by the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds in 1936 and ‘37.
L.A. is still looking for its first championship since 1988.
“I can’t say enough about what Clayton — what our guys did,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Unfortunately, we came up short again this year.”
Boston won its ninth title, tying the Athletics for thirdmost behind the Yankees (27) and Cardinals (11). All that stood between the Red Sox and a sweep was an 18inning loss in Game 3, the longest World Series game ever. They trailed 40 in the seventh inning of Game 4 when ace Chris Sale rose from the dugout bench for a fiery, profane, motivational rant, and his teammates woke up in time to rally for a 96 win. Boston never trailed in Game 5.
The 33yearold Price, a Cy Young Award winner in 2012, long pitched under an October shadow cast by his regularseason success. He had been 09 in 11 postseason starts before defeating Astros ace Justin Verlander in the clinching Game 5 of the AL Championship Series. He won his third straight start Sunday and became the first pitcher to beat Cy Young winners in the finale of an LCS and the World Series in the same year.
After allowing two runs over six inning to win Game 2 last Wednesday, Price got two outs in the ninth inning of Friday’s marathon game. He became the first to pitch into the eighth inning of a Series game on one day of rest since the Yankees’ Bob Turley in 1957.
“This is why I came to Boston,” Price said. “I knew it was a tough place to play. I knew it was challenging with everything that goes on there. I’ve been through a lot in three years since I came here, but this iswhyIcame.”
Price gave up a home run to David Freese on his first pitch, then allowed just two more hits — the last a triple to Freese that Martinez lost in the thirdinning twilight and allowed to drop behind him in right. Price struck out five and walked two, retiring 14 in a row before a leadoff walk to Chris Taylor in the eighth ended his night after 89 pitches.