Red Sox defeat Dodgers 4-2 in Game 2
BOSTON — Bullied for the second game in a row at Fenway Park, the Dodgers will return to Los Angeles on Thursday with their season in jeopardy of ending this weekend at Dodger Stadium. After a 4-2 defeat Wednesday in Game 2 of the World Series, the Dodgers trail by two games and have little immediate reason for optimism.
The high-flying offense has yet to materialize. Their starting pitchers have yet to record an out in the sixth inning. Their bullpen has yet to find a mess they can clean up. Ryan Madson played a pivotal role for the second night in a row, handing back the lead by allowing three inherited runners to score in the fifth inning.
The hitters produced a fourth-inning flurry but little else against Boston starter David Price. Price spun six innings of two-run baseball, topping the 4 2/3 innings from Ryu. Charged with four runs on the evening, Ryu watched three score from the bench with Madson on the mound.
Manager Dave Roberts opened Game 2 with the same lineup as Game 1. The adjustments he stressed were small. Enrique Hernandez would play shallower in center field. The coaching staff counseled Yasiel Puig to avoid overthrowing the cut-off man. The team aimed to prevent creating openings for the Red Sox offense.
“Teams that play well at home feast on extra outs, extra bases,” Roberts said before the game. “You have to minimize that. For us to play the game straight, we’re going to come out on top. But if we don’t, we just make it tough on ourselves.”
The offense faced Price, who was coming off the first postseason victory as a starter in his career. His playoff resume was littered with duds, but he threw six scoreless innings on short rest in the American League Championship Series clincher over Houston.
Price looked strong at the outset on Wednesday. He froze Justin Turner with a 92-mph fastball for a first-inning strikeout. Chris Taylor fanned on another fastball in the second, and Price got a charitable called third strike from umpire Kerwin Danley to ring up Matt Kemp later in the inning.
Boston built a lead for Price in the bottom of the second inning. Ryu got punished for a flat changeup to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who banged a double off The Green Monster. Ian Kinsler laced a single into left which brought home Bogaerts.
In Game 1, the Dodgers forced Chris Sale to throw 72 pitches to collect nine outs. Price finished the third inning at 43 pitches. His only blemishes were a pair of walks. After Brian Dozier took a close 3-2 fastball for a two-out walk in the third, Price induced a groundout from Turner with a changeup.
David Freese broke up Price’s no-hit bid with a single to start the fourth. Manny Machado followed with another single. A walk by Chris Taylor loaded the bases with none out. Matt Kemp hacked at a first-pitch changeup, tying the game with a sacrifice fly. Yasiel Puig gave the Dodgers the lead by lifting a 93mph fastball over Kinsler’s head for an RBI single.