Red Sox the Series pick by six of seven staff members
It has been eight months since the Red Sox and Dodgers reported to spring training, and it has all been leading up to this.
The World Series gets underway Tuesday at Fenway Park in Boston featuring two of Major League Baseball’s premier franchises.
Boston has rolled through the playoffs, downing the 100-win Yankees in the American League Division Series before needing five games to knock off the defending champion Astros in the AL Championship Series.
Los Angeles meanwhile, had to play a 163rd game to secure the National League West title before beating the Braves in the NLDS. The Dodgers outlasted the Brewers in a grueling sevengame NLCS to get back to the World Series for the second year in a row.
The Dodgers are seeking their first title since 1988, while the Red Sox have won three times since 2004, most recently in 2013.
Our MLB experts weigh in on how they see the Fall Classic unfolding:
Bob Nightengale: This is the World Series the folks on Park Avenue and in the TV studios wanted. It’s not New York vs. L.A., but it’s the next-best marquee matchup. The Red Sox clearly are the best team since they won the most games in MLB and steamrolled through the American League playoffs. It might not be the NCAA champion vs. the NIT champ, but the disparity is huge between the leagues, and it will be exhib- ited in the World Series. Red Sox in 6.
Ted Berg: It’s never good business to bet against a 108-win team, especially after the way the Red Sox dismantled Astros in the ALCS. But the Dodgers were always a better club than their regular-season record suggested, and their platoon-heavy offense matches up better against Boston than it did against the Brewers. Alex Cora is not about to go to his bullpen after one batter, so Dave Roberts can stack his righties against Chris Sale and David Price without having to worry about a Josh Hader type coming in to flip the script for three innings. Clayton Kershaw looks primed
for a huge series after a great start in NLCS Game 5, and the Dodgers simply seem due. Dodgers in 6.
Scott Boeck: Boston steamrolled through the 100-win Yankees and the 103-win Astros in the playoffs en route to their first World Series appearance since 2014. It will continue behind a potent offense that includes AL MVP candidate Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Jackie Bradley Jr. leading the charge. Red Sox in 5. Steve Gardner: After a grueling seven-game NLCS, can the Dodgers have anything left to battle the mighty 108win Red Sox juggernaut? Boston has this season’s most potent offense and will have the luxury of playing up to four games at home, with the designated hitter. Entering the postseason, the one glaring weakness on the Red Sox roster was its bullpen leading up to closer Craig Kimbrel. However, the power trio of Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier and Joe Kelly has combined for a 0.96 ERA (2 ER in 182⁄ IP) in the postseason. The team 3 that’s been the best all season doesn’t always prevail in the playoffs. The Red Sox will this season. Red Sox in 5.
Gabe Lacques: Forcing J.D. Martinez into the field neutralizes perhaps the Red Sox’s biggest strength — outfield defense — for three games at Dodger Stadium. But the precision with which they dismantled the Astros indicates their 108-win season, now at 115 and counting, was far from a mirage. They are baseball’s best team. Red Sox in 6.
Heather Tucker: There’s plenty of power in Beantown. Look for Boston to reach 119 wins behind its deep lineup and a rejuvenated Craig Kimbrel, who has been playing with fire this postseason. The Red Sox learned he was tipping his pitches, so the closer who shows up for the World Series should be OG Kimbrel, and that’s bad news for the Dodgers. Red Sox in 6. Jesse Yomtov: Boston has silenced the haters (of which there are many) so far in the postseason and are peaking at exactly the right time. The AL champs are batting .370 with runners in scoring position during the postseason, compared to the Dodgers’ paltry .190 mark. That timely hitting is going to be the key in this series. Red Sox in 5.