2018 World Series: Los Angeles vs. Boston

[storrsroars]

I am a Dodger fan, and I agree with you. The only drama is whether the Sox sweep or not. Sweeping a Series is hard but the Red Sox are so superior a team, so I put it at 50/50 that the Sox sweep.

Even the 2018 Red Sox lost 1/3 of their games.

 

[CL82]

Sweeping any series is tough, the World Series, extraordinarily difficult. The game last night was much closer than the score indicated. I like the Sox's chances but think a sweep is unlikely.

 

[Husky25]

Agree. Nothing against the Dodgers - they've had a very good season. The Sox have had one of those years where everything has come together perfectly.

Will you knock it off!!!!

 

[Scoe]

The old adage is that great pitching wins in the playoffs, its not always the case. The braves with the 3 HOF won 1 world series, the Oakland A's trio never won it, the Phillies after adding Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt never won it either. The Astros didnt even have a pen last year Ken Giles was their closer last year lol, of course a rotation that added Gerritt Cole came apart in the ALCS not a single starter other then Verlander could go 5 innings.

It doesn't even matter that Chris Sale hasn't pitched great, all the starting pitching needs to do is not suck, the Sox pen has looked much better adding the starting pitchers to the pen has made the bridge to Kimbrel easier, Barnes has looked very good and Brasier is their most consistent reliever, Kimbrel looked shaky but appears to have fixed his mechanical flaw. Notice the Sox always get on the board first and almost always score whenever another team scores, never letting the other team claim any momentum.

 

[Husky25]

“Brutal. Pretty brutal,” said Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, making his first trip to the Fens since 2010. Not much has changed. The rubber of the pitching mound in the visitors’ bullpen is but three feet from the bleacher seats. “What I don’t understand is why baseball allows it. You’ve got the rubber right there and people literally standing over you.”

Umm, why wouldn't they?

Seems like Mr. Honeycutt has a case of the sads after only one game.

 

[Waquoit]

Sweeping any series is tough, the World Series, extraordinarily difficult. The game last night was much closer than the score indicated.

Really? The two times the Dodgers came back to tie, the Sox retook the lead the very next at-bat. Then finished them off late. Not that close.

 

[CL82]

Really? The two times the Dodgers came back to tie, the Sox retook the lead the very next at-bat. Then finished them off late. Not that close.

5-4 before Boston's 3 run bottom of the 7th. It was close, but maybe I worry more than you.
Agree that the way the Sox fought back after every LA score was great to watch.

 

[Waquoit]

It was close, but maybe I worry more than you.

I worry plenty, believe me. What kept me from getting too bad was that the Dodgers never took the lead. That seems to hold sway in my subconscious.

I was on a plane during the game. I have to give United credit, I didn't get charged the 7.99 to keep the TV on. Apparently they comped the plane so we could all watch the game. As I approached baggage claim, I had to put away my phone to grab my bag and make the shuttle. When I got back to my phone it was 8-5. Someone must have hit a homer - Nunez?!

 

[Marat]

Yeah Nunez ! That's the thing with the Sox in the playoffs so far, a different unexpected hero emerges - from Brockhalt's cycle vs Yanks in the blowout, JBJ, Eovaldi, Price and now Nunez. Who's next?

 

[Scoe]

When the Dodgers scored they never took a lead you have to take a lead against them tying it isnt good enough. The Sox have already swept this series the games are just a formality.

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah Nunez ! That's the thing with the Sox in the playoffs so far, a different unexpected hero emerges - from Brockhalt's cycle vs Yanks in the blowout, JBJ, Eovaldi, Price and now Nunez. Who's next?

Every player is ready when their time comes and are producing at a good clip. That's good coaching.

 

[Scoe]

Yeah that bottom of the 5th wasnt predictable at all, Ryan Madson is the guy to face the heart of the Sox lineup in Fenway lol. Madson complained about the cold are you kidding me he played in Philadelphia what a joke. Not getting outs definitely won't help with the cold.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Agree. Nothing against the Dodgers - they've had a very good season. The Sox have had one of those years where everything has come together perfectly.

Dodgers are talented, but they kind of mailed the whole season in. I love it any time one of my teams makes the Finals/World Series/Super Bowl, but this Dodgers team didn't really deserve a World Series. I am guessing most of the baseball world was rooting for the Brewers to beat the Dodgers, and I kind of get it.

 

[Waquoit]

Sox were 9-1 this year in NL parks.

 

[Adios]

The 2-3-2 postseason format is stupid. Should be 2-2-1-1-1. The only way there's a true home field advantage.

 

[storrsroars]

The 2-3-2 postseason format is stupid. Should be 2-2-1-1-1. The only way there's a true home field advantage.

Fan of November baseball, I see.

 

[Waquoit]

The 2-3-2 postseason format is stupid. Should be 2-2-1-1-1. The only way there's a true home field advantage.

I think the intent was to minimize home-field advantage. They used to alternate yearly until they gimmicked it up.

 

[Husky25]

I think the intent was to minimize home-field advantage. They used to alternate yearly until they gimmicked it up.

HFA based on the higher winning percentage is a gimmick? Quite the contrary. Alternating between leagues is a gimmick. HFA based on the results of the All-Star game is a gimmick. They ungimmicked the World Series and that's not a bad thing.

 

[Husky25]

More Dodger complaining about it being cold in late October.

“Once you get away from the heater, it’s already getting in on you, it’s getting cold, but like I said, everyone else is pitching in the same thing.” -- Dodgers reliever Ryan Madson.

Is it really that much colder than in Philadelphia for nine seasons (including a World Series), or Kansas City vs. the Mets (another World Series title)?

Dodgers complain about cold weather in Boston because they can't handle it

If the Dodger have any hope (appears to be fading) of winning this version of the Fall Classic, they are going to have to win at least one game in Boston and last I checked it usually gets colder as the Calendar gets closer to November and fans don't back away from the bullpen any either.

 

[mauconnfan]

This was never going more than 5 games if that but Roberts has been awful. Taking Baez out for Wood the other night was purely ridiculous since Baez blew the 2 away he faced. And the RHed lineups with his best power sitting on the bench is also just plain stupid. The lefties don't need to get 3 hits each just hit a mistake which is a better chance than this crappy Dodger RHed lineup with Hernandez batting 6th and Taylor 5th they both sing out of their respective butts without a clue.

Sorry that you will not win it at home but congrats on the sweep this one's over.

 

[Waquoit]

Sorry that you will not win it at home but congrats on the sweep this one's over.

I see what you did there.

 

[storrsroars]

This was never going more than 5 games if that but Roberts has been awful. Taking Baez out for Wood the other night was purely ridiculous since Baez blew the 2 away he faced. And the RHed lineups with his best power sitting on the bench is also just plain stupid. The lefties don't need to get 3 hits each just hit a mistake which is a better chance than this crappy Dodger RHed lineup with Hernandez batting 6th and Taylor 5th they both sing out of their respective butts without a clue.

Sorry that you will not win it at home but congrats on the sweep this one's over.

Yeah. We Bucs fans complain about Hurdle and were furious he got a 4 year extension last year, but he looks like a veritable Einstein compared to Roberts.

 

[AreBee1969]

This was never going more than 5 games if that but Roberts has been awful. Taking Baez out for Wood the other night was purely ridiculous since Baez blew the 2 away he faced. And the RHed lineups with his best power sitting on the bench is also just plain stupid. The lefties don't need to get 3 hits each just hit a mistake which is a better chance than this crappy Dodger RHed lineup with Hernandez batting 6th and Taylor 5th they both sing out of their respective butts without a clue.

Sorry that you will not win it at home but congrats on the sweep this one's over.

I really feel bad for Roberts. He's overmanaging. Yeah, the all RH lineup is gimmicky, but to do it by sitting your top FOUR home run hitters from the regular season, that's insane! 109 HRs on the bench between just those four guys. And like you said, Hernandez is having a horrible post-season at the plate, Dozier is as well.

Roberts will have a chance to put his lefties on the field in LA, but if they somehow get to game 5 and Sale again, does he sit them again? Who knows?

 

[Scoe]

I see what you did there.

Come on the sweep has already happened the games are just a formality.

 

[Scoe]

The game last night did look scripted.