The 2018 World Series got underway on Tuesday night, as the Red Sox and the Dodgers met in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1916, when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. The Red Sox won the opener, 8-4, dealing Clayton Kershaw yet another loss in a World Series game. The game was just a one-run affair in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Boston manager Alex Cora sent Eduardo Nunez to the plate as a pinch-hitter for Rafael Devers, who had been a hero in Game 7 of the ALCS. All Nunez did was turn on the first pitch from Alex Wood and send it over the Green Monster for a three-run homer that made the margin four runs, and that was where the score would stand when the game ended. Nunez had not hit a home run in a postseason game since 2012, when he went deep as a member of the New York Yankees. Now we look ahead to Game 2, set for Wednesday night from Fenway Park. Check out our MLB betting thoughts for Dodgers vs Red Sox before locking in your wagers.
MLB: World Series Preview (Game 2)
When: Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 8:09pm ET
Where: Fenway Park, Boston
TV: FOX
Radio: ESPN Radio
Live Stream: MLB.tv World Series Game 2 Odds: Boston -1.5 (+140) / -145 / U 8.5 (+100)Projected Pitching Matchup: Hyun-Jin Ryu (8-4, 2.61 ERA) (LA) vs David Price (17-8, 3.68 ERA) (BOS)
Why should you bet on the Dodgers?
Hyun-Jin Ryu was almost untouchable as the regular season wound down, permitting just one earned run in his last three starts, a stretch of 19 combined innings. He threw seven shutout innings in a 6-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS but struggled in two outings against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, throwing 7 ⅓ combined innings in two starts, permitting seven earned runs on 13 hits. Ryu, like Clayton Kershaw (the Dodgers’ Game 1 starter), is a finesse pitcher, relying on hitting his spots to get hitters out. If you like the Dodgers, you see the Boston bats cooling off — and David Price reverting to prior postseason form.
The Dodgers continue to get terrific hitting from Justin Turner, who had three base hits and scored a run in the series opener. They need to get more offense from the likes of Yasiel Puig and Corey Bellinger, who had five hits in Game 7 of the NLCS. The Dodgers have won five of their last six Game 2’s in the postseason and five of Ryu’s last six starts.
Why should you put your money on the Red Sox?
David Price picked up the first postseason win in what has been a venerable career when he threw six shutout innings in Game 5 against Houston in the ALCS, a win that would send the Astros home and the Red Sox to the World Series. Price fanned a career-best nine (in a postseason game), scattering three hits. He had struggled in his first two postseason starts, though, permitting three runs in just 1 ⅔ innings against the Yankees in a Game 2 loss in the ALDS and permitting four runs in 4 ⅔ innings against Houston in Game 2 of the ALCS. So if you’re wondering about a Game 2 curse for Price, you won’t be alone among Red Sox fans.
The Boston offense is rolling right now, as just about every substitution that Cora makes turns out as the right decision. Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez came into the World Series with 10 postseason hits apiece, and they combined to drive in three more runs in the series opener. If you like Boston, you think they can get to Ryu like they got to Kershaw, and their scoring will compensate for any issues Price might have with the Dodger bats.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Dodgers vs Red Sox
Ryu has not pitched well since the first round of this postseason, and Price appears to have found ihs postseason form at just the right time. The Boston bats are on a huge roll right now, and the Dodgers need to find an answer. For now, I like Boston to win by a final score of 5-2.
