WORLD SERIES GAME ONE: Red Sox slug their way to an 8-4 win

The World Series is one of my absolute favorite sporting events.[1]  For some reason I didn’t do this last year or the year before, but this year, I’ve decided to do game reviews.  I’m writing this in a journal format, just like I’ve done with NFL, Euro, and World Cup reviews.

Two comments about pregame: I absolutely love it when they drop an American flag over the Green Monster[2] at Fenway, and hearing James Taylor sing the Star-Spangled Banner while accompanying himself on acoustic guitar produced goosebumps on my back.[3]  What a performance.

1st Inning

• I know Joe Buck – who has called play-by-play for every World Series from 2000 to the present (plus 1996 and 1998) – has been criticized over the years for his announcing,[4] but in recent years he has become very good. Anybody else notice that he hit his stride after Tim McCarver left?  Fox got a huge upgrade when the long-in-the-tooth McCarver[5] was replaced by Hall-of-Fame pitcher John Smoltz, who is an outstanding commentator.
• The Dodgers started an all-right-handed-hitting lineup. Joe Buck informed us that this was the first time it’s ever happened in a World Series.
• What is it with David Freese and the postseason? He’s an average player in the regular season, but when October rolls around, suddenly he’s Ted Williams.[6]  Boston starting pitcher Chris Sale mowed through the first two hitters only for Freese to single sharply to right.
• Bottom of the inning…Mookie Betts hit a foul fly near the first-base stands that wasn’t caught but would have been an easy out in Los Angeles.[7] He then smoked a ball to center with two strikes, stole second, and scored on a single to right by Andrew Benintendi.  On the throw home, Benintendi made it to second.  After a flyout, JD Martinez ripped a sharp single to left-center that scored Benintendi (after nearly taking his head off).
• Martinez made a HUGE baserunning mistake to gift LA a free second out. Xander Bogaerts[8] then meekly popped out to Freese at first to end the inning with Boston ahead, 2-0.

2nd Inning

• Buck and Smoltz compared Sale to The Great Randy Johnson while Sale was facing Matt Kemp. On cue, Kemp launched a solo homer over the Monster.[9]  In the process, Kemp became the 36th player to homer in his first World Series at-bat.
• Dodger right fielder Yasiel Puig did NOT go around. Good call by first base umpire Kerwin Danley.
• In the bottom of the inning, I thought for sure that Boston catcher Sandy Leon had a single up the middle that would have put men on first and second with one out. He CRUSHED it.  But shortstop Manny Machado gobbled it up one step away from second, stepped on the bag, and fired it to first for an inning-ending double play.  Machado is quite a defender.

3rd Inning

• When Machado singled to left with men on first and second with only one out, I was surprised that Benintendi was as deep as he was. He could have either hosed Turner at the plate or held him on third had he not been so deep.  Instead, Turner scored easily to tie the game at two.
• Machado made an unbelievable play to start what initially appeared to be an inning-ending double play.[10] Backhanded, in the hole, on the run, then a perfect throw to second?  Omar Vizquel and Ozzie Smith were probably applauding.
• That replay was huge, because in the ensuing at-bat, JD Martinez crashed a double off the center-field garage door to score Pearce from first.

4th Inning

• Puig had a check swing on two strikes in this at-bat as well, but this time he went around, and Danley got it right again.
• Nothing else of note, other than Kershaw’s filthy curveball fooling guys.

5th Inning

• Tough way for Sale to leave the game. His last pitch should have been a strike, but it was ruled Ball Four, and he left the game too early to be credited with a win.
• Good job by the Sox to take a two-run lead. Timely hitting and heads-up baserunning did that.

7th Inning

• Both bullpens struggled in the middle innings. The 7th continued the trend.  I don’t know if it was the cold or the fact that both lineups can hit the cover off the ball, but it was tough to watch.
• Having said that, Eduardo Nuñez’ homer over the Monster to extend their lead to 8-4 was exciting.
• That homer brought home three runs, each charged to a different pitcher. I found that interesting.[11]

9th Inning

• Boston closer Craig Kimbrel was lights out. Good sign for Boston, given how shaky he has been this postseason.

Impressive showing by Boston in Game One.  This was the fifth straight World Series for Boston where they had an offensive outburst in Game One.[12]  It was also their sixth straight Game One victory.  (Their win in 1975 over Cincinnati was 1-0.)  In fact, they’re 10-3 all-time in Game One of the World Series.[13]

Game Two is tonight with LA’s Hyun-jin Ryu and Boston’s David Price scheduled to start pitching.

Until next time…

Wednesday, October 24, 2018, 11:55 am MST

[1] Even if the Yankees are in it.

[2] For those who are new to baseball, the Green Monster is the 37-foot-high wall in left field in Fenway Park.

[3] He did it in a way that kept his distinct sound while maintaining the integrity of the original piece.  It was of very high quality, and I was impressed.  Fergie’s attempt to do the same thing before the NBA All-Star Game was a combination of a disaster, a dumpster fire, a train wreck, and a colossal failure, but that’s because Fergie just plain isn’t any good.  I have no idea how she’s famous or how she’s sold so many records.  But I digress.

[4] I’ve been critical of him as well.

[5] Don’t get me wrong, McCarver was a great announcer in his heyday, but his best days were well past him when he left Fox.

[6] When I heard that the Dodgers had picked him up midseason, my reaction was, “He’s still playing?”

[7] This was NOT Freese’s fault.  That was a nearly impossible ball to catch.

[8] He’s the only Red Sock left on the active roster from the 2013 Championship team.  Weird!  (Note: Dustin Pedroia was also on that team, but he’s not on the active roster due to injury.)

[9] I laughed.  What timing.

[10] Replay correctly overturned the out call at first.  Steve Pearce beat it out by less than a step.

[11] For those who don’t know, baseball scoring charges runs to whatever pitcher is pitching when the scoring player reached base.  For example, in postseason play, 21 runners scored while the great Mariano Rivera was on the mound.  However, only 11 of them reached base while Rivera was pitching, so he was only charged with 11.  Given how many postseason innings he pitched, to only allow 11 runs is insanely good.  More men have walked on the moon (12) than have scored a postseason earned run off of Rivera.

[12] 1986: 6-0 over the Mets; 2004: 11-9 over St. Louis, 2007: 13-1 over Colorado, 2013: 8-1 over St. Louis.

[13] Lost in 1903 (Pittsburgh, which was spelled without the H at the time), 1915 (Philadelphia), and 1967 (St. Louis).  Won in 1912 (New York Giants), 1916 (Brooklyn Robins), 1918 (Chicago Cubs), 1946 (St. Louis), 1975 (Cincinnati), and the five games mentioned earlier.