(Reuters) – Eduardo Nunez slammed a three-run pinch hit homer and Andrew Benintendi collected four hits to power the Boston Red Sox to a 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game One of the World Series on Tuesday.
The first World Series meeting between the two iconic franchises in 112 years had been a seesaw battle until Nunez stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and took Dodgers reliever Alex Wood over the Green Monster, cashing in Benintendi and J.D. Martinez.
The Dodgers and Red Sox and a capacity crowd will be back at Boston’s Fenway Park on Wednesday for Game Two of the best-of-seven series.
With the teams sending out their aces, Game One had offered the promise of a marquee pitching duel between Red Sox seven-time all-star Chris Sale and Dodgers three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw.
But both starters were colder than the crisp fall weather, lasting just four plus innings.
Kershaw, who has never lived up to his Cy Young credentials in the post-season, endured another rough outing, surrendering five runs on seven hits to take the loss.
Sale yielded three runs on five hits.
Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes recorded the win, working just one inning and giving up one hit.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Peter Rutherford)
