The Red Sox entered October with a million question marks regarding their ability to perform well under playoff pressure. Turns out it was no sweat.
The Sox shredded the Yankees in four games, the Astros in five, and polished off the Dodgers in the World Series in five games as well. A 5-1 victory over LA Sunday night ignited a city-wide celebration as the Red Sox are champions of the world once more.
David Price proved to be the John Lackey of this edition of a Red Sox championship, flipping the script on his often-rocky Boston career. Price went from bum to legend in the span of a couple of weeks as he allowed just three earned runs total in four appearances dating back to Game 5 of the ALCS.
On Sunday night, Price turned in his masterpiece. The lefty worked a full seven innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run on 89 pitches. He struck out five, walking just two.
“We knew we had a special team from the start in spring training,” Andrew Benintendi told FOX Sports. “And tonight [Price] put us over the top.”
Price wasn’t the only Sox pitcher on point in Game 5 as Joe Kelly struck out the side in the eighth inning. Chris Sale closed things out.
Offensively, Steve Pearce once again led the way for the Sox as he had a pair of home runs, one coming in the first inning and another in the eighth. JD Martinez also had a solo homer in the seventh.
Mookie Betts finally displayed his MVP prowess in the playoffs as he took Clayton Kershaw deep in the top of the sixth inning with a solo homer. Betts’ clout put the Sox up, 3-1. It was Betts’ first home run since Sept. 24 against Baltimore.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Sox on Sunday as Martinez lost the ball in the Dodger Stadium lights in the third inning as the Dodgers threatened. But Martinez’s gaffe ultimately didn’t cost the Sox as Price bailed them out of the inning.
The 2018 Red Sox title was the 11th Boston sports championship since 2002 as the Patriots have won five, the Sox have won four and the Celtics and Bruins have one each in that span.
The Red Sox’ last World Series championship in 2013 came with a Game 6 victory at Fenway over the Cardinals. Their previous two titles this century, in 2004 and 2007, came on the road like the one on Sunday night.
The Red Sox went 11-3 in the playoffs, downing two 100-win teams in the process in the Yankees and Astros.
Pearce earned MVP honors for the World Series.
