After manhandling the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 in Game 1 of the World Series the Boston Red Sox are three wins away from winning their fourth championship in 14 years as Hyun-Jin Ryu and David Price take the mound tonight in Game 2.
Boston will try to take a 2-0 lead at home before traveling to Los Angeles for Games 3, 4 and 5. That would bode well for the Red Sox as teams that take a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic have gone on to win the championship 79.6 percent of the time.
David Price, a pitcher that historically tends to struggle in the postseason is looking to win his second playoff game in a row after helping the Red Sox beat the Astros in Game 5 of the ALCS, a win that clinched the series for them.
With that triumph, Price’s earned his first postseason win as a starter as his teams improved to 2-10 in the playoffs when he takes the mound. The 33-year-old has a career 5.04 ERA in 85.2 playoff innings.
This postseason Price’s pitching to a 5.11 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .229 hitting average while notching 13 strikeouts and allowing six walks.
Ryu, who will make his fourth start of the postseason, has a 1-1 record this postseason as he’s pitching to a 4.40 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .283 hitting average. Over 14.1 innings of work he’s allowed 17 hits and seven earned runs while striking out 15 hitters and allowing just two walks.
The problem with Ryu is that he’s been a Jekyll and Hyde kind of pitcher this postseason as he’s had both solid outings and terrible starts this October. That’s dangerous as the BoSox are a team that knows how to capitalize off the slightest pitching mistakes.
If the Dodgers want to win this game, and possibly the series, they will need to find a way to close out the innings when there are two outs on the board as the Red Sox hitters so far have thrived in that situation this postseason.
That is easier said than done as so far no one in the playoffs has been able to do that. In fact, 50 percent of the Red Sox postseason runs have come with two outs, including Eduardo Nunez three-run homer last night in the seventh inning.
In this postseason the Red Sox are batting .252, with 28 hits, 32 runs, 22 walks and four home runs with two outs on the board, which proves how tough they are two get out and how productive they are in clutch situations.
Prediction: Even if good Ryu takes center stage tonight, he’s unlikely to silence Boston’s bats. Expect Price to pitch solidly and keep the Dodgers run total low enough for the Red Sox to take Game 2.
