The Boston Red Sox’ recent World Series victory over the is one for the history books.  With the best record in baseball since the 1998 Yankees and a dominant playoff run in which the team lost just three total games, the Red Sox have cemented their legacy as among the great baseball teams of all time. 

After winning the AL East by a healthy margin, the Red Sox seemed destined for a return to the Fall Classic after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals five years ago. In a playoff run that included a 3-1 series win over its archrival, the Yankees, and a 4-1 series win against the defending champion Houston, Boston’s championship dreams were becoming a reality.  

Sure enough, Boston came out victorious in the World Series, taking home the trophy after just five games. In a series marked by constant late-inning drama, the final game was fairly one-sided. Red Sox pitcher David Price closed out the series with a lights-out performance, allowing just one run through seven innings, leading Boston to a 5-1 victory and a 4-1 series win. Steve Pearce, Boston’s backup first baseman, emerged as the unlikely hero of the series. After replacing an injured Mitch Moreland in the ALDS, Pearce went on to hit three home runs in the five game series and earn World Series MVP honors.  Mr. Moon, Instructor in History and avid Red Sox fan, said, “Their superstars during the season, Mookie Betts, Chris Sale, and J.D. Martinez, were pretty quiet. And they still managed to pull it off, because they have got all these great supporting characters…. This time around, it was guys like Steve Pearce, Brock Holt, and Andrew Benintendi; they’re great players, but they’re not marquee superstars.”

For L.A., this World Series marks a second heartbreaking season in a row.  After coming tantalizingly close last year, losing a seven game World Series to the Houston Astros, the Dodgers once again couldn’t bring home the hardware. Four-time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw couldn’t find his form, going 0-2 in two starts with two lackluster performances. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts came under fire for his decision-making in the series, with even the President criticizing his decision to pull pitcher Rich Hill after 91 pitches and 6⅓ innings. With just 2⅔ innings left, the Dodgers bullpen couldn’t stop the Red Sox’ hitting, allowing nine runs in fewer than three innings. Dodgers fan Axel Bhandari ’19 commented, “I think Dave Roberts’s managing in the World Series was beyond atrocious. Taking out Rich Hill when he’s thrown a two-hitter in the seventh inning and then his replacements give up [nine] runs in two innings? That is appalling.”

This year’s series was also notable because of Game 3, which was unprecedented in length. At 18 innings, the game stands as the longest World Series game, smashing the previous record of 14 innings. The game also lasted seven hours and 20 minutes, which also set a new record for a World Series game. The Red Sox nearly ended the game in the 13th inning when Brock Holt scored off of a throwing error by Dodgers pitcher Scott Alexander, but the Dodgers responded that very inning when Max Muncy scored on a throwing error by Red Sox second baseman Ian Kinsler. Finally, in the bottom of the 18th, Max Muncy scored again on a solo home run off of Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi to end the game. This walk-off victory would be the Dodgers’ only win of the series.

After a dominant season and playoff run, the Boston Red Sox will finally have their name engraved in the Commissioner’s Trophy.  The L.A. Dodgers will once again walk home empty handed after their second straight series appearance. After a World Series that included dominant superstars, unlikely heroes, and an extra-inning thriller, the 2018 MLB season is in the books.