Red Sox cap historic season with World Series victory

Fourteen years after breaking the “Curse of the Bambino,” the Boston Red Sox won their 3rd World Series title in the last 11 years. The Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 in the seven-game series to cap off their historic season.

Boston finished the regular season with a 108-54 record, the best record of any team since the 2001 Seattle Mariners who went 116-46. This season also marked the first time since 1946 that the Red Sox won over 100 games in the regular season. Boston also broke their single-season wins record of 105, set in 1912, that stood for over 100 years.  

Game 1 pitted two all-star pitchers against each other as the Red Sox started Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw took the hill for the Dodgers. The Red Sox showed off their offensive prowess, scoring 8 runs on 11 hits. Los Angeles could keep up, scoring just 4 runs. In game 2, pitcher David Price threw six strong innings, allowing only three hits. A three-run fifth inning but the Red Sox ahead and the Dodgers could come back. The Red Sox won 4-2.

Game 3 was a low-scoring affair that became the longest World Series game ever, going to 18 innings in nearly seven and a half hours. The game was tied at 1 through nine innings until the Red Sox scored in the top of the 13th. The Dodgers answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning to extend the game. The game finally ended in the 18th inning when Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy hit a walk-off home run to give his team the only win of the series. Game 4 saw the rise of Steve Pearce, a career journeyman who burst into the MVP conversation after scoring two runs and batting four runners in. The Red Sox offense was once again too much for the Dodgers, winning 9-6 and moving one win away from the World Series title.

Game 5 brought yet another first to the historic series. The city of Los Angeles hosted games from all four major American sports and the MLS on the same day. Steve Pearce continued to terrorize opposing pitchers in game 5, hitting two home runs. On short rest, David Price started for the Red Sox, allowing just one run. Boston All-Star Chris Sale pitched in relief for the Red Sox, throwing two shutout innings. In the end, it was all Boston. Sale struck out Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado to give the Red Sox the 5-1 win. Gloves were thrown in the air and the champagne showers commenced.

Steve Pearce was name World Series Most Valuable Player for his exceptional play in the postseason. Other athletes with notable performances included Mookie Betts, who lead the league in regular season batting average, and David Price, who assuaged prior postseason woes by pitching 13.2 innings and allowing only 7 hits in the Series.