World Series Preview: Game 1 Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox

Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox

Time: 5:09 PM PT

Venue: Fenway Park

How are the Dodgers Doing?

The Dodgers went the distance in the NLCS, taking the Milwaukee Brewers to Game 7 before advancing to the World Series for the second consecutive season. Walker Buehler started the last game for Los Angeles, allowing just one run in 4.2 innings. Cody Bellinger and Yasiel Puig went deep to produce the offense in the 5-1 victory at Miller Park.

Why is this Game Important?

For the second year in a row, the Dodgers will represent the National League in the World Series. This season though, Los Angeles finds themselves as underdogs as they face the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox went 108-54 during the regular season, compared to the Dodgers’ 92-71 record.

Pitching Matchup

Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.37 ERA) vs Chris Sale (1-0, 3.48 ERA) *2018 Playoff Stats

Game 1 of the World Series will feature a matchup of the top two left-handed pitchers in the sport. Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale rank in the top two among active starting pitchers in ERA. Both pitchers have seven all-star game selections within the last eight seasons.

Clayton Kershaw appeared in Game 7 of the NLCS, taking the mound for the final inning of the game. Other than his struggle in Game 1 of the series against the Brewers, Kershaw has thrown the ball exceptionally well for Los Angeles. Excluding that game, he has an ERA of 0.56.

While Kershaw last took the hill on Saturday, Chris Sale’s last start came on October 13. He allowed two runs in four innings in what was Game 1 of the ALCS against the Astros. He missed the latter part of that series, spending his time in the hospital, dealing with a stomach illness.

Matchup of the Day

Manny Machado vs Chris Sale

As the postseason has progressed, Manny Machado’s production has steadily improved. Through his hist 10 career playoff games, Machado batted just .143/.211/.343 in the postseason. Since then, he is batting .313/.371/.563.

Report: Chris Sale will not be suspended for throwing behind Manny Machado: https://t.co/dQ5IPmnG8I pic.twitter.com/rAnlkYCfJj

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 5, 2017

Machado also has a history with both Chris Sale and the Red Sox with countless run-ins with the team. He has hit Sale well though, with a .316 career average in 22 plate appearances against the Boston southpaw. He has 16 career home runs against the Red Sox, with eight of them coming at Fenway Park.

Vegas Odds

FiveThirtyEight

Dodgers: 35% chance of winning

Boston: 65% chance of winning

Fun Fact

In 1916, the Dodgers, then known as the Brooklyn Robins, faced the Red Sox in the World Series, with Boston winning the series in five games.

Noteable Roster Move

It’s worth noting that the Dodgers did make an adjustment to their bullpen. Dave Roberts opted for Scott Alexander in place of Caleb Ferguson in relief.