The Boston Red Sox are World Series Champions.
The Red Sox claimed the Fall Classic on Sunday, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium. It’s Boston’s first title since 2013 and fourth since 2004.
David Price tossed an absolute gem over seven-plus innings, while the offense scored all of its runs via homers. Steve Pearce had a pair of long balls, hitting a two-run shot in the first inning and a solo home run in the eighth. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez launched solo blasts of their own in the sixth and seventh, respectively.
The Red Sox win the series 4-1.
Here’s how it went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Clinch.
The Red Sox (officially) are baseball’s best.
ON THE BUMP
— Price’s postseason demons may be entirely put to bed. The southpaw went seven-plus innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Given a two-run lead to start the game, Price immediately gave one back in the bottom of the first. On Price’s first pitch of the game, David Freese smashed a homer into right field to cut Boston’s lead to 2-1.
Price walked Justin Turner the next at-bat, but got Kike Hernandez to ground into a double play and Manny Machado to strike out to end the inning.
The southpaw allowed a one-out single to Yasiel Puig in an otherwise clean second. Then in the third, Martinez lost a fly ball from Freese in the lights, allowing it to drop on the warning track with Freese getting to third for a one-out triple. Price showed nice resolve in response, getting Turner to ground out and Hernandez to fly out to end the inning without a run crossing.
After escaping a third-inning jam, Price tossed 1-2-3 innings in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh.
He returned for the eighth and walked Chris Taylor, marking the end of the night. He left the mound to a massive ovation from the many Red Sox fans in attendance.
— Joe Kelly came in and stranded the Taylor, striking out all three batters he faced.
— Chris Sale closed the door in the ninth, striking out the side.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— One night after coming up with two big hits, Pearce got things going in a big way Sunday.
Andrew Benintendi hit a one-out single in the first inning, with Pearce stepping in next. On the first offering from Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw, Pearce blasted a 92-mph fastball into the left field seats.
— With the Red Sox leading 2-1, Betts added to the advantage.
In the sixth inning with one out and no one on, Kershaw gave Betts a 2-2 slider. The center fielder pulled it into the left field seats, marking his first career postseason home run and upping the lead to 3-1.
— Martinez added some insurance in the seventh.
With Kershaw still in the game, Martinez led off the inning and was served a 2-2 slider over the plate. The slugger crushed it to straightaway center field, extending the lead to 4-1.
— Pearce left his mark once more in the eighth inning.
With Pedro Baez in the game, Pearce roped an 0-1 pitch into left field, good for his second homer of the game while putting his team up 5-1.
— Pearce and Martinez led the Red Sox with two hits apiece.
— Betts, Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers all had one hit.
— Brock Holt, Christian Vazquez and Price went hitless.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Make it 119.
