2018 World Series Preview!
One of the greatest times of the year for baseball fans and most sports fans alike is finally here, as the 2018 World Series gets underway later tonight. In a matchup of the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, we have two of the more storied franchises in not only baseball, but sports history set to face each other. This is set to be the Dodgers 20th World Series appearance, while it will be the Red Sox 15th World Series appearance.
This is what has for a third year in a row the makings of a possibly classic and memorable series too that can be just as good, if not better than either of the last two Fall Classic's. For those who may have short memories both those series went to the wire and taking a deciding winner-take-all Game 7 to decide the champion.
This year’s series has plenty of storylines too. Whether it be the Red Sox trying to finish what has already been a historically great season for them with their fourth World Series in 15 years or the Dodgers, who will be looking for redemption from last year’s World Series loss to complete what they couldn’t last year by ending their 30 year drought without a World Series title. Something a lot of Boston fans are familiar with. As before 2004, it took them 86 years to win the series after the famed, “Curse of the Bambino.” Also both Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts played for both teams and were teammates with the Dodgers from 2002-2004. With both managers winning the series in different years for the Red Sox too.
For two teams that were separated by as many as 16 wins in the regular season, this is a lot closer matchup than you would initially think. As both teams have very deep and powerful lineups and benches led by the likes of Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez for the Red Sox and Manny Machado and Justin Turner for the Dodgers. Both teams also have very great rotations with two of the greatest aces of their eras respectively in Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale, as well as strong bullpen’s anchored by the likes of Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel.
In a series featuring two managers who are creativitly unafraid to use all their resources, I expect the series to not only go the distance, but come down to the very final outs on Halloween night and I wouldn’t be surprised to even last into extra innings and possibly even into past the stroke of midnight into November. With home-field advantage and a slightly better rotation top to bottom from the Red Sox being the difference though, I see Boston helping make Cora just one of only a few select managers to win the World Series in their first year managing to help cap a truly great and historic season.

















