Red Sox World Series: 5 players who carried team to a title
For the fourth time in just 15 years, the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions.
The Boston Red Sox were the best team in baseball all season long and kept that trend up during the postseason, losing just three games the entire playoffs. It was a full team effort from Boston but there were several guys who were key to their success in postseason baseball.
From Steve Pearce hitting three homers in the final two games of the World Series to Mookie Betts robbing home runs from the Astros, the Red Sox dominance in the playoffs was nothing short of amazing.
Everything from their bats to their pitching was clicking on all cylinders. David Price silenced the critics who said he couldn’t pitch well in the postseason with three consecutive lights out starts, including two wins in the Fall Classic. Nathan Eovaldi emerged as one of the most important arms for Alex Cora this October, hitting triple digits on a regular basis and just dominating opposing hitters. J.D. Martinez picked up right where he left off in the regular season, leading the Sox with a .300 average in the postseason and a team-high 14 RBI’s.
With numerous guys who are under the age of 26 in their starting lineup like Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers, the future looks to be extremely bright if you’re a Boston Red Sox fan.
Here are the top five players who contributed towards their World Series title this October.
Steve Pearce
It’s safe to say that if Steve Pearce didn’t contribute as he did in these playoffs for Boston, they wouldn’t be World Champions right now. The 35-year old journeyman was acquired by the Red Sox in mid-July and was the sole reason Boston won Game 4 and 5 in the Fall Classic against the Dodgers.
His bases-clearing double in Game 4 was absolutely huge and got Boston back in the game, along with his solo homer just innings later. In the series-clinching Game 5, Pearce went deep twice, once off Clayton Kershaw for a two-run shot in the first inning then once again for a solo bomb in the eighth inning against Pedro Baez.
In the World Series alone, Pearce hit .333 with three homers and eight RBI’s on his way to being named the World Series MVP. For the entire postseason, he hit .289.
Pearce has always shown potential to hit the long ball in his career, but not at this rate, especially on such a big stage. He was a gigantic part of this World Series-winning team and a great acquisition by Dave Dombrowski. He grew up a Red Sox fan so the opportunity to play for his favorite childhood team obviously hit home with Pearce, especially when he saw that the World Series was a possibility.
At 35-years old, he clearly showed there are no signs of slowing down. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Boston offer Pearce a contract after his offensive breakout in the playoffs.
Nathan Eovaldi
Eovaldi emerged out of the bullpen in the World Series against the Dodgers and looked spectacular, tossing up triple digits on a regular basis.
He shut down the Yankees for seven innings of one-run baseball in the Division Series, then put up another impressive start against Houston in the ALCS, giving up two runs over six innings. He became Alex Cora‘s secret weapon in game 5 against the Astros when he came out of the pen for 1.1 innings. The first-year manager continued to use Eovaldi out of the bullpen in the Fall Classic, using him in back-to-back nights in games 1 and 2 in the eighth inning. He tossed scoreless innings both times, overpowering the Dodgers lineup with an electric fastball that he was spotting up on the corners.
Eovaldi then put up one of the gutsiest performances of the entire postseason in the record-breaking Game 3, which was the longest game in World Series history, lasting 18 innings. He tossed six innings, giving up just three hits while striking out five. The only run he gave up was a walk-off solo homer to Max Muncy in the bottom of the 18th when he hung an off-speed pitch up in the zone which Muncy smacked opposite field to give the Dodgers their only win of the World Series.
Eovaldi posted a team-best 1.61 ERA in the playoffs, striking out 16 hitters in 22 innings. Not bad for his first time pitching in October baseball.
JD Martinez
Martinez, who was arguably one of the best hitters in the game this year alongside teammate Mookie Betts, clutched up in a big way this postseason. He led the Red Sox with a .300 average, going deep three times and also driving in a team-best 14 RBI’s.
Two of his homers were crucial, starting with a solo bomb in the series-clinching Game 5 against the Astros in the ALCS. With the game scoreless, Justin Verlander hung a curveball that Martinez crushed deep into the seats in left field at Minute Maid which ended up being the winning run. Then in another series-clinching game on Sunday, Martinez padded the lead for Boston with a solo shot to dead center.
Aside from the homers, which Martinez hit 43 of in the regular season, he was instrumental at coming through with runners in scoring position. Whether it was a base knock or a double in the gap, Martinez was locked in the entire postseason, evident by his 14 RBI’s. He recorded a hit or RBI in all but four games this October.
He came through when it mattered most for Boston, proving once again this postseason why he is arguably the best hitter in baseball. Martinez had a great approach, using the entire field. A lot of his hits were to the opposite field. Just like the regular season, JD Martinez was once again a huge part of this Red Sox lineup on their way to a World Series title.
David Price
Price definitely silenced the doubters who said he can’t pitch in the postseason. Despite his struggles in the past when it came to the playoffs, the lefty came through this time around for Boston.
He pitched relatively decent in the ALDS and ALCS, but his true brilliance came on the biggest stage, the World Series. He got the ball in Game 2, going six innings and giving up just two earned runs en route to a win. Alex Cora had enough confidence in him to give Price the ball again in Game 5, and he didn’t disappoint. The veteran carved up the Dodgers, throwing seven innings and giving up just three hits and one run to pick up the win in the World Series-clinching game.
Price compiled a 1.98 ERA in the Fall Classic and a 3.46 ERA throughout the entire postseason.
His stuff looked very sharp, from his fastball that was reaching the mid-90s to his fantastic changeup that was fooling LA hitters all series long. He was doing a great job of hitting his spots and getting ahead of hitters which led to great success for Price.
The one noticeable thing about Price this postseason was the added life on his heater. It just seemed to have more behind it than usual, and it really paid off for him. It was very nice to see him pitch well in the postseason after several years in the past of playoff struggles. Now the doubters will have nothing to say.
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Jackie Bradley Jr’s batting average may not reflect it (.200 avg in playoffs), but every single home run he hit in the postseason played a part in Boston’s championship run.
With Boston up 3-2 in the eighth inning in Game 3 of the ALCS, he took Roberto Osuna deep for a grand slam that broke open the game that Boston eventually won 8-2. Then the next night, JBJ hit a go-ahead two-run homer that gave the Red Sox the lead in the sixth inning.
Both of those home runs were absolutely crucial to result of the ALCS against the Astros. If he didn’t hit them, the series could have gone a lot longer than just five games.
Bradley Jr also hit a game-tying home run in Game 3 of the World Series off Kenley Jansen which sent the game to extra innings, ending with the Dodgers walking it off in the 18th. The hits may have been far and few between, but they were all in big moments and that’s what postseason baseball is all about.
Defensively, he was brilliant out there with his superior athleticism and ability to run down any ball in the alleys. He is one of the best outfielders in the game and made several big catches throughout the playoffs. Along with Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi, the Sox hands down have the best all-around outfield in the big leagues.
Others did their part
Other guys like Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and Xander Bogearts all played their part in Boston’s run to a title.
Betts never really broke out offensively, but was outstanding in the outfield, making several key catches throughout October. He was their best player all season but barely contributed with the bat in the playoffs. That’s how good this team really is. They have so many players who can come through and get a big hit in the high-pressure situations even when their best hitter is struggling.
Bogearts had a couple big hits in the playoffs but never really broke out. Regardless, his defense at shortstop was spectacular as usual. He’s one of the best in the game at his position and he was solid there for all of October.
Even though Craig Kimbrel struggled with his command in the playoffs, the Red Sox closer still got the job done when he needed to. It may have been a rocky save where he walked a couple guys in a row, but he usually got himself out of a jam.
Eduardo Rodriguez put forward a solid start in game 4 of the World Series after not pitching at all previously in the 2018 playoffs. The 25-year old lefty went 5.2 innings giving up four runs and striking out six for a no-decision.
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With an exciting young core, the future is very bright for Boston as they will look to defend their World Series title in 2019.