NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Well, it's pretty obvious who's going to win this breakdown. I want to mention, first, how awesome it is to see the Diamondbacks making the playoffs and giving us another divisional matchup in the divisional round. Manager (and old friend!) Torey Lovullo has done a great job this year with that squad, and should be commended for his performance. However... they're walking into a buzzsaw, I fear.
The Los Angeles Dodgers could be classified as "Red Sox West" with the amount of dealing these two teams have done over the past decade or so. The Dodgers currently have Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier, J.D. Martinez, Kiké Hernandez, and a certain generational talent by the name of Mookie Betts for their Red Sox representation, all of whom seem to be clicking at the right time for the Dodgers to make a run at a normal World Series title. The Betts trade is a complete failure by the front office, I do miss J.D. even though Justin Turner had a great year for us, and how come we never got Brasier's current run of form from him at any point after 2018? I'll always root for Mookie, but with a heavy heart.
For the Diamondbacks, all Red Sox fans have to root for is Tommy Pham, and that's really dependent on how near and dear fans hold his 53 games for us last season to their heart. The more important thing to consider for Red Sox fans is that nemesis Evan Longoria is on the Diamondbacks, and I think the memories of him capping off the 2011 collapse is more than enough reason for us to lean LA in this matchup.