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The Red Sox can move one step closer to a World Series title with a win tonight (8:09 p.m., FOX) in Los Angeles behind Rick Porcello (17-7, 4.28 ERA).
About Game 3: Porcello, still in the midst of the “throw the shit out my arm” period of the year, will look to put together one of those starts where he’s unhittable and the game’s over before you know it. That would help, because you know we’ll see for the first time in the series? A full Dodgers lineup! The righty on the mound for Boston brings out L.A.’s big bats, with Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Joc Pederson returning. So that’s why this team made the World Series!
Porcello will be matched by the young but extremely talented Walker Buehler (8-5, 2.62 ERA), who will likely give the Sox lineup the toughest look they’ve seen so far in the series. Let’s go back to the Pitching Ninja for his scouting report:
WS Game 3 Matchup.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 26, 2018
Pretty Rick vs. Walker F'n Buehler.
[Even soap can't stop Walker.] pic.twitter.com/cZX0bchlPV
To the lineup, which is... missing Andrew Benintendi? Well, yes. This seems to be the point:
If you're gonna put Martinez in the outfield, you want to make dang sure your best CF is in the game to cover for his lack of range, so I'm cool with benching Benintendi and keeping Bradley in the game.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) October 26, 2018
Anyhow, I think the chances of us seeing Beni before the night is over are somewhere near 100 percent. Xander Bogaerts moves up to number two in the order, while Mitch Moreland makes his first start of the series at first and bats third, Brock Holt’s at second and Rafael Devers at third. Jackie Bradley Jr. plays center and bats seventh, while Christian Vázquez bats eighth and plays catcher.
For the Dodgers, it really is a different universe, with Pederson leading off, Muncy batting third and Bellinger batting fifth. It’s a scarier universe, too. Yasmani Grandal is set up to be the hero, if only because he’s been a goat so often recently, but maybe he’s just gonna goat it up for two more games? That’d be ideal. We’ll vote for that.
About Game 2: A two-out, fifth-inning rally punctuated by as two-run J.D. Martinez single gave the Sox a 4-2 lead they would hold onto.
Forecast: 72 degrees and sunny. L.A. gonna L.A.
Today’s reading: Mookie Betts is gonna play second this series, my dudes.
A good tweet:
The Red Sox have won each of Rick Porcello’s last 14 starts against NL teams (all in the regular season).
— Red Sox Notes (@SoxNotes) October 26, 2018
In 2018, Porcello went 3-for-7 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. He is the only Red Sox pitcher to record multiple extra-base hits in a season since the DH was instituted in 1973.
LINEUPS
World Series Game 3 at Dodgers
Lineup spot | Red Sox | Dodgers |
---|---|---|
Lineup spot | Red Sox | Dodgers |
1 | Mookie Betts, RF | Joc Pederson, LF |
2 | Xander Bogaerts, SS | Justin Turner, 3B |
3 | Mitch Moreland, 1B | Max Muncy, 1B |
4 | J.D. Martinez, LF | Manny Machado, SS |
5 | Brock Holt, 2B | Cody Bellinger, CF |
6 | Rafael Devers, 3B | Yasiel Puig, RF |
7 | Jackie Bradley Jr., CF | Yasmani Grandal, C |
8 | Christian Vázquez, C | Chris Taylor, 2B |
9 | Rick Porcello, P | Walker Buehler, P |
SP | Rick Porcello, RHP | Walker Buehler, RHP |