Sometime within the next 24 hours, Clayton Kershaw will make a decision about his future. He may decide to opt out of the remainder of his contract with the Dodgers and test the free agent market, or he may not exercise the option at all, choosing to finish out the rest of his deal in Los Angeles.
Powered by four home runs, the Red Sox defeated the Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 of the 2018 World Series on Sunday evening, securing Boston’s ninth World Championship and their first since 2013.
Undeniably, it’s easy to discredit the decisions of the Los Angeles coaching staff seconds after they implode. Two critical bullpen moves during the first two games have played large in both outcomes, putting the Dodgers in an extremely deep hole as the World Series moves Westward. As bad as the decisions may have been, the personnel involved in both of the substitutions was even more puzzling, as the moves were ultimately questioned by everyone who witnessed the game, including supporters of the Red Sox.
After carrying a one-run lead into the fifth inning, the Dodgers eventually lost 4-2 in Game 2 of the 2018 World Series on Wednesday night against the Red Sox. Los Angeles has dropped the first two games of this series in Boston and find themselves in a 2-0 deficit with the series set shifting to Los Angeles.
Despite the Dodgers and Red Sox going punch-for-punch for a good portion of the 2018 World Series Opener, pinch-hitter Eduardo Nunez crushed an Alex Wood slider in the bottom of the seventh inning, stretching the Boston lead to four and ultimately securing an 8-4 victory.
Though the year was as rough and unpredictable as it possibly could be, the Dodgers once again find themselves four wins away from winning a World Series Championship.
Using the words “Dodgers” and “on paper” in the same sentence can provoke many followers of Los Angeles baseball into a spiel about how their favorite club could be the most talented team in baseball, yet, at the same time, one of the most underachieving. The Dodgers, far and away, had the most talent and potential in the National League West, but it still took the squad 163 games to secure a spot in the 2018 playoffs. Sure, there were plenty of ups and downs regarding injuries and player personnel, but theoretically, the Dodgers should have ran away with the pennant rather than making it appear to be a bit of a struggle. They made the NLDS against the Braves a lot closer than what it should have been. Additionally, they were probably even more talented than the Brewers, even though Milwaukee finished the regular season with the NL’s best record.