The Red Sox are looking for their fourth World Series title in 15 years after setting a franchise record for wins during the regular season.
The L.A. Dodgers are seeking their first championship in 30 years. They've made it to the World Series for the second straight year as the first team to repeat as pennant winner since the Phillies a decade ago.
Chris Smith has been covering the Red Sox for MassLive.
Kari Njiiri, NEPR: Given their win/loss record this season, Boston appears to have an edge. But this is playoff baseball, and things change. Talk about the matchup.
Chris Smith, MassLive: I think the Red Sox have an edge in this series. I thought Houston was the best team heading into the post-season, and [Boston] took care of Houston in a seven-game series in five games. Their bullpen has been terrific, which I'm surprised at, because I didn't think their bullpen was going to be that good, heading into this post-season. Their starting rotation has been, you know, good enough. So I like this matchup for them.
Where do you think the Dodgers have the advantage?
I think in starting rotation, they do. And they also have a good advantage, I think, in starting lineups, where they have so much depth that they can put out two starting lineups, pretty much: one against righties, one against lefties. That bodes well for them. But, you know, at the end of the day, I think the Red Sox are the better team.
How important is home field advantage in this series?
The Red Sox have played much better baseball so far in the post-season on the road. It seems like they've been more relaxed on the road. Both against the Yankees and Houston, they dropped the game at Fenway. They went into Yankee Stadium, they went into Minute Maid Park, and they played better defense, they hit better, and they pitched better, and they won all their games there. So I think home field advantage is important, but I don't think it's essential for the Red Sox or the Dodgers.
Some history is also in the making in this series: that the two managers, Alex Cora and Dave Roberts, are both tied to the Red Sox as players. They both won World Series rings with the team. They also played for the Dodgers. And while Alex Cora attempts to become the first Latin-born manager to win a World Series in his first season, Dave Roberts is chasing his own history. A win and he'll become the second African-American manager to win a World Series. Born to a Japanese mother, he'll also become the first manager of Asian descent. How significant is this for Major League Baseball?
I think it's really important. Dave Roberts talked about it [this week]. He said minority candidates are slowly but surely getting managerial positions, getting more jobs in higher positions in Major League Baseball.
These are the two best managers in baseball right now. Alex Cora showed it throughout the regular season. Dave Roberts has a knack for being a player's manager, you know, making the right in-game decisions. Cora has done a great job with in-game decisions, too.
They've shown that when we look at the game right now -- there's a lot of diversity in the game, and there deserves to be more managers of color, and there deserves to be more Latin managers. So Cora has a real passion, Roberts has real passion, and it's just great to see both of them. And obviously they did so much for the Red Sox organization when they were here.
