LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Dodgers will have to wait at least another year for their first World Series title since 1988.
The Boston Red Sox won the 2018 World Series with a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers tonight at Dodger Stadium, taking the Fall Classic four games to one.
David Price limited the Dodgers to three hits over seven innings and Steve Pearce hit two of Boston's four home runs as the Red Sox won their fourth World Series title since ending an 85-season drought in 2004.
“You've got to give credit to David Price over there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He pitched a heck of a ballgame. Couldn't put hits together, couldn't get baserunners, and really stress them at all.”
The Dodgers never led. Pearce, Boston's third hitter, hit a two-run home run in the top of the first off Clayton Kershaw.
“Pearce put a pretty good swing on the ball,” Kershaw said. “But the one that hurt was the (Andrew) Benintendi single. 0-2 and you've got to get that slider in the dirt. He didn't hit it that hard, but he shouldn't be able to make contact on a 0-2 slider.
“I left that one up. That's what costs you.”
David Freese homered off Price's first pitch in the bottom of the first, but the Dodgers were held scoreless the rest of the game.
The Red Sox also got solo homers from Mookie Betts in the sixth, J.D. Martinez in the seventh and Pearce in the eighth.
Pearce was selected as the Series MVP for hitting three home runs and driving in eight runs.
Kershaw allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings, striking out five and not walking a batter in his second loss of the Series as his career postseason record dropped to 9-10.
“David pitched a great game and I got outpitched and we lost the game,” Kershaw said.
Said Roberts: “I thought he had really good stuff. I thought he was mixing the fastball to different quadrants. I thought he competed, like he always does.
“I thought the slider was good. I thought the breaking ball was good. There were a couple of mistakes in there with the fastball. Pearce, J.D., the ball that just didn't get there, and the Mookie slider just didn't get there.
“And that's a good club over there, a very good club. A great club. And so when he did make a mistake, they hit it out of the ballpark.”
Price struck out five, walked two and retired 13 consecutive batters from the third through seventh as he recorded his second victory in the Series and third in 11 days after going 0-9 as a postseason starter.
The Dodgers were out-hit 8-3, were hitless in two at-bats with runners in scoring position, left three runners on base and struck out 11 times, including three times in the ninth.
Boston was also hitless in two at-bats with runners in scoring position, left two runners on base and struck out seven times.
Roberts confirmed the Dodgers have not picked up the option year on his contract.
“Honestly I'm just kind of feeling for the guys in the clubhouse the right now and feeling their pain, the coaches and all that stuff,” Roberts said. “There's time for all that stuff.”
This is the second consecutive season the Dodgers have lost in the World Series, the first time that has happened to the team since 1978 when it lost to the New York Yankees for the second consecutive season.
“I expect us to be back here next year, but celebrating on the field,” Roberts said. “I think the culture, the players, as far as the large majority, are in place. The arrow is pointing certainly in the right direction.”
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