Two of the most historic franchises in Major League Baseball squared off in the 2018 World Series as the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Boston Red Sox for the first time since 1916.
The Red Sox, who won 108 games in the regular season and defeated two 100-win teams before playing the Dodgers in the World Series, proved to be too much of a force as they won the championship in five games.
Game 4 was the turning point of the series as the Dodgers led 4-0 in the seventh inning and were just nine outs away from tying the series at two, but their bullpen was not able to hold onto the lead.
The Red Sox took a 3-1 series lead and then went on to close it out at Dodger Stadium the next night, marking the second straight season that a team has celebrated winning a World Series on the Dodgers’ home field.
Given the history between the two teams, there was a ton of mutual respect regardless of who won. The Dodgers showed that by taking out a full page ad in the Boston Globe to congratulate the Red Sox:
The Los Angeles Dodgers took out a full page ad in Wednesday’s Globe to congratulate the Red Sox on winning the World Series. https://t.co/MhXz7IrT9Y pic.twitter.com/yqjD6sXZFo
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) October 31, 2018
As tough as it was to say it, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted after the series that the Red Sox were simply the better team and deserved to win.
While they have fallen just short of their ultimate goal each of the last two seasons, the Dodgers are still in a good position moving forward to get back to and win the World Series in 2019.
By the time next season rolls around, it will have been 31 years since they were last crowned champions.
