Former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Alex Cora has really stuck it to his old team lately.
Cora was the Houston Astros’ bench coach when they defeated the Dodgers, led by his old L.A. teammate and friend Dave Roberts, in the 2017 World Series. A season later, managing the Boston Red Sox, Cora faced Roberts and the Dodgers in the 2018 World Series and came out on top again.
Most recently, the Cora-managed American League team beat Roberts’ National League roster 4-3 in the 2019 MLB All-Star game. Adding insult to injury, Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler gave up runs in the losing effort.
However, Roberts and the Dodgers get a chance for some revenge on Cora and the Red Sox as they open up their post-All-Star break schedule with a rematch of the 2018 fall classic.
This time around, the Dodgers and Red Sox find themselves in reversed roles. The Dodgers are the juggernaut with MLB’s best record and an MVP favorite, while the Red Sox are a deeply flawed team clinging to the strengths they have left.
And unlike last October, the Dodgers pretty much have a fully healthy roster as they arrive at Fenway Park. A.J. Pollock, Corey Seager and David Freese all make their first starts after returning from the injured list this week.
Freese was the only one of the trio on the Dodgers’ 2018 World Series team. Seager lost most of that season due to Tommy John Surgery while Pollock joined the Dodgers in free agency this past January.
Despite the prolonged absence of all three in the first half, though, the Dodgers have remained one of baseball’s best teams because of the emergence of rookies such as Alex Verdugo and Matt Beaty, as well as a sudden surge from Chris Taylor once Seager went down.
The Red Sox series marks the first time every Opening Day starter is healthy since Pollock went down with an elbow infection in early May. It also presents a challenge for Roberts as he juggles the playing time of Seager, Pollock and Freese with productive incumbents like Verdugo, Taylor and Joc Pederson.
Beaty, unfortunately, was a victim of the roster crunch as he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City once Seager was activated.
On the mound, the Dodgers start Kenta Maeda, while the Red Sox counter with Eduardo Rodriguez. Maeda is starting on five days’ rest.
The Dodgers enter play on a three-game losing streak.
Dodgers lineup:
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
DH: David Freese
RF: Cody Bellinger
1B: Max Muncy
CF: A.J. Pollock
LF: Alex Verdugo
2B: Kiké Hernandez
C: Austin Barnes
Red Sox lineup:
RF: Mookie Betts
3B: Rafael Devers
SS: Xander Bogaerts
DH: J.D. Martinez
LF: Andrew Benintendi
C: Christian Vazquez
CF: Jackie Bradley Jr.
1B: Michael Chavis
2B: Brock Holt
