Save for a single inning, the Boston Red Sox dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 4-2 World Series victory Tuesday at Fenway Park.
The outcome gives Boston a 2-0 World Series advantage as the contest shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 through 5 (if necessary) Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
On the scoreboard, this game was closer than Tuesday’s 8-4 Red Sox win in Game 1. On the field, it was another matter. The visitors made only one pass at success against the American League champions, and while that pass yielded two runs it proved to be an isolated splurge.
For the remainder of the evening, Red Sox starter David Price and three relievers throttled Los Angeles batters, holding them hitless with just two baserunners – both on walks. The last 16 Dodger batters were retired without incident.
The more controlled nature of Wednesday’s Sox victory meant the game’s pivot points, its key moments, were often more subtle than obvious. Yet as is always the case in big games involving evenly contested teams, those moments of decision existed. Had they turned out differently – as they might have – the outcome could have changed.
Let’s walk back through Game Two’s key decision points and assess the impact they had on the eventual 4-2 final score. We’ll find Boston emerging on top due to a number of factors: a catcher’s ability to overcome a tough situation, a vaunted bench’s flailing, and one more pitching substitution that went awry.