Oct. 24 (UPI) — J.D. Martinez sliced a single to right field for the go-ahead runs in the Red Sox’s 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday at Fenway Park in Boston.
Boston now owns a 2-0 lead in the series as it heads to Los Angeles on Friday for Game 3.
The game-winning RBIs came in the bottom of the fifth inning. Boston trailed 2-1 entering the frame. Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu began the inning by getting two quick outs. Then the trouble began. He allowed back-to-back singles from Christian Vazquez and Mookie Betts before walking Andrew Benintendi.
He was then pulled for Ryan Madson, who walked Steve Pearce with the bases loaded, tying the game at 2-2. Then Martinez came to the plate. He dropped in his single to score Betts and Benintendi, giving Boston a lead it wouldn’t surrender.
Red Sox starter David Price silenced the Dodgers’ bats, allowing just three hits and two runs in six innings for the victory. The Red Sox bullpen did not allow a hit or a walk over the final three innings.
“I just continued to make pitches,” Price told Fox Sports. “I made a lot of pitches in that fourth inning. They had some really good at-bats … These guys picked me up just like they have all year long so that was huge.”
Ryu took the loss, allowing six hits and four runs in 4.2 innings for the Dodgers. Betts went 3-for-4 in the victory and was the only player to record multiple hits in Game 2.
“I thought the compete was there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “You’ve gotta give credit to Price. He made pitches when he needed to. We had them on the ropes. I thought that early on we stressed them … and the difference is that they got the big hit when they needed it and we didn’t.”
Ian Kinsler put the Red Sox ahead initially, with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. Dodgers star Matt Kemp would tie the score with an RBI sacrifice fly, before Yasiel Puig put Los Angeles ahead with an RBI single in the top of the fourth inning.
Madson issued his bases-loaded walk to tie the score, before Martinez stepped to the plate to decide the game in the fifth frame.
The series heads to Los Angeles for Game 3 with first pitch coming at 8:09 p.m. on Friday at Dodger Stadium.