With the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the returning Los Angeles Dodgers beginning Tuesday night, there will be plenty of top-class talent on display. From probable AL MVP Mookie Betts to Dodgers star SS Manny Machado, many eyes will be glued to this series. However, one match-up that will be one to savor is that of Red Sox ace Chris Sale and the 2014 NL MVP Clayton Kershaw. Both are scheduled to start Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
Two of Baseball’s Elite Pitchers Clash in Game 1 of the World Series
Sale vs. Kershaw
These two superstars will face off for only the second time in their illustrious careers at Fenway Park Tuesday. While Sale has pitched in the AL for the entirety of his time in the majors, with the Chicago White Sox and now Boston, Kershaw has appeared solely in the NL with Los Angeles. Both pitchers have been considered at the very top of their respective leagues for years now. This game will be a fitting stage for them to showcase their talents against each other, and it doesn’t get any bigger than this.
The only head-to-head action the two have participated in came back on June 15, 2012. This game wasn’t a good advertisement to both pitcher’s abilities. Both aces had bad outings that were nearly identical. Sale pitched 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and striking out six with four walks allowed. Kershaw pitched 6 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and striking out seven with two walks allowed. Not quite the numbers you’d want to see when these two are scheduled to go against each other. However, this was a game in mid-June. This time it will be under the lights on a cold Boston night in the cathedral of Boston. And it will be on the biggest stage in sports.
The Importance of this match-up
It goes without saying that this is, in retrospect, a must-win game for both the Red Sox and the Dodgers. When it comes to the World Series, teams do what it takes to win each game as it comes. When you have your ace on the mound, you need a positive outing from them. You need your ace to win their start and everything else comes along with this. Any given run support will be integral for the win in this game. The foundation must be laid with a good defensive performance from the mound and assistance in the field, specifically on hard grounders.
This should be a match-up with little runs scored. Sale has been limited this season due to injury and, more recently, an illness, but he is a warrior and this start will be his most important to date. He will be hungry for it. It is an equally important start for Kershaw and his Dodger side. The World Series is the last thing he needs for his elite resume.
This game has all the makings for an all-time classic. If we do get the battle of the pitchers that could happen, it will go down as just that. This game will be vital to the rest of the series as the Dodgers will look to avenge their loss in last year’s World Series. The Red Sox will look to cap a record-breaking season with a ninth world championship.
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