Los Angeles Dodgers: What it will take to win Game 3
By Jason Reed
1. Tighten up with two outs
The Boston Red Sox have been incredibly dangerous with two outs this postseason, which has been a huge reason why the team has been so dominant. Per Mike Axisa of CBS Sports, the Red Sox have a .425 batting average and 1.320 OPS with two outs and runners in scoring position this postseason.
In both games the Dodgers saw exactly how dangerous the Sox are with two outs, especially in Game 2. In Game 1, Eduardo Nunez came off the bench to slug a two-out, three-run home run in the seventh inning that put Boston up by four scores, essentially shutting the Dodgers down.
In Game 3, Hyun-Jin Ryu was rolling before allowing a weak two-out, two-strike base hit to the nine hitter, Christian Vazquez. Mookie Betts then singled, Andrew Benintendi walked on eight pitches, Steve Pearce walked in a run and J.D. Martinez delivered a two-run bloop single.
Ryu and the Dodgers were one strike away from getting out of that inning and shifting the entire focus of the game. Alex Wood needed to just have one good batter to give the Dodgers a chance with just one run to make up in the last two innings.
This cannot happen in Game 3 and the Dodgers must take advantage of having a home crowd and squash the Red Sox’ two-out rallies when they happen.
If the team cannot do that it will suck the life out of the home crowd and put the Dodgers in another terrible situation.