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The Dodgers are the first team to win a Championship Series Game 7 on the road since 2006 (Photo courtesy of Dodgers Photo Stream Mike McGinnis/MLB Photos)

Dodgers Back In The World Series For Classic East Coast/West Coast Showdown

Much like in 2017, the Dodgers face the most consistently great team of the season for a World Series title in the Boston Red Sox. Boston (108-54) won 16 more regular season games than Los Angeles (and needed one less game to do so), and disposed of the reigning champion Houston Astros in five games in the American League Championship Series.

Greatness. That’s what it takes to reach the World Series, and only greatness is what it will definitively take to win four out of the next seven games for the Dodgers and Red Sox.

This classic East vs West rivalry has all the makings of a juicy matchup. The experience of the Dodgers having come so close to tasting glory last season versus a Red Sox team that didn’t make it out of the divisional round last year. Major star power all over the field with names like Machado, Martinez, Betts and Bellinger. Hall of Famers on the mound such as Kershaw and Sale. The Green Monster and Dodger Blue.

The Dodgers’ Game 7 NLCS win over the Milwaukee Brewers was nothing short of remarkable–a complete team victory in a hostile environment with everything on the line. Teams haven’t won Game 7 away from home in a decade. They’ll likely need to conjure that kind of magic in the World Series as the road team once again.

Related: The Untitled Jellings and Powell Sports Podcast

These teams will know each other very well. Managers’ Dave Roberts and Alex Cora are former teammates, each having played for both the Dodgers and Red Sox. Dave Roberts is a renowned figure in Boston for his contributions to their 2004 World Series’ winning club. Manny Machado spent the first chapter of his career battling Boston as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

One thing for the Dodgers is certain, they will need to clean up the defensive mistakes that plagued them in the Championship Series. Yes, they made some clutch plays in the outfield when they needed it most (Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor made excellent catches in big moments in Games 4 and 7), but they can’t afford four errors in a game like in Game 1.

Offensively, they simply cannot rely on the long ball. The Red Sox are just as lethal at hitting home runs, if not more so than the Dodgers. If they get into a shootout that won’t be to L.A.’s benefit. There will come a time when the Dodgers will need to manufacture a run in a tight game. Hopefully Dave Roberts and Co. puts them in position to do so.

The Dodgers hit .196 as a team with runners in scoring position (11-for-56) in the NLCS. If they can improve on that number even slightly, it will have a huge impact on the outcome of this Series.

It can’t be stressed enough how important it will be for the Dodgers to come out firing on all cylinders tonight in Game 1 with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. The Red Sox are a perfect 5-0 on the road this postseason. They put up 8 runs on the Astros twice in Houston, and beat the Yankees 16-1 at Yankee Stadium. L.A. must force the issue and put immense pressure on the Sox at Fenway Park, because they’ll certainly put it on the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.

There were moments this season when it looked like Kershaw might never get the chance again to perform on the biggest stage. It’s a testament to his will to fight his aging back and the resolve of the Dodgers for winning Game 163 and the National League Pennant.

This is a career-defining Series for the future Hall of Famer. He’s up against the best and can ill-afford a performance like Game 5 of the 2017 World Series. He must set the tone tonight.

First pitch is at 5:09 and you can listen to every inning of World Series action on your Dodgers station in the Santa Clarita Valley, KHTS FM 98.1

KHTS Sports is your place for Santa Clarita sports and your Santa Clarita Dodgers coverage. Find all the latest news and updates on your hometown schools here as they compete in the Foothill League, Heritage League, Western State Conference and GSAC. If you have any news and notes about our teams and players to share please send them to jp@hometownstation.com, like us on facebook.com/khtssports and follow us @KHTSSports on Twitter.

Dodgers Back In The World Series For Classic East Coast/West Coast Showdown

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About Justin Powell

Justin moved to the San Fernando Valley from the Inland Empire in 2011 to complete his BA of Communications degree at California State University, Northridge. Just a few months after getting his degree he moved to Valencia and started as an intern at AM-1220 KHTS, and was promoted to Sports Reporter within a year. Though Justin is still relatively new to the Santa Clarita Valley, he is an avid sports fan and passionate about building the sports department at KHTS into a special source for local high school sports.