BOSTON -- Tuesday night the 2018 World Series opens at Fenway Park. The 108-win Boston Red Sox will host the 92-win Los Angeles Dodgers in the 114th Fall Classic. These two teams last met in the World Series in 1916. Here's how you can watch Game 1.
Both the Dodgers and Red Sox announced their 25-man World Series rosters Tuesday morning and they made slight changes from their 25-man League Championship Series rosters. Here is the roster Los Angeles will use:
- Pitchers (12): LHP Scott Alexander, RHP Pedro Baez, RHP Walker Buehler, RHP Dylan Floro, LHP Rich Hill, RHP Kenley Jansen, LHP Clayton Kershaw, RHP Ryan Madson, RHP Kenta Maeda, LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, LHP Julio Urias, LHP Alex Wood
- Catchers (2): Austin Barnes, Yasmani Grandal
- Infielders (8): 1B/OF Cody Bellinger, 2B Brian Dozier, 1B/3B David Freese, UTIL Enrique Hernandez, SS Manny Machado, IF Max Muncy, UTIL Chris Taylor , 3B Justin Turner
- Outfielders (3): OF Matt Kemp, OF Joc Pederson, OF Yasiel Puig
The Dodgers replaced rookie southpaw Caleb Ferguson, who had a noticeable velocity drop in the NLCS, from the World Series roster and added fellow lefty Alexander. Alexander is a ground ball specialist who will be asked to keep Boston's powerful hitters on the ground.
Now here is the 25-man roster the Red Sox will use in the World Series:
- Pitchers (11): RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Ryan Brasier, RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Heath Hembree, RHP Joe Kelly, RHP Craig Kimbrel, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Rick Porcello, LHP David Price, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP Chris Sale
- Catchers (3): Sandy Leon, Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez
- Infielders (7): SS Xander Bogaerts, 3B Rafael Devers, UTIL Brock Holt, 2B Ian Kinsler, 1B Mitch Moreland, IF Eduardo Nunez, 1B/OF Steve Pearce
- Outfielders (4): Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez
Pomeranz has replaced right-hander Brandon Workman on the World Series roster. The Red Sox wanted the extra left-hander in the bullpen given how platoon heavy the Dodgers can be. Pomeranz figures to see some left-on-left matchup work this series. Rodriguez was the team's only bullpen lefty in the ALDS and ALCS and he has reverse splits. Now they have more of a true specialist.
