Boston Takes Game One of the World Series With 8-4 Victory Over L.A.

I have never romanticized baseball, or loved the sport the way that so many passionate fans do--but before the 1994-95 strike and before the sport became overrun by performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to the extent that its hallowed record book was stripped of any meaning, I followed the sport closely and I particularly enjoyed the playoffs and the World Series. I remember as a child being awed by Reggie Jackson's heroics and being entertained by the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates (even though the Pirates eliminated my Cincinnati Reds en route to the World Series title).

I do not watch much baseball anymore--though I enjoy going to Dayton Dragons games with my four year old daughter Rachel, who loves the entire spectacle and yearns to join the players on the field--but tonight's World Series game one was fun to watch. The Boston Red Sox beat the L.A. Dodgers, 8-4. I don't have a dog in this hunt, so I just savored the back and forth nature of the contest and the various strategic moves made by both sides. I love seeing the best of the best compete against each other and there is no doubt that both of these teams are great.

Boston jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead and never trailed, but L.A. tied the score at 2 in the third inning. Boston scored one run in the bottom of the third and then L.A. answered with a run in the fifth inning to once again tie the score. Boston added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead and L.A. pulled to within one run in the seventh inning. It looked like we were heading for a nail-biting finish but then pinch hitter Eduardo Nunez uncorked a three run home run to break the game open, 8-4. The Dodgers' bats fell silent the rest of the way. Matt Barnes, who pitched one scoreless inning, was credited with the win, while Dodgers' starter Clayton Kershaw--who gave up five runs in four innings--suffered the loss.

After nearly a century of frustrating futility, the Red Sox appear to be on the cusp of capturing their fourth World Series title since 2004.