World Series 2018: Remaining Dates, Schedule, Ticket Info and Prediction

The Los Angeles Dodgers have some serious work to do if they are going to get back into the World Series and find a way to win it.

After dropping the first two game of the 2018 Fall Classic at Fenway Park in Boston, the team returns home to L.A. and will have a chance to take on the Red Sox for the next three games at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers will have to win at least one of the next two games to force a third and final home game in the series. If they can win two of the games, they will send the series back to Boston for a sixth game. If they win all three, they will return to Fenway with a chance to win the MLB championship.

That seems like a long shot right now because Boston was the better team in the first two games. The Red Sox have excelled at getting two-out hits with runners on base. The Dodgers have had their opportunities in similar circumstances but have not gotten hits when they needed them most.

"We've got to find a way to win a baseball game," manager Dave Roberts said, per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. "I think, coming in here, I thought we played these guys pretty straight-up. Obviously, we come out of here going home down, 2-0, but they made pitches when they needed to. And then when it flipped, they got the hit, and we didn't."

World Series Schedule

Tuesday: Boston 8, Los Angeles 4

Wednesday: Boston 4, Los Angeles 2; Boston leads 2-0.

Friday: Red Sox at Dodgers, 8:09 p.m. ET

Saturday: Red Sox at Dodgers, 8:09 p.m. ET

Sunday (if necessary): Red Sox at Dodgers, 8:15 p.m. ET

October 30 (if necessary): Dodgers at Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ET

October 31 (if necessary): Dodgers at Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ET

All World Series games will be televised by Fox.

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

If the Dodgers are going to be successful at home, it would help greatly if they scored first. The Red Sox are 9-0 when they put the first run on the board this postseason, and while teams have been able to come back and take the lead, the Red Sox have had the last laugh by coming back again.

That was the case Wednesday night as the Red Sox scored first on an RBI single by Ian Kinsler in the second inning, and the Dodgers responded with two runs in the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead.

The Red Sox bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Dodgers had no answer against David Price and the relievers who followed.

The Dodgers were not able to do much against Price in Game 2 or enough against Chris Sale in Game 1. Both of those left-handed pitchers prevented the Dodgers from having big innings. The Los Angeles hitters will face right-hander Rick Porcello in Game 3, and that will give Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy a chance to show off their power.

Seven Dodgers hit 21 or more home runs in 2018, led by Muncy, who bashed 35. Porcello won 17 games during the regular season, but he had a 4.28 ERA and gave up 27 home runs.

If Porcello has a hard time locating his pitches, that could make him susceptible to the long ball Friday. If he can stay on the edges, he should be able to follow in Price's footsteps.

Walker Buehler is scheduled to start Game 3 for the Dodgers, and he will have a major challenge keeping the relentless Red Sox attack in check. Buehler is a hard thrower who struck out 151 batters in 137.1 innings while putting together an 8-5 record with a 2.62 ERA.

He will have to contend with Mookie Betts (32 home runs, 30 stolen bases) and J.D. Martinez (43 home runs, 130 runs batted in), the Red Sox's two best offensive players, along with Xander Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers and ALCS MVP Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Dodgers are minus-160 favorites to win Game 3 and get back in the series, while the Red Sox are plus-135 underdogs, per OddsShark. A Dodgers supporter will have to risk $160 to win $100, while Red Sox backers will need to wager $100 to earn $135.

Prediction

The Dodgers are desperate to earn a victory and get respect from their opponents. They should be a more focused team at home and will try to give the Red Sox a solid fight for nine innings.

However, the Red Sox are not going to give the Dodgers anything. They won 108 regular-season games, and they beat the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros in the playoffs. The argument can be made that both of those teams are also better than the National League champions.

The Dodgers may do a better job of hitting with runners in scoring position than they did in Boston, but we don't see the Red Sox faltering in that area. The Red Sox also play better defense and run the bases extremely well.

The Boston bullpen has exceeded expectations, and pitchers like Joe Kelly and Ryan Brasier are throwing the ball with confidence while closer Craig Kimbrel appears to be over his slump.

Look for a high-scoring Boston win in Game 3 as the Red Sox take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

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