For MAKE PLAYS' MLB playoff preview, we decided to gaze into our crystal balls to see what every one of the eight postseason teams would need to do to take home the World Series. Here, Rung discusses how the AL Wild Card Red Sox could win the title.
For the first time in 91 years, the Boston Red Sox faithful are able to celebrate a World Series championship at home.
The Red Sox clinched their third title in six years with a 7-2 victory in Game 6 over the St. Louis Cardinals. Josh Beckett had his sixth quality start of the playoffs, giving up both Cardinal runs in 7 2/3 innings while striking out 9.
Jonathan Papelbon struck out three of the final four batters to collect his fifth save of the postseason and was the center of a championship celebration for the second time in his career.
Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis was named the Series MVP. He batted .384 with three home runs and six RBIs over the six games. His two-run dinger in the eighth inning of Game 5 gave the Sox a 5-4 win and broke a 2-2 deadlock in the series.
Beckett's 5-0 record boosted his career postseason mark to 12-2 while lowering his ERA to 2.41. His two complete-game shutouts of the Yankees in the ALCS earned him the MVP in the Sox's 4-1 series win.
To go along with Beckett's stellar postseason performance, the rest of Boston's starting pitching was solid, allowing only 20 earned runs over 79 1/3 innings in 14 playoff games.
Former playoff hero David Ortiz struggled through most of the postseason, but still had enough magic in his bat to finish Boston's sweep of the Angels in the ALDS with a three-run walk-off home run in Game 3.
-Rung
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