BOSTON (AP) — World Series MVP Steve Pearce says it was a "no-brainer" to return to the Red Sox for another year."This was the place that I wanted to be," he said on a conference call Monday, three days after agreeing to a $6.5 million, one-year deal with the defending champions. "The chemistry we had on and off the field, wanting to defend a title, that's a big deal."A 35-year-old journeyman who has played for seven teams — including the entire AL East — in a 12-year career, Pearce arrived in Boston at the end of June and spent most of this time with the Red Sox platooning at first base with Mitch Moreland.Pearce batted .279 in 50 games for Boston in the regular season, hitting seven homers — five of them against the New York Yankees, including three on Aug. 2. In five World Series games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he batted .333 with three homers, two of them in the Game 5 clincher, to earn MVP honors."The team I was on, everything that was done there, bringing everybody back, it... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For a dozen years, Steve Pearce was on the move. From Pittsburgh to Houston to every single team in the AL East, just looking for a spot where he could stick.He finally found his permanent place — in Red Sox lore.The well-traveled Pearce wound up as the World Series MVP on Sunday night after hitting two home runs that sent Boston over the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5."Baseball's a funny game," he said. "The longer you stay in the game, great things can happen."For a guy who just kept on truckin' around the majors, he now has something shiny to show for it — a bright red truck, presented to him on the infield dirt as a most unlikely MVP."You never know where the game will take you," he said. "And I've gone through a lot in my life or in my career to be here, and I couldn't be more thankful.""This has been a lifelong journey," he said.Hundreds of Red Sox fans in the stands at Dodger Stadium chanted "MVP! MVP!" Later, he strolled hand-in-hand with his 6-year-old daughter... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For a dozen years, Steve Pearce was on the move. From Pittsburgh to Houston to every single team in the AL East, just looking for a spot where he could stick.He finally found his permanent place — in Red Sox lore.The well-traveled Pearce wound up as the World Series MVP on Sunday night after hitting two home runs that sent Boston over the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5."Baseball's a funny game," he said. "The longer you stay in the game, great things can happen."For a guy who just kept on truckin' around the majors, he now has something shiny to show for it — a bright red truck, presented to him on the infield dirt as a most unlikely MVP."You never know where the game will take you," he said. "And I've gone through a lot in my life or in my career to be here, and I couldn't be more thankful.""This has been a lifelong journey," he said.Hundreds of Red Sox fans in the stands at Dodger Stadium chanted "MVP! MVP!" Later, he strolled hand-in-hand with his 6-year-old daughter... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Sale stood in the back of the dugout as the World Series was slipping away and started screaming."He's got two pitches!" the Boston Red Sox ace hollered to his left among a stream of profanities, referring to Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rich Hill.Then he shouted to his right.And then straight ahead, pointing with his pitching hand and extending his ring and middle fingers for emphasis.Sale stepped down, kept on shrieking and raised his right hand, his head bobbing up and down and a fire in his eyes like a Shakespearean king exhorting troops into battle."It scared me a little bit," Rafael Devers said through a translator, "because I had never seen him yell like that, and the words that he was saying, I had never heard that come from him before. But, you know, we came out sluggish and that moment helped us get motivated for the rest of the game."Boston had just fallen behind by four runs in the sixth inning Saturday night, nine outs from finding itself tied 2-2 in... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Working on a one-hitter with a 4-0 lead, Rich Hill had just set down Eduardo Nunez swinging for the first out of the seventh inning.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had seen enough. Walking to the mound, he signaled to the bullpen and Hill was gone."Big mistake!" President Donald Trump tweeted.It was the beginning of another troubled outing for Los Angeles' bullpen in the World Series.Six relievers combined to give up eight of Boston's nine runs over the final three innings in a 9-6 loss Saturday night that sent the Dodgers to the brink of elimination for the second straight year."Watching the Dodgers/Red Sox final innings," Trump tweeted. "It is amazing how a manager takes out a pitcher who is loose & dominating through almost 7 innings, Rich Hill of Dodgers, and brings in nervous reliever(s) who get shellacked. 4 run lead gone. Managers do it all the time, big mistake!"Roberts responded, saying, "I don't know how many Dodger games he's watched. I don't think he's privy... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Sale stood in the back of the dugout as the World Series was slipping away and started screaming."He's got two pitches!" the Boston Red Sox ace hollered to his left among a stream of profanities, referring to Los Angeles Dodgers starter Rich Hill.Then he shouted to his right.And then straight ahead, pointing with his pitching hand and extending his ring and middle fingers for emphasis.Sale stepped down, kept on shrieking and raised his right hand, his head bobbing up and down and a fire in his eyes like a Shakespearean king exhorting troops into battle."It scared me a little bit," Rafael Devers said, "because I had never seen him yell like that, and the words that he was saying, I had never heard that come from him before. But, you know, we came out sluggish and that moment helped us get motivated for the rest of the game."Boston had just fallen behind by four runs in the sixth inning Saturday night, nine outs from finding itself tied 2-2 in a World Series that... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Boston's bench is a big reason why the Red Sox are one win from their fourth World Series title since 2004.With the Red Sox regulars being held in check by the Los Angeles Dodgers, it was pinch-hitters Mitch Moreland and Rafael Devers who came up with huge at-bats as Boston rallied for a 9-6 victory Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in the Series.Moreland hit a three-run homer off Ryan Madson in the seventh inning and Devers singled home Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth.Boston's pinch-hitters have come up big all Series. Through the first four games, they are 6 for 18 (.333) with two home runs and seven RBIs. The Red Sox are batting .218 overall."The bench has been the key to our entire playoffs," slugger J.D. Martinez said. "The guys that no one expects are the ones who are delivering. It is unreal."Moreland's homer to right field on a first-pitch changeup from Ryan Madson was Boston's second pinch-hit homer in the World Series. The 1959 Dodgers and 1975 Red... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Working on a one-hitter with a 4-0 lead, Rich Hill had just set down Eduardo Nunez swinging for the first out of the seventh inning.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had seen enough. Walking to the mound, he signaled to the bullpen and Hill was gone."Big mistake!" President Donald Trump tweeted.It was the beginning of another troubled outing for Los Angeles' bullpen in the World Series.Six relievers combined to give up eight of Boston's nine runs over the final three innings in a 9-6 loss Saturday night that sent the Dodgers to the brink of elimination for the second straight year."Watching the Dodgers/Red Sox final innings," Trump tweeted. "It is amazing how a manager takes out a pitcher who is loose & dominating through almost 7 innings, Rich Hill of Dodgers, and brings in nervous reliever(s) who get shellacked. 4 run lead gone. Managers do it all the time, big mistake!"Roberts responded, saying, "I don't know how many Dodger games he's watched. I don't think he's privy... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — His team down by a run, Steve Pearce was limbering up outside the Boston dugout before the eighth inning when manager Alex Cora called him back to the bench for a quick word.Whatever Cora said, it must've worked.He might want to share that wisdom with Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, too.Moments after the brief consult, Pearce stepped up and launched a tying homer. He added a three-run double as the Red Sox scored five more times in the ninth, rallying past the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6 on Saturday for a 3-1 lead at the World Series."We don't only rely on two guys," Cora said.The well-traveled Pearce certainly pierced the Dodgers.But the biggest boppers at the top of Boston's lineup? They're still waiting to do damage at Dodger Stadium.Betts and Martinez, possibly the two leading candidates for AL MVP, haven't gotten a hit since the Series shifted to the West Coast.Overall, the top four spots in the Red Sox batting order are a combined 3 for 45 with 16 strikeouts in those... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):10:20 p.m.Steve Pearce hit a tying homer in the eighth and a three-run double in the ninth, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning for a 9-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night and a 3-1 World Series lead.The improbable surge all started with pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland's three-run homer in the seventh, shortly after Yasiel Puig's three-run homer in the sixth had put the Dodgers up 4-0.Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers singled in Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth, with also included Xander Bogaert's RBI single.Craig Kimbrel gave up Enrique Hernandez's two-run homer in the bottom half before getting the final three outs.David Price starts for the Red Sox on Sunday against Clayton Kershaw, tying to close out Boston's fourth title in 15 seasons.___8:19 p.m.Thanks to Steve Pearce, we're tied again in the late innings at Dodger Stadium. Anyone up to play... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Working on a one-hitter with a 4-0 lead, Rich Hill had just sent Eduardo Nunez down swinging for the first out of the seventh inning.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had seen enough. Walking to the mound, he signaled to the bullpen and Hill was gone.On came Scott Alexander and the beginning of another troubled outing for Los Angeles' bullpen in the World Series.The relievers combined to give up eight of Boston's nine runs over the final three innings in a 9-6 loss Saturday that sent the Dodgers to the brink of elimination for the second straight year.Even President Donald Trump questioned Roberts' moves ."Watching the Dodgers/Red Sox final innings," he tweeted. "It is amazing how a manager takes out a pitcher who is loose & dominating through almost 7 innings, Rich Hill of Dodgers, and brings in nervous reliever(s) who get shellacked. 4 run lead gone. Managers do it all the time, big mistake!"Los Angeles trails 3-1 in the best-of-seven Series. Game 5 is Sunday at Dodger... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Boston's bench is a big reason why the Red Sox are one win away from their fourth World Series title since 2004.With the Red Sox regulars being held in check by the Los Angeles Dodgers, it was Mitch Moreland and Rafael Devers who came up with huge at-bats as Boston rallied for a 9-6 win on Saturday night to take a 3-1 lead in the series.Moreland hit a three-run home run off Ryan Madson in the seventh inning and Devers singled home Brock Holt with the go-ahead run in the ninth.Boston's pinch-hitters have come up big all series. Through the first four games, they are 6 for 18 (.333) with two home runs and seven RBIs. The Red Sox are batting .218 overall for the series.Moreland's homer to right on a first-pitch changeup was Boston's second pinch-hit home run in the World Series. The 1959 Dodgers and 1975 Red Sox are the only other teams with multiple pinch-hit homers in the same Fall Classic.He joins Bernie Carbo (who had two in 1975), Bobby Kielty (2007) and Eduardo Nunez... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The World Series was slipping away when Chris Sale stood in the back of the dugout and started screaming at his teammates.The Boston Red Sox had just fallen behind the Los Angeles Dodgers by four runs in the sixth inning Saturday night, nine outs from finding themselves tied 2-2 in a World Series that seemed to be a runaway just 28 hours earlier.His words were loud, not polite.These were not the reassuring words delivered by David Ortiz in his dugout huddle in St. Louis after the fifth inning of Game 4 five years ago.This was more like Justin Verlander's motivational message to the Houston Astros when he popped up the stairs in the very same dugout during Game 2 last October.Boston rallied on Mitch Moreland's three-run homer off Ryan Madson in the seventh and Steve Pearce's solo shot against Kenley Jansen in the eighth. Rafael Dever's go-ahead single in the ninth was followed by Pearce's three-run double and Xander Bogaert's RBI single built a five-run lead. With a 9-6... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):9:08 p.m.Steve Pearce hit a tying homer in the eighth and a three-run double in the ninth, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning for a 9-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night and a 3-1 World Series lead.The improbable surge all started with pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland's three-run homer in the seventh, shortly after Yasiel Puig's three-run homer in the sixth had put the Dodgers up 4-0.Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers singled in Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth, with also included Xander Bogaert's RBI single.Craig Kimbrel gave up Enrique Hernandez's two-run homer in the bottom half before getting the final three outs.Chris Sale starts for the Red Sox on Sunday against Clayton Kershaw, tying to close out Boston's fourth title in 15 seasons.___8:19 p.m.Thanks to Steve Pearce, we're tied again in the late innings at Dodger Stadium. Anyone up to play 18?Pearce... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):8:19 p.m.Thanks to Steve Pearce, we're tied again in the late innings at Dodger Stadium. Anyone up to play 18?Pearce launched a solo home run off closer Kenley Jansen with one out in the Red Sox eighth, making it 4-all.The top of the Boston lineup had done nothing for two days until Pearce, batting third, homered over the wall in left-center field to compete a comeback from a 4-0 deficit.Los Angeles threatened in the bottom half, but pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal struck out against Joe Kelly with runners at the corners.Game 3 was the longest in World Series, going 18 innings and more than seven hours. With both bullpens tired, we'll see how long Game 4 goes.___7:57 p.m.Pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland hit a long three-run homer off Ryan Madson, cutting the Los Angeles Dodgers' lead to 4-3 in the seventh inning of World Series Game 4.Given a four-run lead in the sixth on a run-scoring error and Yasiel Puig's three-run... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):7:57 p.m.Pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland hit a long three-run homer off Ryan Madson, cutting the Los Angeles Dodgers' lead to 4-3 in the seventh inning of World Series Game 4.Given a four-run lead in the sixth on a run-scoring error and Yasiel Puig's three-run homer, Rich Hill walked Xander Bogaerts leading off the seventh and struck out Eduardo Nunez.Scott Alexander relieved and walked Brock Holt, and Madson relieved and retired pinch-hitter Jackie Bradley Jr. on a popup. Moreland crushed a changeup, driving it 437 feet deep into the right-field pavilion.Hill allowed one run and one hit in 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts and three walks.Kenley Jansen relieved to start the eighth for the Dodgers, a night after allowing Bradley's tying home run in the eighth inning of a game the Dodgers won 3-2 in a Series-record 18 innings.___7:24 p.m.The Dodgers have taken a 4-0 lead in Game 4 of the World Series with a big sixth-inning... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):12:30 a.m.Max Muncy ended the longest World Series game ever with a leadoff home run in the 18th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Boston Red Sox 3-2 early Saturday to pull within 2-1.Muncy connected off Nathan Eovaldi, who was in his seventh inning of relief. It took seven hours and 561 pitches to settle this.The Red Sox were oh-so-close in the 13th to taking a huge 3-0 lead. But second baseman Ian Kinsler's wide throw on a two-out grounder by Yasiel Puig let Los Angeles score the tying run.Game 4 is Saturday and Rich Hill will start for the Dodgers. Eovaldi had been set to pitch until he entered in the 12th and stayed in.___12:15 a.m.The Dodgers and Red Sox are headed to the 18th inning in Game 3 of the World Series.Neither team did much offensively in the 17th against Los Angeles reliever Julio Urias and Boston's Nathan Eovaldi, who has now thrown six innings of two-hit ball.Jackie Bradley Jr. drew a walk,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):11:58 p.m.The longest game in postseason history is headed to the 17th inning at the World Series.The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers were tied 2-all after nearly seven hours and more than 500 pitches in Game 3.During the bottom of the 15th, the game surpassed the Giants' 18-inning, 6-hour and 23-minute win over Washington in the 2014 NL division series. And no World Series matchup had ever gone past the 14th.The Red Sox nearly got another run in the 15th against Kenta Maeda, the Dodgers' sixth reliever. Boston got their first two batters on base, but Maeda made a gutsy forceout throw to get Eduardo Nunez at third before striking out Sandy Leon and Mookie Betts, who didn't like the called third strike.Max Muncy came ever so close to ending it in the bottom half, but his long drive down the right field line hooked a few feet short of the pole.___11:42 p.m.The longest game in postseason history is headed to a 16th... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):11:09 p.m.The longest World Series game ever headed to the 15th inning Friday night with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers tied at 2.Both teams scored bizarre runs in the 13th that kept Game 3 going. Fans were still standing at packed Dodger Stadium after six hours of baseball.The Red Sox were oh-so-close to taking a huge 3-0 lead. But second baseman Ian Kinsler's wild throw on a two-out grounder by Yasiel Puig in the 13th let Los Angeles score the tying run.Twice before had Series games lasted 14 innings — Mets-Royals in 2014 and White Sox-Astros in 2005.___10:53 p.m.Game 3 of the World Series is headed to the 14th inning after both teams scored bizarre runs in the 13th.Boston went ahead when Brock Holt scored from second on a bad fielding exchange between Dodgers reliever Scott Alexander and second baseman Enrique Hernandez. Alexander fielded Eduardo Nunez's tapper back to the mound, but his throw to a hustling... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the World Series (all times local):10:53 p.m.Game 3 of the World Series is headed to the 14th inning after both teams scored bizarre runs in the 13th.Boston went ahead when Brock Holt scored from second on a bad fielding exchange between Dodgers reliever Scott Alexander and second baseman Enrique Hernandez. Alexander fielded Eduardo Nunez's tapper back to the mound, but his throw to a hustling Hernandez flew away and Holt scored.In the bottom half, Max Muncy drew a leadoff walk and tagged up on Cody Bellinger's foul pop. Yasiel Puig then hit a two-out grounder to second.But veteran Ian Kinsler botched the throw to first, and Muncy ran all the way around to score when it rolled away.___10:08 p.m.Game 3 of the World Series is going to the 13th inning in a 1-1 deadlock.Neither the Boston Red Sox nor the Los Angeles Dodgers got much going in the 12th — no surprise for a game dominated by pitching. Nathan Eovaldi, who had been set to start Game 4, made his third... [More]