Red Sox vs. Dodgers: BoSox clinches World Series title, surpassing L.A. in Game 5

The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Sunday night's fifth game against the 2018 World Series. The Red Sox are once again world champions. This is their ninth title in franchise history and their fourth since 2004. Add to that 108 wins in the regular season for Boston, as well as their convincing referrals against the New York Yankees and Houston Astros in the opening rounds . Team seasons in recent memory.

Here's what you need to know about game 5.

Price drives

David Price entered this playoff series by claiming that he could not behave well in the playoffs. The numbers corroborated this idea. Price's teams had no win in their first 10 starts in the playoffs, including the second match of ALDS.

Price has since gnawed at this story. Of course, his start in the second match of the ALCS was not great – he allowed four points in four and a half innings – but he was going to deliver six white innings during a win in the fifth match of the ALCS. In the second game of the world series, he offered another quality start. He then pitched into Match 3, removing two of the four batters he faced.

Sunday, Price had probably his best effort of the month. He pitched seven innings, allowed one point (a home win for David Freese) on three hits and two walks and caught five. He gave the Red Sox some length when their gas pen needed it, and on their offensive enough time to create a comfortable lead.

Basically, Price did what the above-average beginners are supposed to do. The only reason this was a surprise – remember, he's been doing it in the regular season since 2010 – that's because his post-season success has eluded him for most of his career. Just, it seems, no more.

Pearce returns big

Steve Pearce entered Match 4 with a timely home run and a double. He maintained the course of Game 5 by scoring a two-run homer in the first inning to give Boston a 2-0 lead:

In eighth place, Pearce has once again regressed – this time, Pedro Baez raised the score to 5-1:

Pearce, who signed a contract with the mid-season Blue Jays, has played a lot this season in playoffs because of Mitch Moreland's hamstring. It's funny to think, but this injury has turned out to be a blessing in disguise

Pearce played a quality defense on first base and came into the night with four extra hits and eight RBIs in over 12 playoff games. It's going to work.

Kershaw just not enough

Clayton Kershaw started Match 5 better than Match 1. That was not enough to keep the Dodgers in the game with their troubled attack.

Kershaw lasted seven innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits (three home runs). He did not walk and hit five. Kershaw's three licensed circuits add to a regrettable record that he possesses:

Kershaw certainly did not do enough to erase the story surrounding his playoff performances. But let's be clear: he was not the biggest contributor to the loss of the Dodgers.

Betts and Martinez contribute

During the regular season, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez were two of the best offensive players in the game. Betts, for his part, seems almost certain to win the AL MVP award.

Neither one nor the other had been so powerful in the world series. The Betts entered Sunday striking .211 / .318 / .263 with one more shot. (He did not dominate in his first 13 playoff games.) Martinez hit .214 / .353 / .286 with one more shot. The two naturally found a way to do something worthwhile on Sunday.

Betts hit a solo home race to put the score at 3-1:

And Martinez later added a solo circuit to do it 4-1:

Sometimes, just play the hits. When we think about this team, we will not remember the setbacks of the World Series at Betts and Martinez. We will remember them as two of the main reasons they were in this position – and, in addition, two of the reasons they won the fifth game.

Freese homers, triples

David Freese seems to like the World Series playoffs. In 2011, his efforts allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to stay alive against the Texas Rangers. He could not do it alone on Sunday, but that did not stop him from trying.

Freese picked up two hits against Price, his counterpart led early in the first and later to "tripling" a Martinez goof in the right field. Predictably, this earned him a place in the story:

At this point, we can just as easily call the homer-triple combination in a World Series Freese playoff match. Hey, we are as surprised as anyone else that comes to that.

The story says …

Teams that climb 4-1 in a best-of-seven series have won the series 100% of the time. (Just a bit of humor for regular readers of our post-season recap, people.)

And after

The Red Sox will probably hold their championship parade later in the week. Until the next baseball game, there is action in the fall league of Arizona and in the Korean baseball organization. Soon, all kinds of winter ball leagues will start playing. There is baseball to follow and appreciate. Just not the mark of Major League Baseball. Do not be scared, it will come back in 2019. CBS Sports will accompany you throughout the process to update this story with the latest scores, highlights and badyzes of Red Sox Vs. If you can not see the live updates below, please click here.

Thank you for being past.