The 10 most important matchups in the World Series:
1. Dodgers Outfielders vs. the Weirdness of Fenway Park
The pivotal catch Chris Taylor made in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series would not have been possible in Fenway Park because of the Green Monster; no left fielder can sprint away from home plate to make a catch without winding up in concussion protocol.
Center field is strange, too, with the triangle, the jagged corner of the bullpen and the low wall that has a history of breaking outfielders, as Carlos Beltran can testify to. Right field is enormous, with the greatest space of any right field area in the American League, and danger lurks at the base of the Pesky Pole down the line: If the right fielder does not properly cut the ball off, it can hug the wall behind him and curl around the right-field corner as the hitter races around the bases.
Yasiel Puig has never played in Fenway Park. Neither has Cody Bellinger, nor Joc Pederson. Taylor became a superutility player after he left the Mariners organization and greeted the Monster as an outfielder for the first time here Monday night. It's very possible the L.A. outfielders can defend without major incident in the Fenway games in this series, but there is tremendous potential for disaster because experience is so important to play in this park, and the Dodgers simply don't have any among those most likely to be in the lineup.
