Game 2 was the first time the Los Angeles Dodgers led the Boston Red Sox at any point of the series. Boston played one full inning with the Dodgers up 2-1 before answering back with three runs of their own to put them up 4-2.In Friday night's Game 3鈥攖he longest game in World Series history鈥攖he Dodgers put even more pressure on the Sox http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-tony-gwynn-jersey , going up 1-0 in the third inning. Boston didn't answer back until the eighth inning, with a solo homer by Jackie Bradley Jr. tying the game at 1-1 and sending the third tussle of the 2018 World Series into extra innings.The Sox were finally able to notch a second run in the 13th inning, but the Dodgers responded with a run of their own to level proceedings. The marathon of a game, which lasted more than seven hours, went to the 18th inning. That's when Los Angeles' Max Muncy had a walk-off homer to give his team an epic 3-2 win and cut Boston's series lead to 2-1.The most exciting game of this World Series, Game 3 showed off both teams' pitching abilities on a night where each squad sent nine different pitchers to the mound. The Red Sox pitchers totaled 15 strikeouts and two earned runs, while their Dodgers counterparts answered back with 19 strikeouts and two earned runs.While L.A. stepped up from its three-hit Game 2 performance with 11 hits in Game 3, Boston had a little more trouble at the plate, hitting only seven鈥攊ts lowest total of the series.Game 4 InfoWhen: Saturday, 8:09 p.m. ETWhere: Dodger Stadium, Los AngelesTV: FoxLive Steam: Fox Sports Go Game 4 PreviewWith Games 3 and 4 back-to-back, the pitching lineup was unknown until Friday afternoon, when it was announced Nathan Eovaldi would start Game 4 for the Red Sox and Rich Hill would be in for the Dodgers.However, the situation changed as Boston stretched into the 12th inning of Friday night's game. Eovaldi was brought out to relieve Heath Hembree from the mound and pitched six innings. He struck out five and allowed three hits on 97 pitches before giving up the homer that won the Dodgers the game.David J. Phillip/Associated Press/Associated PressOn Saturday afternoon, the Red Sox finally released their starting pitcher for Saturday night's game. Left-handed Eduardo Rodriguez will be the first player since 1924 to start a World Series game on zero days' rest, according to MLB.com.SportsCenter SportsCenterEduardo Rodriguez will become only the 6th pitcher in World Series history to start a game on 0 days rest. The last guy to do that and win?Orval Overall ... in 1908. kvZCL2QJAQWhile Rodriguez has played frequently in the postseason, he has not played for very long鈥攚ith his most pitching in one game coming in 1.2 innings against the New York Yankees in the division series. Additionally, Rodriguez has not started a game in the postseason yet and hasn't pitched more than 3.7 innings since September 13.Rodriguez had an ERA of 3.82 in the regular season, and in the 4.1 innings he has played in six different postseason games, he has allowed three earned runs. Along with that, he has allowed two hits and a homer while walking three and striking out five.Rodriguez has struggled giving up runs, which could prove to be problematic for the Sox. In the month of September, Rodriguez gave up 15 earned runs in 25 innings played.Here's a look at how Dodgers players have fared against Rodriguez in their careers:Brian Dozier: 4-for-9, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 KDavid Freese: 1-for-2, 2 BBEnrique Hernandez: 2-for-2Manny Machado: 6-for-33, 2 2B, 4 BB, 6 KCorey Seager: 1-for-3, 2B http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-dave-winfield-jersey , RBI, KChris Taylor: 1-for-1Justin Turner: 0-for-3, KHill has also been confirmed as the starting pitcher for the Dodgers despite some doubt. Hill was initially slated as Game 4's starting pitcher; however, after Friday night's 18-inning game, the Dodgers said their starting pitcher was "TBD."Yianni Kourakis YianniKourakisDave Roberts says they were toying with an 鈥渙pener鈥?but decided to stay with Rich Hill for game four ufVe4FfJ1EDuring the regular season, Hill boasted an ERA of 3.66 and led the Dodgers' pitchers in wins with 11. He has started two games in the postseason and closed the Dodgers' 7-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 6 of the National League Conference Series.In the two games he started and won against the Brewers and the Atlanta Braves, Hill allowed only three earned runs and seven hits through 9.1 innings. He struggled to hit the strike zone, though, allowing eight walks while striking out nine.Against Boston, however, the 13-year veteran has found more success. Here's a look at how some of the Red Sox players have matched up against Hill in their careers:Mookie Betts: 1-for-1Brock Holt: 0-for-1, KIan Kinsler: 1-for-7, 2 K, 2 BBJ.D. Martinez: 2-for-9, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 5 KMitch Moreland: 0-for-2, 2 KEduardo Nunez: 4-for-9, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, KSteve Pearce: 3-for-11, RBI, KHill has 12 strikeouts compared to three walks and 11 hits. This does not bode well for a Sox team that struggled to get anything going at the plate during Friday's game.Hill's experience and stronger numbers lean toward a favorable matchup for the Dodgers. While both teams exhausted their bullpens on Friday night, the Dodgers were able to rest Hill and have him ready for Saturday night. Rodriguez, on the other hand, pitched one out鈥攁 strikeout鈥攊n the fifth inning of Game 3. With Rodriguez's track record for playing fewer innings and Hill's team-high 11 regular-season wins, the Dodgers look like they may be able to tie up the series 2-2 on Saturday night in Los Angeles.Game Prediction: Dodgers 5, Red Sox 3 The 2018 MLB season is rapidly winding to a close, as we are now just six weeks from the start of the postseason. With 16 teams still sporting a winning record and four division titles and four wild-card spots still very much up for grabs Rollie Fingers Jersey , there's still a lot left to be decided between now and the beginning of the playoffs.For now, just remember that these rankings are fluid. Teams rise and fall based on where they were ranked the previous week. If a team keeps winning, it will keep climbing鈥攊t's as simple as that.Here's where all 30 teams stand heading into the rest of this week's action:Updated Rankings1 Boston Red Sox (88-37)2 New York Yankees (78-46)3 Oakland Athletics (74-50)24 Houston Astros (75-49)15 Chicago Cubs (71-52)16 Cleveland Indians (71-52)17 Arizona Diamondbacks (69-56)28 Colorado Rockies (68-56)79 St. Louis Cardinals (68-57)410 Atlanta Braves (68-55)211 Los Angeles Dodgers (67-58)112 Seattle Mariners (71-54)613 Milwaukee Brewers (69-57)214 Philadelphia Phillies (68-56)215 Tampa Bay Rays (63-61)216 Pittsburgh Pirates (63-62)217 Los Angeles Angels (63-63)218 Minnesota Twins (59-64)419 Texas Rangers (56-70)220 Washington Nationals (62-63)421 San Francisco Giants (61-64)322 New York Mets (54-69)223 Cincinnati Reds (55-69)224 Toronto Blue Jays (55-69)125 San Diego Padres (49-78)526 Chicago White Sox (46-77)227 Miami Marlins (50-76)28 Detroit Tigers (51-74)229 Kansas City Royals (38-86)30 Baltimore Orioles (37-87) Teams That ImpressedJack Flaherty has been dominant for the St. Louis Cardinals this month.Colin E. Braley/Associated PressHere come theColorado Rockies.With an 8-1 record in their last nine games, they've gone from 3.5 games back in the wild-card standings to tied with Philadelphia and Milwaukee for the right to host the Wild Card Game.Trevor Story continues to swing a hot bat with a .310/.333/.634 line in August that includes six more home runs to bring his season total to 26. On the mound, Kyle Freeland sports a 2.13 ERA in four starts this month, and he's quietly been one of the NL's best starters all season, going 11-7 with a 2.96 ERA in 25 starts.TheSt. Louis Cardinalsare the other team charging hard on the NL side.With a 14-4 record and plus-43 run differential in August, they've climbed right back into the race for both a wild-card spot and the NL Central title, and series wins against the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers this past week only furthered their cause.Young right-hander Jack Flaherty is 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in three starts this month, while Jose Martinez is hitting a robust .400/.450/.527 to bring his season batting line to .308/.369/.468 overall.That being said, no team had a better week than theOakland Athletics.By taking two of three against the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros, they are just one game back in the AL West standings. And they avenged some early-season struggles against the reigning World Series champions.This Oakland team is the real deal, and while it's going to have its hands full catching up to and holding off the Astros, it's in a great position to secure the second wild-card spot and reach the postseason for the first time since 2014.TheCleveland Indians(5-1),Minnesota Twins(5-1) andChicago White Sox(4-2) were the only other teams to win both of their series last week, as for one brief span, the AL Central didn't look quite so feeble. The only logical explanation is that they read this article from Zachary Rymer and were inspired.Teams That DisappointedMariners manager Scott ServaisLindsey Wasson/Getty ImagesTheSeattle Marinerssuffered series losses to the Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers last week, and in the process, they slipped further out of the wild-card picture.It's essentially a two-horse race between the A's and M's for the second AL wild-card spot, which makes a head-to-head series loss that much more painful. The Mariners have been hanging on by a thread all season, as evidenced by their minus-42 run differential, and last week could be the beginning of the slide.On the NL side, theMilwaukee Brewerscontinued their tumble down the rankings with a weekend series loss to the division-rival Cardinals.That gives the Brew Crew a 6-10 record and minus-31 run differential for the month. They are 3.5 games back in the NL Central race and tied for the wild card.ThePittsburgh Pirates(2-4),Washington Nationals(2-5) andSan Francisco Giants(2-4) all saw their slim playoff hopes take a hit with losing weeks.They now have a combined 19.6 percent chance to secure a postseason berth, according to the latest projections from FanGraphs. MVPs of the WeekHitter:Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta BravesStats:13-for-28, 2 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 11 R, 3 SBIt was quite the week for Braves rookie phenom Ronald Acuna.The 20-year-old tied a franchise record by homering in five straight games but then had to exit the team's game on Wednesday when he was seemingly intentionally drilled by Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Urena with a fastball to lead off the game.He returned the next day and showed no ill effects of the beaning with a three-hit game on Saturday, and he's been a force for the contending Braves in the second half.As he looks to chase down Juan Soto and Dereck Rodriguez in the NL Rookie of the Year race http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-randy-jones-jersey , Acuna is hitting .366/.430/.789 with eight home runs in 79 plate appearances in August. Pitcher:Jhoulys Chacin, Milwaukee BrewersStats:2 GS, 2-0, 13.0 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 KYu Darvish (6/$126M), Jake Arrieta (3/$75M), Alex Cobb (4/$57M), Tyler Chatwood (3/$38M), Mike Minor (3/$28M),Andrew Cashner (2/$16M) and Jason Vargas (2/$16M) all earned more money in free agency than Jhoulys Chacin, who signed a two-year, $15.5 million deal to join the Brewers.Yet, Chacin has been as good or better than all of them:Darvish: 8 GS, 1-3, 4.95 ERA, 1.43 WHIPArrieta:24 GS, 9-8, 3.25 ERA, 1.21 WHIPCobb: 23 GS, 4-15, 5.09 ERA, 1.43 WHIPChatwood: 20 GS, 4-6, 5.22 ERA, 1.81 WHIPMinor: 22 GS, 9-6, 4.61 ERA, 1.16 WHIPCashner: 23 GS, 4-10 Johnny Manziel Jersey , 4.71 ERA, 1.49 WHIPVargas: 13 GS, 2-8, 8.10 ERA, 1.78 WHIPChacin: 27 GS, 13-4, 3.58 ERA, 1.17 WHIPFinding a frontline starter looked like the biggest need for the Brewers when the offseason began, and failing to land any of the marquee names on the open market seemed like a missed opportunity at the time.Now, after two excellent starts last week of six and seven scoreless innings, it's clear the front office made the right decision.Video Highlights of the WeekLongest Home Run:C.J. Cron, Tampa Bay Rays (464 feet)Despite his defensive shortcomings (-2 DRS) and limited on-base skills (.317 OBP, 6.2 BB%), C.J. Cron has been a consistent source of power for the Rays this season.After three straight seasons with 16 home runs, he's already set a career high with 24 long balls this season while posting a 118 wRC+and driving in a team-high 59 runs.The 28-year-old was acquired in February in a trade with the Angels, and with team control through the 2020 season, he's proved to be a cheap middle-of-the-order solution after the front office traded away Evan Longoria, Steven Souza Jr. and Corey Dickerson during the offseason and opted against re-signing Logan Morrison.His 464-foot blast off Red Sox starter David Price was the longest homer of the season by a Rays hitter this season, and he took on the Green Monster and emerged victorious. Best Defensive Play:Harrison Bader, St. Louis CardinalsHarrison Bader has been a stud in the outfield this season.The 24-year-old rookie has been worth 3.9 WAR, and while he's been solid at the plate with a .285/.354/.453 line that includes 23 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases, it's his defense that is making him a star.This catch is the perfect example of his excellent mix of speed and instincts, as he turned what looked to be a sure double in the gap into a highlight-reel catch.Bader has racked up an impressive 21 DRS with a 19.5 UZR/150 on the season, and while he's been splitting time in center field for much of the year, a Gold Glove Award could be in his future.Must-See Upcoming MatchupCleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox (Monday-Thursday)Corey KluberJamie Sabau/Getty ImagesThe Indians have been streaking of late with a 17-6 record in their last 23 games.However, that run of success has come against a string of non-contenders, and the uber-weak AL Central has not provided much of a test for the Tribe all season.A big test awaits this week, though.The Indians will head to Boston to take on the first-place Red Sox for a four-game series, the first time this season the two teams have squared off.And while they'll miss ace Chris Sale鈥攚ho is on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation鈥攊t will still be a good gauge of where the Indians are as they go up against baseball's best team.For the Red Sox, it's a chance to further solidify their standing as the No. 1 team, and it could wind up being an ALCS preview.All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.