The Dodgers faced the Boston Red Sox, who had the best record in baseball in 2018, in the World Series. The series began at Fenway Park as the Red Sox had secured homefield advantage. Kershaw became the first pitcher to start the first game of the World Series in back-to-back years since Cliff Lee did so in 2009 (for the Phillies) and 2010 (for the Rangers) and the first to do so for the same team since Dave Stewart pitched three consecutive Game 1s for the Oakland Athletics from 1988 to 1990. His results were not good, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 4+ innings. The Dodgers kept it close most of the game thanks to a Matt Kemp homer and three RBI by Manny Machado but the Red Sox pulled away when Eduardo Núñez hit a three-run pinch-hit homer off Alex Wood in the eighth to win the game, 8–4.