Editing Boston Red Sox (section)

===="Damage done": 2018 World Series Championship====
[[File:Jackie Bradley Jr. in 2017 (36547479673).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|2018 [[ALCS MVP]] – [[Jackie Bradley Jr.]]]]
[[File:Steven Pearce 2018-08-28.jpeg|thumb|right|upright|2018 [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award|World Series MVP]] – [[Steve Pearce (baseball)|Steve Pearce]]]]
{{Main|2018 Boston Red Sox season|2018 World Series}}
The Red Sox finished with a {{winning percentage|108|54|record=y}} record, winning the [[American League East]] division title for the third consecutive season, eight games ahead of the second-place [[2018 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Associated |first=The |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2018/10/04/red-sox-yankees-alds-preview |title=Here's what you need to know before the Red Sox-Yankees ALDS |publisher=Boston.com |date=October 4, 2018 |access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref> and were the first team to clinch a berth in the [[2018 MLB Postseason|2018 postseason]].<ref>{{cite news|author=AP |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/09/11/red-sox-become-1st-team-in-majors-to-clinch-playoff-spot/37788601/ |title=Boston Red Sox become first team in majors to clinch playoff spot |work=USA Today |access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref> The Red Sox surpassed the 100-win mark for the first time since [[1946 Boston Red Sox season|1946]], broke the franchise record of 105 wins that had been set in [[1912 Boston Red Sox season|1912]], and won the most games of any MLB team since the [[2001 Seattle Mariners season|2001 Seattle Mariners]] won 116.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2018/09/21/red-sox-clinch-al-east-yankees |title=Red Sox clinch AL East title with win against the Yankees |first=Mike |last=Fitzpatrick |website=[[Boston.com]] |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |date=September 21, 2018 |access-date=September 21, 2018}}</ref> The 2018 Red Sox were led by All-Stars [[Mookie Betts]], [[J. D. Martinez]], [[Chris Sale]], and [[Craig Kimbrel]]. Betts led baseball in batting average and slugging percentage, while Martinez led in runs batted in. Sale tossed only 158 innings due to a shoulder injury late in the year, but was otherwise superb, posting a 2.11 [[earned run average]] to go along with 237 [[strikeout]]s. Kimbrel [[Save (baseball)|save]]d 42 games and struck out 96 batters.

The Red Sox entered the postseason as the top seed in the [[American League]], and defeated the New York Yankees (100–62) in four games in the [[2018 American League Division Series|Division Series]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24945982/boston-red-sox-survive-late-threat-new-york-yankees-reach-alcs |title=Boston Red Sox survive late threat from New York Yankees to reach ALCS |work=ESPN |date=October 10, 2018 |access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref> Next, they defeated the defending champion [[2018 Houston Astros season|Houston Astros]] (103–59) in five games in the [[2018 American League Championship Series|League Championship Series]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Acquavella |first=Katherine |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/red-sox-vs-astros-score-boston-is-world-series-bound-thanks-to-david-prices-gem-on-short-rest/ |title=Red Sox vs. Astros score: Boston is World Series-bound thanks to David Price's gem on short rest |work=CBS Sports |date=October 19, 2018 |access-date=October 27, 2018}}</ref> Boston then defeated the [[2018 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] (92–71) in five games in the [[2018 World Series|World Series]], for the team's fourth championship in 15 years and ninth in franchise history. The team's motto during the season, "do damage",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.barstoolsports.com/boston/the-red-sox-went-undefeated-in-the-postseason-after-getting-trolled |title=The Red Sox Went Undefeated In The Postseason After Getting 'Trolled' |author=Feitelberg |website=[[Barstool Sports]] |date=October 29, 2018 |access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> became "damage done" upon their victory.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bosoxinjection.com/2018/10/29/boston-red-sox-world-series-champs-need-shirt/ |title=The Boston Red Sox are World Series champs and you need this shirt |first=Nathan |last=Cunningham |website=bosoxinjection.com |date=October 29, 2018 |access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref>

Based on these exploits, the team is considered the best MLB team of the 2010s, one of the best Red Sox teams ever, and one of the best baseball teams since the [[1998 New York Yankees season|1998 New York Yankees]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-best-and-worst-of-pro-sports-in-the-2010s/ |title=The Best — And Worst — Of Pro Sports In The 2010s |first=Neil |last=Paine |website=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |date=December 31, 2019 |access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/10/25/world-series-win-would-place-red-sox-among-mlbs-best-teams-ever/ |title=A World Series win would place 2018 Red Sox among MLB's best teams ever |first=Neil |last=Greenberg |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 25, 2018 |access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24259760/mlb-the-best-boston-red-sox-team-ever |title=This just might be the best Red Sox team ... ever |first=David |last=Schoenfield |website=[[ESPN.com]] |date=August 3, 2018 |access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/1640232 |title=Where do the 2018 Red Sox rank among the greatest teams ever? |first=Simon |last=Sharkey-Gotlieb |website=[[Score Media and Gaming Inc.|theScore]] |date=October 30, 2018 |access-date=January 1, 2020}}</ref>