Former San Francisco Giants Have Greatest Impact on Game 1 of the World Series

Eduardo Nunez played parts of two seasons for the San Francisco Giants before being traded to the Boston Red Sox last season.

Dave Roberts, the current Los Angeles Dodgers manager, also played parts of two seasons for the San Francisco Giants before retiring in 2008.

Nunez and Roberts became the key subjects in the most pivotal moment of Game 1 of the World Series.

With the score 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Roberts decided to pull relief pitcher Pedro Baez for former starter Alex Wood. Baez had struck out pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland and after intentionally walking J.D. Martinez, struck out Xander Bogaerts.

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Roberts was bringing in Wood to face the left handed hitting Rafael Devers, so Red Sox manager Alex Cora countered with Nunez.

Two pitches later, Nunez put one over the Green Monster in left and Fenway Park was rocking.

Roberts after the game was asked about the decision.

"“Devers is really good against the right hander, and to get a guy off the bench and Nunez, I really liked Alex in that spot, I did.”"

Despite an All-Star appearance and a 16-3 record in 2017, 2018 has been a different story for Wood. It hasn’t been better in the early rounds of the playoffs.

In the National League Division Series, Freddie Freeman took Wood deep in the late innings to give the Atlanta Braves the lead and ultimately the win.

Then, in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, Wood gave up a home run to Travis Shaw in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend the lead to 2-0 at the time for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers would go on to come back and win that game, but Wood clearly hasn’t been pitching well in the playoffs.

Nunez entered the game having gone 3-16 at the plate so far in the post-season with one double and one run batted in.

It was the biggest moment of his career and it vaulted the Red Sox to a 1-0 series lead.