Dodgers-Red Sox Game 2 is up 13% from a 9.3 in '15 for Royals-MetsGETTY IMAGES
Fox last night saw another ratings decline for the World Series, as the Red Sox' 4-2 win over the Dodgers in Game 2 was lower than the past two years. The telecast, which will still deliver Fox a primetime win, drew a 9.9 overnight, down 10% from an 11.0 for Astros-Dodgers Game 2 last year, which went to 11 innings. Dodgers-Red Sox Game 2 also is down sharply from an 11.3 for Cubs-Indians Game 2 in '16, which started at 7:00pm ET due to the threat of rain. Last night's game began at the traditional 8:09pm start time. While down from the last two years, last night's game is up 13% from a 9.3 in '15 for Royals-Mets, and also up from a 9.5 in '13 for the Red Sox' last World Series appearance. Last night's game peaked at an 11.6 rating from 10:00-10:15pm. Boston drew a 33.7 local rating, while L.A. drew a 22.1 (Austin Karp, THE DAILY).
RADIO DAZE: YAHOO SPORTS' Mark Townsend notes ESPN Radio, Boston-based WEEI-AM and the Dodgers' Spanish radio station all "reportedly lost power" last night in the fifth inning. The timing of the outage "could not have been worse," as it happened "just before" Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez hit a two-run single to take the lead. But radio crews deserve credit for "doing their best" to never lose stride, "especially ESPN Radio play-by-play man Dan Shulman," who called part of the game from his cell phone during the outage (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/25).
CALLER ID: In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal notes Fox' John Smoltz during Game 1 misidentified Red Sox P Matt Barnes as P Heath Hembree "not once but twice" in the fifth inning -- and if anyone in the Fox crew "corrected him, it wasn’t on the air or even acknowledged for viewers." An announcer "should know who’s in the game he’s calling" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/25).
CUP OF JOE: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes there is "no problem" with Fox' Joe Buck, and Dodgers fans should want "no one else" calling World Series games. Hoffarth: "We can see where the Buck blowback comes from, as perhaps one becomes weary from the overexposure of having done everything Dodgers-related this postseason." Buck can come off as "beyond the gravity or importance of these championship-level games. But when he "starts defaulting to snarky retorts," it is meant to convey to viewers to "stop taking things so seriously" (L.A. TIMES, 10/25).
