Eduardo Nunez hit a three-run homer as the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 in the opening game of the best-of-seven World Series.

With the scores close at 5-4 in the seventh inning, Nunez delivered two runners before providing a huge dinger that sailed over the Green Monster at Fenway Park.

Andrew Benintendi had gone four-for-five with three singles and a double, with all his hits coming off left-handed pitching – Los Angeles star Clayton Kershaw lost three runs to the Ohio-born outfielder.

The Dodgers remained in contention throughout, however, tying the game up 2-2 in the third inning and 3-3 in the fifth and making it 5-4 thanks to a sacrifice fly from Manny Machado.

But Boston, who were dominant across the regular MLB season, protected their advantage when Eduardo Rodriguez got Cody Bellinger out on a shallow fly to centre with two men on base.

Nunez then stepped up to the plate and his crucial blast against an Alex Wood offering flew beyond Boston's famous left-field wall and out of the park with an exit velocity of 106.8mph.