(no subject)
ST. LOUIS -- The world of the 2004 Red Sox has officially spun inside out since Oct. 17, the day they showed up at Fenway Park trailing the Yankees, 3-0, in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. In case you missed it, the Sox haven't lost since and are a mere 27 outs away from becoming one of the greatest sports stories ever.
This, after they silenced the Cardinals, 4-1, in Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.
Now, the Sox are the team with the 3-0 lead, giving them four chances to wrap up their first World Series championship since 1918.
Only by matching the dubiously historic feat of the Yankees last week will the Sox be able to avoid ending that long-chronicled drought. Twenty-five out of 26 teams in Major League Baseball have been on the winning end after leading a best-of-seven series, 3-0.
Derek Lowe, who helped put away the Yankees with six innings of one-hit ball in Game 7 of the ALCS, has an opportunity to pitch another clincher on Wednesday night. This one would end the 2004 baseball season.
For those who wondered how Pedro Martinez would handle the first World Series start of his career, the three-time Cy Young Award winner responded with his most dominant performance in this postseason. The day after his 33rd birthday, he thoroughly stifled the usually prolific offense of the Cardinals, holding them to three hits over his seven shutout innings, striking out six and retiring the last 14 batters he faced.
The Red Sox have won seven straight games and a victory in Game 4 would not only capture the title for Boston, but it would set the record for the most consecutive postseason wins to close out a championship.
The Sox came two outs shy of notching their first World Series shutout since Bruce Hurst and Calvin Schiraldi combined in Game 1 against the Mets in 1986. But Wednesday night, on the 18th anniversary of their Game 7 loss to the Mets, the Sox can win it all.
The offense, clutch throughout this series, came through when it needed to. Manny Ramirez belted a solo homer, setting the tone in the top of the first. The other big hits came from Trot Nixon (RBI single), Ramirez (RBI single) and Bill Mueller (RBI double).
As they've done in every game in this World Series, the Sox jumped in front in the first inning. This time, the lead came with just one swing, as Ramirez clocked a two-out, solo shot to left off Jeff Suppan. It was Ramirez's 18th career home run in postseason, tying him with Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson for second on the all-time list.
The Cardinals had something going against Martinez in the bottom of the first, loading the bases with one out. But on a shallow flyout to left by Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker surprisingly tried to score. He was tagged out by Jason Varitek, who easily handled Ramirez's accurate one-hopper.
In the third, the Cardinals had another golden opportunity against Martinez. Suppan got things going with a perfect bunt single down the third-base line. Edgar Renteria laced a double to right. Then, the Cardinals stung themselves again with shoddy baserunning.
A grounder to second by Walker undoubtedly should have scored Suppan. Mark Bellhorn methodically fielded the ball and eased the throw to first, essentially giving away the run for the sure out. But Suppan got hung up on the third-base line. First baseman David Ortiz alertly fired a throw to third baseman Mueller, who tagged Suppan out.
Meanwhile, the Boston bats kept coming. Mueller ignited yet another two-out rally by the Sox in the fourth, lacing a double to left-center. Nixon smashed a single off the wall in right to score Mueller and give the Sox a 2-0 edge.
Suppan didn't hang around much longer. Johnny Damon led off the fifth with a double to right, moved to third on Orlando Cabrera's single and scored on Ramirez's single to left. With two outs, Mueller came through again, smacking an RBI single to right to make it 4-0. That was all for Suppan, who was replaced by Al Reyes. No Cardinals starting pitcher has made it out of the fifth inning in this series.
Martinez, after looking hittable early, got nasty.
He gave way to Mike Timlin, who tamed the Cardinals in the eighth. Sox closer Keith Foulke, despite giving up a solo homer to Walker, finished it off in the ninth, putting the Sox on the cusp of their most glorious accomplishment in 86 years.
^got that at mlb.com^ ((high five to anyone who read all of that))
WOW
absolutely AMAZING
im like a baseball player in the way that im so superstitious so i debating saying this but....
i think there really are baseball gods... and i think theyre on our side
This, after they silenced the Cardinals, 4-1, in Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.
Now, the Sox are the team with the 3-0 lead, giving them four chances to wrap up their first World Series championship since 1918.
Only by matching the dubiously historic feat of the Yankees last week will the Sox be able to avoid ending that long-chronicled drought. Twenty-five out of 26 teams in Major League Baseball have been on the winning end after leading a best-of-seven series, 3-0.
Derek Lowe, who helped put away the Yankees with six innings of one-hit ball in Game 7 of the ALCS, has an opportunity to pitch another clincher on Wednesday night. This one would end the 2004 baseball season.
For those who wondered how Pedro Martinez would handle the first World Series start of his career, the three-time Cy Young Award winner responded with his most dominant performance in this postseason. The day after his 33rd birthday, he thoroughly stifled the usually prolific offense of the Cardinals, holding them to three hits over his seven shutout innings, striking out six and retiring the last 14 batters he faced.
The Red Sox have won seven straight games and a victory in Game 4 would not only capture the title for Boston, but it would set the record for the most consecutive postseason wins to close out a championship.
The Sox came two outs shy of notching their first World Series shutout since Bruce Hurst and Calvin Schiraldi combined in Game 1 against the Mets in 1986. But Wednesday night, on the 18th anniversary of their Game 7 loss to the Mets, the Sox can win it all.
The offense, clutch throughout this series, came through when it needed to. Manny Ramirez belted a solo homer, setting the tone in the top of the first. The other big hits came from Trot Nixon (RBI single), Ramirez (RBI single) and Bill Mueller (RBI double).
As they've done in every game in this World Series, the Sox jumped in front in the first inning. This time, the lead came with just one swing, as Ramirez clocked a two-out, solo shot to left off Jeff Suppan. It was Ramirez's 18th career home run in postseason, tying him with Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson for second on the all-time list.
The Cardinals had something going against Martinez in the bottom of the first, loading the bases with one out. But on a shallow flyout to left by Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker surprisingly tried to score. He was tagged out by Jason Varitek, who easily handled Ramirez's accurate one-hopper.
In the third, the Cardinals had another golden opportunity against Martinez. Suppan got things going with a perfect bunt single down the third-base line. Edgar Renteria laced a double to right. Then, the Cardinals stung themselves again with shoddy baserunning.
A grounder to second by Walker undoubtedly should have scored Suppan. Mark Bellhorn methodically fielded the ball and eased the throw to first, essentially giving away the run for the sure out. But Suppan got hung up on the third-base line. First baseman David Ortiz alertly fired a throw to third baseman Mueller, who tagged Suppan out.
Meanwhile, the Boston bats kept coming. Mueller ignited yet another two-out rally by the Sox in the fourth, lacing a double to left-center. Nixon smashed a single off the wall in right to score Mueller and give the Sox a 2-0 edge.
Suppan didn't hang around much longer. Johnny Damon led off the fifth with a double to right, moved to third on Orlando Cabrera's single and scored on Ramirez's single to left. With two outs, Mueller came through again, smacking an RBI single to right to make it 4-0. That was all for Suppan, who was replaced by Al Reyes. No Cardinals starting pitcher has made it out of the fifth inning in this series.
Martinez, after looking hittable early, got nasty.
He gave way to Mike Timlin, who tamed the Cardinals in the eighth. Sox closer Keith Foulke, despite giving up a solo homer to Walker, finished it off in the ninth, putting the Sox on the cusp of their most glorious accomplishment in 86 years.
^got that at mlb.com^ ((high five to anyone who read all of that))
WOW
absolutely AMAZING
im like a baseball player in the way that im so superstitious so i debating saying this but....
i think there really are baseball gods... and i think theyre on our side