Red Sox win World Series
BOSTON — David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox capped their remarkable turnaround by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 in Game 6 on Wednesday to win their third World Series championship in 10 seasons, clinching at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918.
There hasn’t been a party like this in New England for nearly a century.
Turmoil to triumph. Worst to first.
Shane Victorino, symbolic of these resilient Red Sox, returned from a stiff back and got Boston started with a three-run double off the Green Monster against rookie sensation Michael Wacha.
John Lackey became the first pitcher to start and win a Series clincher for two different teams, allowing one run over 6 2-3 innings 11 years after his Game 7 victory as an Angels rookie in 2002.
With fans roaring on every pitch and cameras flashing, Koji Uehara struck out Matt Carpenter for the final out. The Japanese pitcher jumped into the arms of catcher David Ross while Red Sox players rushed from the dugout and bullpen as the Boston theme “Dirty Water” played on the public-address system.
And the Red Sox didn’t have to fly the trophy home. For the first time since Babe Ruth’s team back in 1918, Boston won the title at Fenway Park. The 101-year-old ballpark, oldest in the majors, was packed with 38,447 singing, shouting fans anticipating a celebration 95 years in the making.
There wasn’t the cowboy-up comeback charm of “The Idiots” from 2004, who swept St. Louis to end an 86-year title drought. There wasn’t that cool efficiency of the 2007 team that swept Colorado.
This time, they were Boston Strong — playing for a city shaken by the marathon bombings in April. AP