Not after Boston's own Dropkick Murphys performed the National Anthem, then broke into the official Red Sox fight song "I'm shipping up to Boston", cranking the fans' intensity level up past the standard 10 on the amplifier - into a decibel level reserved for jet liners and spinal tap...
...and not with Shane Victorino and his history of clutch hitting in post season play with the bases juiced - the Sox right fielder nailing a bases clearing double in the bottom of the third inning that gave Boston a three run lead, then capped off a three run fourth with a bases loaded single as the Boston Red Sox won their 8th World Series Championship at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.
Boston Game 6 Starter John Lackey allowed nine hits in six-plus innings, twice pitching his way out of two on, no out jams in the early innings, then cruised until the Cardinals started to rough him up in the top of the seventh, giving up three straight hits and the Cardinals' lone run before manager John Farrell lifted him in favor of Junichi Tazawa.
After an uneventful 1st inning, and after both Lackey and Cardinals' rookie starter Michael Wacha both pitched out of trouble in the second, the Red Sox broke the game open in the bottom of the third.
Centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury started off the inning with a single to right, then Wacha intentionally walked designated hitter and series MVP David Ortiz before drilling left fielder Johnny Gomes in the elbow to load the bases, setting the table for Victorino - sending a 2-1 fastball deep to left that hit the famed Green Monster and dropped for a double that gave Lackey all the runs he would need.
But the Boston offense was just getting warmed up.
Stephen Drew led off the bottom of the fourth and drove the first pitch he saw into the Red Sox bullpen for a four run Boston lead, followed by an Ellsbury double to right that chased Wacha after he issued another intentional free pass to Ortiz - a Mike Napoli bloop single to center scored Ellsbury, then a Victorino single to left scored Ortiz to give the Red Sox a six run advantage.
Tazawa came on for one batter in relief of Lackey, rookie Brandon Workman pitched a perfect eighth and, appropriately, ALCS MVP Koji Uehara came on in the ninth to close out the Red Sox third world championship in the past 10 years...
...jumping into the arms of catcher David Ross in jubilation after punching out Cardinals' second baseman Matt Carpenter to end the series.
When it comes to mystique in sports, you don’t get much mystique-ier than Boston - so when the Red Sox came a-courting Victorino early in the offseason, he didn't need much prodding to sign on.
“There is no convincing, it’s Boston.” Victorino said at his introductory news conference after signing with the Sox last winter. “That in itself says it all. It’s the Red Sox. It’s a storied franchise.”
Victorino just helped add another chapter to the story.
Such a great, great night....thanks for this Michael!!
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