On This Date in Sports October 27, 2004: Red Sox Eclipse Curse
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Against the backdrop of a Lunar Eclipse, the Boston Red Sox end 86 years of frustration, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 to complete a four-game sweep of the World Series at Busch Stadium. After becoming the first team to ever rally from down 0-3 in the postseason against the New York Yankees in the ALCS, the World Series felt anti-climactic, as they never trailed.
The Curse of Babe Ruth had become a way of life for fans of the Boston Red Sox, who were reminded every year that they had not won a World Series since 1918. Making matters worse, the New York Yankees, the archrival had won 26 since Ruth was sold to the Yankees, so Red Sox Owner Harry Frazee could finance the musical “No, No, Nannette”. In 2003, the Yankees stage a stunning rally to Game 7 on a home run by Aaron Boone. This led the Red Sox to fire manager Grady Little and replace him with Terry Francona. The Red Sox had a deal in place to get Alex Rodriguez but it fell through and he ended up with New York, while the Red Sox improved their pitching acquiring Curt Schilling from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Yankees and Red Sox battled all season for the Eastern Division title as the Yankees again beat Boston, posting a record of 101-61 as the Red Sox settled for the Wild Card at 98-64. The regular season games were more intense than ever as a fight helped spark the Red Sox when catcher Jason Varitek scuffled with A-Rod in the regular season. In the ALDS, the Red Sox swept the Anaheim Angels, while the Yankees needed four games to move past the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox though ran into a wall, as the Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the ALCS, winning 19-8 in Game 3 at Fenway Park. The next night Boston was three outs away from being swept when Dave Roberts as a pinch runner stole second off Mariano Rivera and later scored the tying run. Boston would win the game 6-4 in 12 innings on a walk-off home run by David Ortiz. A night later, it was Papi again with a walk-off single in the 14th as the Red Sox won 5-4. Moving to the Bronx, the Red Sox never trailed again beating the Yankees 4-2, as Schilling heroically pitched with torn ankle tendons stitched together in Game 6, while completing the historic comeback with a 10-3 win in Game 7.
The St. Louis Cardinals managed by Tony LaRussa, posted a record of 105-67 reached the World Series for the first time in 17 years by winning the National League Central by 13 games. After beating the Dodgers 3-1 in the Division Series, the Cardinals themselves needed seven games in the NLCS, beating the division rival Houston Astros.
Fenway was in delirium for Game 1, as the Drop Kick Murphy’s sang “Tessie” a song inspired by the Royal Rooters who helped the Red Sox win five World Championships between 1903-1918. The Red Sox had knuckleballer Tim Wakefield on the mound, while St. Louis turned to Woody Williams. David Ortiz continued to create damage as he gave Boston an early 3-0 lead with a first-inning home run. The Red Sox added a fourth run in the first when Bill Mueller singled home Kevin Millar. Mike Matheny got the Cardinals on the board with a sacrifice fly in the second, while Larry Walker homered in the third to make it 4-2. The Red Sox added three more runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-2 as Johnny Damon, Orlando Cabrera and Manny Ramirez each drove in a run. However, in the fourth, St. Louis got three runs back and tied the game in the sixth on back-to-back doubles off Bronson Arroyo, by Edgar Renteria and Larry Walker. Boston retook the lead in the seventh on RBI singles from Manny and Papi, but Renteria and Walker again tied the game off closer Keith Foulke in the eighth. With the Cardinals answering every punch thrown, the Red Sox got one last haymaker from Mark Bellhorn hitting a two-run home run off Julian Tavares in the bottom of the eighth, which ended up being the difference as the Red Sox won the opener 11-9.
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In Game 2, the Red Sox had Curt Schilling on the mound for the first time since his bloody sock heroics in the ALCS, while St. Louis countered with Matt Morris. The Red Sox again scored early as Jason Varitek drove in two runs with a triple in the first. After the Cardinals got an unearned run in the fourth Mark Bellhorn made it 4-1 with a two-run double in the bottom of the frame. Later, Orlando Cabrera added two runs with a ball off the green monster in the sixth to make it 6-1. Scott Rolen knocked home a run in the eighth but it was too little too late, as the Red Sox won the game 6-2, with another big win by the made with the bloody sock.
As the series shifted to Busch Stadium for Game 3, the Red Sox had their ace Pedro Martinez on the mound, while the Cardinals countered with Jeff Suppan. Once again, Boston got a first-inning run, as Manny Ramirez went deep to silence the St. Louis sea of red. The Red Sox tacked on a fourth-inning run on an RBI single by Trot Nixon in the fourth, while Manny and Mueller drove in runs to make it 4-0 in the fifth. The rest was up to Pedro, who in his final Boston appearance allowed three hits in seven shutout innings. The Cardinals would get a Larry Walker homer in the ninth but lost again 4-1.
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It was as if all the ghosts had died with the Red Sox slaying the beast from the Bronx, as everything was coming up in their favor in the World Series. This, after their four previous Fall Classic appearances including two against the Cardinals, resulted in heartbreaking seven-game losses. Even the universe winked at them with a lunar eclipse during Game 4. The Red Sox attempted to complete the sweep with Derek Lowe on the mound, while St. Louis hoping for their own comeback had Jason Marquis on the hill. The Red Sox again got a first-inning run, as Johnny Damon led off the game with a home run. In the third Red Sox added another pair on an RBI double by Nixon to make it 3-0. Lowe meanwhile, matched Pedro’s three-hitter in seven brilliant innings of work. With the score still 3-0 in the ninth, Keith Foulke came on the close out the victory. After a leadoff single by Albert Pujols, Foulke retired the next two batters to send up Edgar Renteria. On a 1-0 count, Renteria bounced back to Foulke who threw it over to Doug Mientkiewicz, a defensive replacement who came into play late in close games, as the Red Sox did not want history to repeat itself this time to end the 86-year wait as Manny Ramirez who hit .412 was named World Series MVP.