Bobby Martinez – Sports Writer
NEW HAVEN — The Boston Red Sox have been crowned baseball’s kings for the 2013 MLB season. The Red Sox faced a St. Louis Cardinals team that was just as hungry and well balanced on both sides of the ball and pitching staff as well.
Just a year ago the Boston Red Sox shredded around $262 million dollars losing all their stars players to the Dodgers in a trade that people were shocked about. The result, Boston was not in the playoffs and many people thought it was rebuilding time.
Over the years the Red Sox were atop the league with the best pitching staff. To a certain understanding that was there backbone when it came to the playoffs and winning championships. This season it’s their bats that have helped them conquer the AL East leading the league in runs with 805. Also, there pitching staff throughout the playoffs has excelled each game they played.
The Red Sox dismantled the Tampa Bay Devil Rays three games to one. In that series the Red Sox bats were on fire. They left the American League Divisional Series outscoring the Devil rays 26-12. Then they ran into a hungry Detroit Tigers team who last year fell short to the San Francisco Giants. This matchup would’ve been perfectly even if Miguel Cabrera was 100 percent healthy.
The Tigers all season tore teams apart with their two headed monster Prince Fielder and former Triple Crown winner Cabrera. But that wasn’t the case when they went head to head with the Red Sox. Despite the Tigers having Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Anibal Sanchez, one would be confident pitching in this case will win every game.
Well the Red Sox showed no remorse for human life against those pitchers and managed to win the series 4-2 despite the Tigers winning the first game. The Red Sox advanced the World Series to take on a St. Louis Cardinals team that has successfully managed to forget Albert Pujols. The Cardinals throughout the season has had major help from their pitching staff. The Cardinals finished the season with a 3.42 ERA behind ace pitcher Adam Wainwright.
Both the Red Sox and Cardinals finished the season with a record of 97-65. Game one of the World Series was a pitching battle between John Lester and Adam Wainwright. Lester pitched 7.2 innings allowing zero runs. Wainwright on the other hand pitched 5 innings and allowed five runs off a Mike Napoli double bringing in Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in the first inning to put the Red Sox on the board. The Red Sox went on to win the game 8-1.
Game two pitching matchup was between Michael Wacha and John Lackey. Wacha pitched six innings allowing three hits and two runs. Lackey on the other hand allowed five hits and gave up three runs. The Cardinals went on to tie up the series with a 4-2 win.
Game Threes battles on the mound was between Jake Peavy and Joe Kelly. Cardinals Matt Holliday drew first blood with a single to right field bringing in Matt Carpenter to take a 1-0 lead. Holliday continued his offensive attack in the seventh inning with a double to left bringing in Carpenter and Carlos Beltran to take 4-2 lead. The Cardinals will go on to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead.
With the Red Sox being down 2-1, game four was pivotal despite the Red Sox playing in St. Louis against. But what makes a champion is overcoming anything no matter what the situation is. The Red Sox went into game four with Clay Buchholz on the mound against Lance Lynn.
Beltran singled to center field bringing in Carpenter and giving the Cardinals a 1-0 heading into the top of the fourth. But the Red Sox bats woke up in the fifth in sixth inning highlighted by Jonny Gomes homering in the sixth and giving the Red Sox a 4-2 lead. The Red Sox won the game to tie the series at two apiece.
Lester took the mound for game five and pitched a gem. Lester helped the Red Sox win game five by just allowing one run off of four hits. Red Sox Lead series 3-2. In game six at home, the Red Sox made sure they closed the series out in Boston. The Red Sox won game six 6-1 and David Ortiz also known as Big papi was named World Series MVP. This was the Red Sox third title within the last nine years and first time winning the World Series at home in 95 years.
Congratulations The Boston Red Sox, well deserved.
