Post by ۞Quaalude™۞ on Oct 29, 2007 1:07:57 GMT -5
you found out 4th on The Quaalude Board !
The Red Sox had to endure 86 years of soul-crushing disappointment to finally win the World Series in 2004. By comparison, this was much too easy.
Only three years later, the Red Sox are world champions again, which must be mind-blowing for a generation of New Englanders that could barely believe it happened the first time.
Jon Lester, diagnosed with lymphoma last year, pitched 52/3 scoreless innings and Series MVP Mike Lowell and Bobby Kielty homered as the Red Sox completed a sweep of the Rockies with last night's 4-3 win at Coors Field.
Boston, which also swept the Cardinals in 2004, became only the fourth franchise to sweep in back-to-back World Series appearances and the first since the Yankees in 1998 and '99.
The Red Sox scored 29 runs, the third most for a four-game series behind the 1989 A's, who totaled 32, and the 1932 Yankees, who scored 37.
Jonathan Papelbon earned the five-out save, his third of the series, to close out the Rockies, who joined the 2005 Astros as the only teams to be swept in their first trip to the Fall Classic.
Jamey Carroll gave Red Sox Nation a scare in the ninth inning when he took Papelbon to the warning track in leftfield. Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury left his feet to make the catch at the wall for the second out. Papelbon then whiffed Seth Smith and immediately flung his glove and hat in the air before the Red Sox piled on at the mound.
n the eighth, pinch hitter Kielty smacked Brian Fuentes' first pitch over the leftfield wall to put the Red Sox ahead 4-1. But with six outs to go, the Rockies decided to put up a fight.
Hideki Okajima got Matt Holliday on a grounder to second, but Todd Helton singled and Garrett Atkins followed with a two-run homer into the leftfield seats. In came Papelbon, who got the final two outs.
The Rockies, batting .222 in the series, finally showed some life when Brad Hawpe opened the seventh with a soaring home run off Manny Delcarmen. One out later, Cory Sullivan's pinch-hit single revved up the crowd, which began chanting "Mat-su-ee" for the Rockies' leadoff man.
But Mike Timlin turned down the volume just as quickly. Twice Colorado got the tying run to the plate but came up empty each time when Timlin struck out Kaz Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki.
Aaron Cook hadn't pitched in a major-league game since Aug. 10, when he strained an oblique muscle, and returning for the World Series did not seem like the best timing. When Rockies manager Clint Hurdle made him the Game 4 starter, he probably didn't imagine they would be facing elimination.
Cook's layoff was the longest before a World Series start since 1955, when the Yankees' Bob Grim went 112 days. But Cook, the second longest-tenured Rockie to Helton, showed he deserved the nod. Three years ago, Cook had to overcome life-threatening blood clots in his lungs. This, after all, was just a baseball game.
The Red Sox entered with the highest on-base percentage (.442) in World Series history -- ahead of the 1932 Yankees (.421) -- and their .352 batting average led the 1960 Yankees (.338) for a Fall Classic. The best Cook could do was slow them down.
Ellsbury, coming off Saturday's four-hit performance, opened the game with his fourth double in five at-bats. One out later, David Ortiz smacked a single through the drawn-in infield to put the Red Sox up 1-0.
Cook retired the next 10 batters before Lowell led off the fifth with a double to left. Jason Varitek followed with a single for a 2-0 lead, but with two on, Cook struck out Lester and Ellsbury to keep it close.
In the seventh, Cook threw his final pitch to Lowell, who slammed a leadoff homer into the leftfield seats to make it 3-0.
Lester was added to the World Series rotation when knuckleballer Tim Wakefield had to pull out the day before Game 1 because of shoulder inflammation. Lester made two relief appearances in the ALCS against the Indians, but his last start was Sept. 26.
Lester's season already was a success after his comeback from lymphoma this year. The 23-year-old lefty was reluctant to talk at length about his battle with cancer on the eve of Game 4, but he did feel confident about closing the deal for the Red Sox.
The Quaalude Board Congratulates the Red Sox. QC
12:01 am
www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spbosox1029,0,7941097.story
The Red Sox had to endure 86 years of soul-crushing disappointment to finally win the World Series in 2004. By comparison, this was much too easy.
Only three years later, the Red Sox are world champions again, which must be mind-blowing for a generation of New Englanders that could barely believe it happened the first time.
Jon Lester, diagnosed with lymphoma last year, pitched 52/3 scoreless innings and Series MVP Mike Lowell and Bobby Kielty homered as the Red Sox completed a sweep of the Rockies with last night's 4-3 win at Coors Field.
Boston, which also swept the Cardinals in 2004, became only the fourth franchise to sweep in back-to-back World Series appearances and the first since the Yankees in 1998 and '99.
The Red Sox scored 29 runs, the third most for a four-game series behind the 1989 A's, who totaled 32, and the 1932 Yankees, who scored 37.
Jonathan Papelbon earned the five-out save, his third of the series, to close out the Rockies, who joined the 2005 Astros as the only teams to be swept in their first trip to the Fall Classic.
Jamey Carroll gave Red Sox Nation a scare in the ninth inning when he took Papelbon to the warning track in leftfield. Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury left his feet to make the catch at the wall for the second out. Papelbon then whiffed Seth Smith and immediately flung his glove and hat in the air before the Red Sox piled on at the mound.
n the eighth, pinch hitter Kielty smacked Brian Fuentes' first pitch over the leftfield wall to put the Red Sox ahead 4-1. But with six outs to go, the Rockies decided to put up a fight.
Hideki Okajima got Matt Holliday on a grounder to second, but Todd Helton singled and Garrett Atkins followed with a two-run homer into the leftfield seats. In came Papelbon, who got the final two outs.
The Rockies, batting .222 in the series, finally showed some life when Brad Hawpe opened the seventh with a soaring home run off Manny Delcarmen. One out later, Cory Sullivan's pinch-hit single revved up the crowd, which began chanting "Mat-su-ee" for the Rockies' leadoff man.
But Mike Timlin turned down the volume just as quickly. Twice Colorado got the tying run to the plate but came up empty each time when Timlin struck out Kaz Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki.
Aaron Cook hadn't pitched in a major-league game since Aug. 10, when he strained an oblique muscle, and returning for the World Series did not seem like the best timing. When Rockies manager Clint Hurdle made him the Game 4 starter, he probably didn't imagine they would be facing elimination.
Cook's layoff was the longest before a World Series start since 1955, when the Yankees' Bob Grim went 112 days. But Cook, the second longest-tenured Rockie to Helton, showed he deserved the nod. Three years ago, Cook had to overcome life-threatening blood clots in his lungs. This, after all, was just a baseball game.
The Red Sox entered with the highest on-base percentage (.442) in World Series history -- ahead of the 1932 Yankees (.421) -- and their .352 batting average led the 1960 Yankees (.338) for a Fall Classic. The best Cook could do was slow them down.
Ellsbury, coming off Saturday's four-hit performance, opened the game with his fourth double in five at-bats. One out later, David Ortiz smacked a single through the drawn-in infield to put the Red Sox up 1-0.
Cook retired the next 10 batters before Lowell led off the fifth with a double to left. Jason Varitek followed with a single for a 2-0 lead, but with two on, Cook struck out Lester and Ellsbury to keep it close.
In the seventh, Cook threw his final pitch to Lowell, who slammed a leadoff homer into the leftfield seats to make it 3-0.
Lester was added to the World Series rotation when knuckleballer Tim Wakefield had to pull out the day before Game 1 because of shoulder inflammation. Lester made two relief appearances in the ALCS against the Indians, but his last start was Sept. 26.
Lester's season already was a success after his comeback from lymphoma this year. The 23-year-old lefty was reluctant to talk at length about his battle with cancer on the eve of Game 4, but he did feel confident about closing the deal for the Red Sox.
The Quaalude Board Congratulates the Red Sox. QC
12:01 am
www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spbosox1029,0,7941097.story