ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz doubled on consecutive pitches from Adam Wainwright in the first, and the Boston Red Sox led the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 after three innings Monday night as they tried to take a 3-2 World Series lead.
In a rematch of the opener, won by the Red Sox 8-1, Jon Lester held the Cardinals to a pair of hits in the first three innings, struck out four and walked none. He has thrown 10 2-3 scoreless innings in the Series.
Wainwright was nearly as good, striking out five consecutive batters and six in all during the first three innings. But a 21-pitch first left him at 47 pitches through three. He allowed just the two hits and walked none.
A pair of unique endings — the first postseason games to finish with an obstruction call and a pickoff — left players wondering what strange events would be next. They did know the Series would go back to Boston's Fenway Park on Wednesday night, when John Lackey starts for the Red Sox and rookie Michael Wacha for the Cardinals. Wacha got the victory and Lackey the loss in Game 2, won by the Cardinals 4-2.
In the 42 previous times the Series has been tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner has gone on to take the title 27 times — but just three of the last 10.
Wainwright fell behind nine pitches in. Pedroia doubled with one out, sending a hanging curveball into left field. Ortiz pulled the next pitch between Allen Craig and first base and down the right field line.
Ortiz improved his Series batting average to .750 (9 for 12) with two homers and six RBIs.
Allen Craig was not in the Cardinals' original lineup and was a surprise starter at first base in place of the slumping Matt Adams. Craig sprained a ligament in his left foot last month and had not played in the field since Sept. 4. Carlos Beltran was moved down two spots in the order to cleanup.
Boston right fielder Shane Victorino was out of the starting lineup for the second straight night because of lower back stiffness. Jonny Gomes, Victorino's replacement in the batting order, hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the 4-2 Red Sox win Sunday and was moved up a spot to cleanup. Ortiz was bumped up to third.
The Red Sox won their last World Series title exactly six years earlier, and St. Louis won Game 7 at home on the same date in 2011.
With the Lions hosting Seattle at the nearby Edward Jones Dome, the World Series and an NFL Monday night were played in the same area on the same night for the first time since Boston lost Game 7 of the 1986 Series at the New York Mets. The NFL Giants hosted Washington that evening at Giants Stadium.
NOTES: Boston batters easily broke the record for strikeouts in a postseason. They began the night with 142, tying the mark set by the 2010 San Francisco Giants.
- Baseball
- Sports & Recreation
- Boston Red Sox
- David Ortiz
- Adam Wainwright
- World Series
- Dustin Pedroia
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