The Boston Red Sox have a chance to clinch a World Series title at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918 on Wednesday night. That has been made a possibility following a 3-1 victory in Game 5 on Monday evening.
Boston had a tall order heading into St. Louis for Games 3 through 5, but were successful in that endeavor, besting the Cardinals (one of the strongest teams to face on the road during the regular season) at home in two of three games.
Now with the final two games to be played in Boston, it will now be a tall order for the Cardinals to scrape out a series comeback at Fenway.
Lester has been everything and then some as the ace of the Boston staff this postseason, posting a 4-1 record and 1.56 ERA across five starts. In his two starts against St. Louis, Lester has surrendered just one earned run in 15 1/3 innings, while registering 15 strikeouts and walking just one batter.
To put into perspective the significance of his contributions to this Boston ball club, Lester is only the second Boston left-hander since Babe Ruth to register three World Series victories. In first career postseason start in 2007, Lester clinched Game 4 (and the World Series) for Boston, holding the Colorado offense scoreless over 5 2/3 innings of work.
Wainwright was effective in his own right, registering 10 punch-outs over seven innings of work, but a pair of runs in the top of the seventh would prove to be the deciding dagger for the St. Louis ace and his team.
As for the Boston offense, the Red Sox got out of the gate early, as a David Ortiz RBI double in the top of the first would score Dustin Pedroia and give Boston the early 1-0 lead.
Matt Holliday would answer for the Cardinals in the bottom of the fourth, launching a solo blast to deep center, evening the score at 1-1.
However, the game would be broke open in the seventh, as David Ross would provide Boston with a go-ahead RBI ground rule double, scoring Xander Bogaerts. Following a groundout by Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury would add an RBI single, scoring Stephen Drew and giving the Red Sox a 3-1 lead.
With a runner at second with two outs in the eighth, Koji Uehara would come in to relieve Lester, tossing 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief, registering two strikeouts and his second save of the series.
Both teams will travel to Boston for Game 6 on Wednesday evening, where the Red Sox will look to capture their eighth World Series title and first since 2007, while the Cardinals will try to stay alive for a chance at their twelfth World Series title and second in three years.
