THE Boston Red Sox completed their second World Series championship sweep in four seasons today with Mike Lowell and Bobby Kielty smashing solo home runs in a 4-3 victory over Colorado.
After waiting 86 years between Red Sox crowns in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final, Boston’s devoted supporters suffered only a three-year gap between the drought-snapping 2004 sweep of St. Louis and this title romp.
The Red Sox won their seventh Series crown overall, having also taken five of the first 15 World Series titles, including the 1903 inaugural.
Boston’s arch-rivals, the New York Yankees, and Cincinnati are the only other clubs who have recorded two sweeps in a row in Series appearances. The Yankees, St. Louis and Oakland are the only clubs with more Series titles.
Lowell blasted his homer in the seventh to give Boston a 3-0 lead and after Colorado’s Brad Hawpe answered with a solo homer, pinch-hitter Kielty smacked his blast on the first pitch of the eighth inning to seal the Rockies’ fate.
Colorado’s title hopes, once as lofty as their high-altitude mountain home, had seemingly vanished into thin air.
But the Rockies refused to quit, with Garrett Atkins belting a two-run homer off Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima in the eighth to pull Colorado within 4-3.
That set the stage for Jonathan Papelbon, Boston’s ace closing reliever, who entered to force the final five outs.
Colorado’s Jamey Carroll blasted the ball deep to left field in the ninth inning but it was grabbed for the penultimate out and Rockies pinch-hitter Seth Smith followed by striking out, touching off a huge victory celebration by the Red Sox.
It was a humble end for a Colorado club that made landmark late-season strides simply to reach its first World Series, winning 21 of 22 games before being swept by Boston.
The Rockies won 13 of their last 14 regular-season games, a one-game showdown with San Diego for the last playoff spot and seven in a row in the National League playoffs.
But an eight-day layoff before the Series began hurt, a wait during which the Red Sox made an epic rally to reach the Series much as they had done in 2004.
Boston trailed Cleveland 3-1 in the American League final but won the last three games to reach the Series. In 2004 the Red Sox fell behind the Yankees 3-0 but became the only team in history to rally from such a hole to advance.
The Red Sox’s dominant pitching, a trademark throughout the season, sealed the hosts’ fate in the decider.
Boston southpaw Jon Lester, who missed most of the season after treatment for lymphoma cancer, threw 5 2/3 shutout innings, striking out three and giving up only three hits to remain unbeaten over 15 starts since August 8, 2006.
Lowell’s homer over the left-field fence to start the seventh inning gave the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.
Hawpe responded for the Rockies, smashing a full-count pitch from Boston reliever Manny Delcarmen into the right-field stands to open the bottom half of the seventh, pulling Colorado within 3-1.
When Rockies pinch-hitter Cory Sullivan singled, Boston brought in pitcher Mike Timlin, who struck out Colorado’s leadoff hitters, Japan’s Kazuo Matsui and Troy Tulowitzki, to end the threat.
Kielty slammed the first pitch of the eighth inning from Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes over the left-field wall to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead, raising his arms in triumph as he began to round the bases.
While Okajima struggled, giving up his second homer in as many nights, Papelbon was equal to the task of completing a title quest that began with workouts in late February.
Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury doubled down the left-field line, took third base on Dustin Pedroia’s ground out and scored on a David Ortiz single to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead after only five pitches from Colorado starter Aaron Cook.
Boston then went hitless for 3 2/3 innings before Lowell opened the fifth inning with a double to left and scored on Jason Varitek’s single.
Agence France-Presse
Source: foxsports.com.au
