2004 World Series replay

The Red Sox and Cardinals square off in a replay of the 2004 World Series using Statis-Pro Baseball Advanced . . . [scoresheets]

The first two contests at Fenway start in a very similar fashion, with the Sox burying the STL starter under an avalanche of home runs (9 HR in 5.1 IP across the two games!), but in Game One the Cards fight back from a 9-2 deficit and take the lead in the top of the 9th on Larry Walker's solo shot, while in Game Two Curt Schilling (8 K in 7.2 IP) is more than up to the task of protecting the lead.

Curt Schilling whiffs eight

Cards appear to blow Game Three open at home with four runs in the 4th and an Albert Pujols blast in the 5th, but the Sox get a Johnny Damon homer in the 7th and a clutch two-out RBI double by pinch-hitter Gabe Kapler in the 8th to tie the score at six apiece. A Doug Mientkiewicz PH double to start the 9th leads to the go-ahead run when Manny Ramirez delivers a sac fly, but St. Louis hits three doubles of their own off of Keith Foulke in the bottom of the 9th to walk it off! Game Four is the Derek Lowe showe as he and two relievers combine on a five-hit shutout and Jason Varitek and David Ortiz homer for Boston. Two games apiece, and the Red Sox have Schilling and Pedro lined up for Games Six and Seven . . .

Derek Lowe tosses 6.2 scoreless innings

Cards jump out to 5-0 lead against Tim Wakefield in Game Five, with the help of lousy Boston OF defense (errors by both Manny and Damon, and THREE Doug Mirabelli passed balls, lead to two runs), but the Sox erupt for five runs in the late innings to tie the game on two-run PH doubles by Kapler and Varitek. With the game headed to extras, Pujols hits one over The Monster off of Foulke with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and the Cards take the Series lead.

Albert Pujols launches the game-winning blast

Back at Fenway it's Schilling and Matt Morris, and St. Louis jumps in front when they score three in the 4th on RBI doubles by So Taguchi (Jim Edmonds left the game after finishing second in a collision with the CF wall) and Mike Matheny. Sox can not find a chink in Morris, after lighting him up for four HR in 4 IP in Game Two, until they get the tying run to the plate with two out in the 7th; Ray King comes on and snuffs out the rally, and three more relievers combine for two hitless innings as the Cards hold on for a 4-1 Series-clinching win.

Matt Morris stymies the Sox in the clincher

Sox outscored St. Louis 36-32, but the difference between the two teams was hitting with RISP: Boston went 7-43 (.163, including an 0-for-8 in G6) while the Cardinals batted 19-56 (.339), as the Sox needed homers to push across 22 of their 36 runs. Three of the six games were decided in the 9th inning.

MVP of the Series was Edgar Renteria, who hit .448 (13-for-29) with three doubles, two homers, six runs scored and four RBI.

Edgar Renteria, World Series MVP