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DENVER, Colorado: Waiting between championships was a
lot easier this time around for the Boston Red Sox, who completed
their second World Series sweep in four seasons Sunday with a 4-3
triumph over Colorado.
Boston’s Mike Lowell, named the
Most Valuable Player in the best-of-seven final, and pinch-hitter
Bobby Kielty each smashed solo home runs to spark the Red Sox to
their seventh Major League Baseball crown.
“I’m on Cloud Nine,” Lowell
said. “It’s unbelievable. A lot of people expect you to win a
world championship. For us to come through and do what we thought
we were capable of, it’s unbelievable.”
After an 86-year gap between
Series titles before a drought-snapping 2004 sweep of St. Louis, the
Red Sox’s devoted supporters suffered only a three-year delay
until Boston’s latest title romp.
“What we did in 2004 I will
never forget, and this is the same,” said Red Sox manager Terry
Francona.
The Red Sox won five of the first
15 World Series titles, including the 1903 inaugural.
Boston’s archrivals, 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. After Colorado’s Brad Hawpe
answered with a solo homer, Kielty smacked his blast on the first
pitch of the eighth inning.
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 the final
margin.
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.
Rockies pinch-hitter Seth Smith
followed by striking out, touching off a huge victory celebration on
the field by the Red Sox.
“It’s just phenomenal,”
Papelbon said. “We did everything we could to keep the lead. It
took all 25 of us to get the job done.”
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.
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.
Boston’s power-packed
$143-million lineup was the second costliest in the sport while
Colorado’s $54-million payroll ranked 25th of 30 clubs.
The Red Sox’s dominant
pitching, a trademark throughout the season, sealed the hosts’
fate in the decider. Colorado batted only .218 in the Series.
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.
“I’m so proud of Jon. He
pitched a great game,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.
 --AFP
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