Posted: Sunday October 24, 2004 8:34PM; Updated: Monday October 25, 2004 5:37PM 
| First Inning |
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The Cardinals don't score but at least their big bats make a little noise for the first time in the Series as Albert Pujols rips a two-out double and Scott Rolen cracks a wicked line drive right at third baseman Bill Mueller for the third out. Edgar Renteria's 12-pitch at-bat against Curt Schilling to lead off the game could pay dividends later. |
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This is going to be a very short series if the Cardinals don't stop issuing walks to the Red Sox. In Game 1, St. Louis walked eight batters and four of them scored. Game 2 starter Matt Morris gives free passes to Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz with two outs, and Jason Varitek cashes in with a 410-foot triple to right center.
St. Louis 0, Boston 2; Close-ups of Schilling's bloody sock: 1; Rebel Billionaire promos: 2
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| Second Inning |
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When are we going to see Cardinals baseball? The St. Louis ballclub we saw all season and in the playoffs was fundamentally sound on the bases. But a gaffe kills the Cardinals' chance to get on the board as Reggie Sanders fails to go from first to third on a Tony Womack single. Sanders then tries to steal third but instead runs into a line-drive double play. |
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A ground-ball double play to Mark Bellhorn may settle down Morris, who then tosses his best curveball of the night to start off Damon. Morris finishes off the Red Sox leadoff man three pitches later for his first strikeout of the night.
St. Louis 0, Boston 2; Close-ups of Schilling's bloody sock: 3
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| Third Inning |
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We might need to ask for indisputable visual evidence of Schilling's injury because he sure isn't pitching like he's hurt. He's thrown first-pitch strikes to nine of the 11 batters he's faced so far and retires the side in order here. You sure that isn't ketchup on his sock? |
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For the first time all series, Ortiz bats with nobody on base. Morris gets him to hit a sharp grounder to first, where Pujols makes a nice play to end the inning.
St. Louis 0, Boston 2; Awkward in-game manager interviews: 1 (La Russa)
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| Fourth Inning |
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The monster's out of the cage -- Pujols laces his second double of the night to lead off. He should have been stranded on third, but Mueller boots a two-out grounder that brings home the Cardinals' first run. That's six errors for the Sox already this Series. Did we mention they can't play defense? |
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Bellhorn hurts the Cardinals again, this time with a two-out double to deep center field that plates two. The Cardinals aren't out of this yet, but they need at least a couple of more innings out of Morris. Expecting the bullpen to come into the fifth inning of every game is ridiculous.
St. Louis 1, Boston 4; Tom Hanks sighting followed by commercial for The Polar Express: 1
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| Fifth Inning |
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So much for testing Schilling's ability to field his position. Five innings are in the books and the Cardinals have yet to lay down a drag bunt to force him to cover first base. What would Ty Cobb do? St. Louis goes meekly in the fifth as Renteria grounds into a double play. |
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The Cardinals pin their hopes on their bullpen once again as Morris leaves after walking the leadoff man, Cabrera, and getting Ramirez to fly out. Cal Eldred comes in and narrowly avoids disaster when Ortiz's fly ball goes over and just to the right of the Pesky Pole.
St. Louis 1, Boston 4; Close-ups of Schilling's bloody sock: 1; Hair brushes owned by Jimmy Fallon: 0
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| Sixth Inning |
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The gloves are cursed! The Red Sox make a pair of two-out errors to bring the tying run to the plate, but Schilling works out of it by getting Sanders to ground out. The Cardinals have yet to take advantage of any of Boston's four errors, which is unthinkable for a 105-win team like St. Louis. |
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St. Louis was the only team to win at least 50 road games this season (52-29) but is now headed for its fifth straight road loss. Then again, none of those 52 wins came at Fenway Park. On the bright side for the Cards, Ray King strikes out Ortiz.
St. Louis 1, Boston 6; Close-ups of Schilling's bloody sock: 1; "Dr. Morgan for MVP" signs seen in stands: 1
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| Seventh Inning |
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Alan Embree comes in and blows away the bottom of the St. Louis order with three straight strikeouts. Schilling calls it a night after six dominant innings. Now he has a few days off to call sports talk shows and host chat sessions on Red Sox fan sites. |
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Erstwhile pinch-runner Jason Marquis comes in to give the bullpen a break and he promptly walks two batters. That doesn't bode well for his Game 4 start. Terry Francona cuts him a break and sends Pokey Reese up to hit with two outs, ending the threat.
St. Louis 1, Boston 6; Awkward interviews with octogenarian Red Sox fan: 1; House M.D. promos: 1
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| Eighth Inning |
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Francona is leaving nothing to chance, bringing in closer Keith Foulke with a four-run lead and a runner on first base with two outs. Like every other decision Francona has made lately, it works as Foulke whiffs Edmonds. |
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This can't be easy for FOX play-by-play man Joe Buck, who does Cardinals regular-season games and is used to cheering them on from the booth. His boys are going down meekly tonight, but at least they get a 1-2-3 inning from reliever Al Reyes here to speed up things up a little.
St. Louis 2, Boston 6; Close-ups of fan dressed like a pimp in Red Sox colors: 2
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| Ninth Inning |
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Again, a great move by Francona to bring in Foulke with four outs to go. Most managers would have waited for St. Louis to start a rally, then bring in the closer. But Francona has shown he is not a slave to the save rule, and the Red Sox have benefitted accordingly. Boston goes up 2-0 but now it will be St. Louis enjoying the home cooking for three games, and as the AP reported before the game, Schilling might not be able to pitch again after tonight.
Final score: Boston 6, St. Louis 2; Hideous purple coats worn by FOX's Jeanne Zelasko: 1
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