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World Series Game 2
October 24, 2004 • Fenway Park, Boston

Red Sox 6, Cardinals 2

Box Score

          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9   R  H  E
___________________________________   _______

St. Louis 0  0  0  1  0  0  0  1  0   2  5  0
Boston    2  0  0  2  0  2  0  0  x   6  8  4


The night of Game 2 was as cold and windy as it had been for Game 1, and a light drizzle was falling. The pitching matchup was Curt Schilling against Matt Morris. Suddenly the decision to start Tim Wakefield in Game 1 looked like a genius move, since the Red Sox had won it without having to use either of their two aces, Schilling or Pedro Martinez, yet. Schilling got the Game 2 start at Fenway Park so he wouldn't have to risk further injury to his ankle by having to bat in St. Louis. Just like Game 6 of the ALCS, Dr. Bill Morgan had performed his newly-invented procedure of using sutures in the tissue around Curt's ankle to keep his dislocated tendon in place. It had worked in the ALCS, but no one was sure how he would be able to pitch after the procedure had been performed a second time, or if they'd be able to do it again for Game 6 if the World Series went that far. What we also didn't know until after the game, was that Morgan had used a fourth suture this time, instead of the three he had used before. When Curt woke up in the morning, he said his ankle was so sore he couldn't stand up, and he didn't think there was any way he could start the game that night. As he left his house, there were about 100 fans at the end of his suburban driveway cheering him on. As he drove through Medfield toward Boston, signs on every telephone pole wished him luck. When he got to the ballpark, Morgan removed the extra stitch, and by gametime Curt was ready to go.

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Schilling got through the first allowing only a harmless two-out double to Albert Pujols. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Morris, pitching on three days' rest, walked Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. Jason Varitek followed with a hit to the deepest part of straightaway center, just in front of the 420-foot mark. Both runners came around to score, and Tek pulled into third with a triple. The Sox had a lead in the first inning for the second straight night, and they were 7-0 in postseason games in which they had scored first. On the first pitch of the second, Jim Edmonds hit a foul popup between third base and home plate. Bill Mueller and Varitek collided, and the ball dropped between them. Mueller was charged with the error, but it ended up not being costly, since Edmonds grounded out a couple of pitches later. Then after a walk and a single, Mueller made a nice play, snaring a line drive and tagging the baserunner for an inning-ending double play.

In the fourth, Pujols hit his second double of the night, then moved to third on a fly out by Scott Rolen. Edmonds was Schilling's first strikeout victim, and then Reggie Sanders hit a grounder to third. It took a bad hop and Mueller wasn't able to do anything with it. It was his second error of the game, and this one was costly, as Pujols crossed the plate to make it 2-1. But the Red Sox got the run back in their half of the inning. Kevin Millar was hit by a pitch, and Mueller doubled into right field with two outs. Mark Bellhorn continued his recent hot streak, lining a hit off the center field wall for a two-run double that gave the Sox a 4-1 lead. David Ortiz thought he had a home run in the fifth, but the umpires conferred and ruled it foul, and replays backed that up.

Schilling cruised through the fifth, and got Larry Walker and Pujols out to open the sixth. Rolen hit a grounder to third that was booted by Mueller. He's normally a solid defender, but it was his third error of the night. The next batter hit a ground ball to second where it bounced off Bellhorn's glove. It was the fourth error for the Red Sox, and their eighth of the Series. If there was one thing they wanted to emulate from last night's win, it wasn't the part about making four errors! Trot Nixon opened the sixth with a single, and two outs later Johnny Damon rolled a single into left. Orlando Cabrera banged a hit off the Green Monster. He held up at first as the throw from left was cut off, but Trot and Johnny were both able to come around and score, making it 6-1.

Curt was done for the night after six innings of only four hits and one unearned run. Alan Embree came in for the seventh and struck out the side, sending Tony Womack, Mike Matheny, and pinch-hitter So Taguchi down in order. Mike Timlin started the eighth by walking Edgar Renteria. Larry Walker's groundout moved Renteria to second, and Pujols' single sent him to third. Rolen hit a sac fly to score the run, and Keith Foulke came in to prevent any more trouble from developing. He struck out Edmonds to end the eighth, then sent the Cardinals down in order in the ninth. The Red Sox had won Game 2, taking a 2-0 Series lead. There'd be a day off for travel, then they'd reconvene in St. Louis, where the Cardinals had not lost in the postseason.


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