Boston Red Sox World Series 2004: Game-by-Game

```mediawiki The Boston Red Sox's 2004 World Series victory marked a historic moment in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, ending an 86-year championship drought for the franchise. This triumph, achieved against the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game sweep, was the first World Series win for the Red Sox since 1918. The path to that sweep was itself built on an extraordinary foundation: the Red Sox had become the first team in major professional sports history to overcome a 3–0 series deficit, doing so against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). The 2004 season became a defining chapter in Boston's sports legacy, symbolizing resilience and the culmination of decades of effort by fans, players, and the city itself. The series was played from October 23 to October 27, 2004, and featured iconic performances, dramatic moments, and a clinching victory that brought an entire city to its feet. This article provides a game-by-game breakdown of the 2004 World Series, contextualizing its significance within the broader narrative of Boston's sports history and its lasting impact on the city.

History

The 2004 World Series was the culmination of a years-long transformation for the Boston Red Sox, a team long associated with the "Curse of the Bambino" — a superstition rooted in the franchise's failure to win a World Series after trading Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in January 1920. The curse was never officially acknowledged by the organization, but it became a cultural touchstone for Bostonians, who endured painful near-misses in 1946, 1967, 1975, and most memorably 1986, when the Red Sox came within one strike of a championship before losing to the New York Mets. The 2004 season marked a decisive turning point. Under general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona — who had replaced Grady Little after the 2003 season — the Red Sox assembled a roster that blended veteran experience with emerging talent, including David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martínez, Manny Ramirez, and Johnny Damon.

Their journey to the World Series was not without adversity. The Red Sox fell behind the Yankees three games to none in the ALCS, a deficit no team in a best-of-seven series had ever survived. What followed was the most improbable comeback in baseball history. Boston won Games 4, 5, 6, and 7 in succession to advance to the Fall Classic. Game 6 of the ALCS, played on October 19, 2004, produced one of the series' most enduring images: Curt Schilling pitching with a visibly blood-soaked sock, the result of a suture procedure on a dislocated tendon sheath in his right ankle. He allowed just one run over seven innings in a 4–2 Boston win, keeping the comeback alive.

The World Series itself demonstrated that the Red Sox's ALCS performance was no fluke. St. Louis had won 105 games in the regular season and entered as formidable opponents, but Boston's pitching staff — led by Derek Lowe, Schilling, Martínez, and closer Keith Foulke — largely neutralized the Cardinals' offense across all four games. Fenway Park's intimate atmosphere and passionate fan base gave the team a genuine advantage in the two home games. By the time Foulke fielded Edgar Rentería's grounder and tossed to first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz to end Game 4, the victory was not just a sports achievement but a cultural milestone for an entire city.

Game-by-Game Breakdown

Game 1: October 23, 2004 — Fenway Park, Boston

The Red Sox opened the series at Fenway Park with a convincing 11–9 victory over the Cardinals, though the final score obscured how tightly contested the game was at various points. Tim Wakefield started for Boston and was supported by a Red Sox offense that broke out early. Mark Bellhorn hit a two-run home run off Cardinals starter Woody Williams in the third inning, and David Ortiz followed with a solo shot to extend the lead. The game saw Boston build a large lead, only for St. Louis to chip away, before Boston ultimately pulled away late. Manny Ramirez went 2-for-4 with two RBI, continuing what would become a dominant World Series performance. The Cardinals managed nine runs of their own in a high-scoring affair, but Boston's offense proved too much. The win gave the Red Sox an immediate edge and sent a signal that their lineup, rested after the ALCS, was operating at full capacity.

Game 2: October 24, 2004 — Fenway Park, Boston

Boston won Game 2 by a score of 6–2, with Curt Schilling taking the mound less than a week after his blood-soaked performance in ALCS Game 6. Team doctors had again sutured the tendon sheath in Schilling's ankle to stabilize it for the start, and he responded with six strong innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run. Jason Varitek drove in two runs and the Red Sox bullpen — Bronson Arroyo, Mike Timlin, and Keith Foulke — held the Cardinals scoreless over the final three innings. St. Louis starter Matt Morris struggled with his command early, surrendering multiple runs in the first three frames. The win put Boston ahead two games to none, and the city's anticipation began to build in earnest. The Red Sox were two wins from ending 86 years of waiting.

Game 3: October 26, 2004 — Busch Stadium, St. Louis

The series shifted to St. Louis, and for the first time since the ALCS the Red Sox faced an atmosphere that wasn't friendly. It didn't matter. Pedro Martínez started for Boston and pitched effectively into the seventh inning, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out six. Manny Ramirez was again productive, going 2-for-4, and Trot Nixon drove in a key run with a single in the fourth inning. The Cardinals, facing elimination within reach, responded with some fight — Scott Rolen doubled in a run and Reggie Sanders scored on a sacrifice fly — but Boston's bullpen shut the door. The final score was 4–1. One win from the championship, the Red Sox had won three straight games without the pressure of a deficit, and the entire organization began to sense that 86 years was almost over.

Game 4: October 27, 2004 — Busch Stadium, St. Louis

Derek Lowe started Game 4 and was arguably Boston's best pitcher of the entire postseason run. Pitching on three days' rest for the third time in October, Lowe allowed just one run on three hits over six innings, mixing his sinker to induce ground ball after ground ball against a Cardinals lineup that had hit .278 during the regular season. Trot Nixon hit an RBI single in the third inning and Johnny Damon — whose ALCS heroics included a grand slam in Game 7 against the Yankees — provided an insurance run with a sacrifice fly. The Red Sox led 3–0 heading into the ninth inning. Keith Foulke retired the first two batters, then fielded a ground ball off the bat of Edgar Rentería and tossed underhanded to Doug Mientkiewicz at first base for the final out at 11:40 p.m. Eastern Time.

The final score was 3–0. Boston had swept the St. Louis Cardinals, four games to none, to win the 2004 World Series. Manny Ramirez, who hit .412 with one home run and four RBI across the four games, was named World Series MVP.

Series Statistics

Across the four games, the Red Sox outscored the Cardinals 24–12 and held St. Louis to a .190 team batting average. Manny Ramirez's .412 average led all regulars, while David Ortiz hit .308 with two home runs and four RBI. Derek Lowe won Game 4 and did not allow an earned run in his start, finishing the postseason as one of the most reliable starters on the staff. The bullpen, anchored by Keith Foulke, recorded eight saves and holds combined across the postseason and was not scored upon in any of the four World Series games.

Legacy and Impact

The 2004 World Series victory had a profound and lasting impact on Boston's cultural and sporting life. The win was a unifying moment, bringing together residents from across the city and the broader New England region. It also marked a shift in how the Red Sox franchise was perceived — no longer defined by decades of near-misses, they were now champions. The legacy of 2004 is also evident in what followed: the Red Sox won additional championships in 2007, 2013, and 2018, establishing themselves as one of the most successful franchises of the 21st century.

The 2004 season produced a significant body of cultural work. Authors Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan documented the season in real time in Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season, published by Scribner in 2004. Dan Shaughnessy's Reversing the Curse, released in 2005, provided one of the most thorough accounts of how the team dismantled nearly nine decades of frustration. Documentaries, exhibits, and annual commemorations at Fenway Park have kept the memory of the 2004 season alive for both those who witnessed it and younger fans who know it only through history.

The economic impact of the championship was substantial. The postseason run drew national attention to Boston, generating revenue for hotels, restaurants, and businesses throughout the city, particularly in the Kenmore Square and Fenway neighborhoods surrounding the ballpark. Boston's profile as a sports destination grew considerably in the years that followed, reinforcing investment in the city's sports infrastructure and helping to maintain Fenway Park — the oldest active ballpark in Major League Baseball — as a national landmark.

Cultural Significance

The 2004 World Series holds a unique place in Boston's cultural history. The win wasn't just a sports event — it was a moment that many Bostonians had genuinely begun to doubt would ever come. The city celebrated with parades, fireworks, and spontaneous gatherings, with Fenway Park serving as the emotional center. The Duck Boat victory parade on October 30 drew an estimated 3.2 million people along the parade route, one of the largest gatherings in New England history.

The Red Sox's success in 2004 also influenced the culture of Boston's other sports franchises. The New England Patriots, who had already begun their dynasty under Bill Belichick, drew on a similar narrative of institutional excellence and team-first identity. The Boston Celtics and Bruins, both of whom would win championships in subsequent years, existed in a sports environment energized by the Red Sox's breakthrough. In that sense, 2004 didn't just end a drought — it started something. Boston became, in the decade that followed, one of the most successful multi-sport cities in American professional sports history.

The narrative of the 2004 Red Sox — their ALCS comeback, the bloody sock, Manny Ramirez's dominance, Derek Lowe's quiet excellence — has been retold so many times that it has taken on the character of mythology. What keeps it grounded is the specificity: the exact date, October 27, 2004; the exact moment, Keith Foulke's underhanded toss to first base; the exact sound of a crowd in St. Louis falling silent as Boston's players rushed the field. Those details don't fade. They're why the 2004 World Series remains, twenty years on, a fixed point in the identity of the city.

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