2004 World Series

2004 World Series logo

The 2004 World Series, the 100th edition of the modern World Series of baseball, began on October 23 and will end no later than October 31. The American League champion Boston Red Sox, in their first appearance since 1986, are playing against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, who have not been in the Series since 1987.

Each team lost its most recent World Series appearance, both in seven games. The Red Sox lost in heartbreaking fashion to the New York Mets in 1986, while the Cardinals lost in 1987 to the Minnesota Twins in the first World Series in which each game was won by the home team. The Cardinals have not won the World Series since 1982, while the Red Sox have not won since 1918. The two teams have played one another in two previous World Series—in 1946 and 1967. On both occasions, the Cardinals won in seven games. In fact, every Red Sox World Series appearance since 1918 has gone the full seven games.

Series MVP: TBA

Umpires: Ed Montague (Crew Chief), Dale Scott, Brian Gorman, Chuck Meriwether, Gerry Davis, Charlie Reliford

Game One -- October 23

The first game of the 2004 World Series was played at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. America's national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, was performed by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith – a Boston native, although born in New York – and was followed by a fly-over of F-16s provided by the Vermont Air National Guard, although the planes were heard more clearly than they were seen.

Tim Wakefield was the starting pitcher for the Red Sox. During the bottom of the first inning, Orlando Cabrera was hit in the shoulder by a wild pitch from the Cardinals' starting pitcher, Woody Williams. David Ortiz hit a 3-run home run during the bottom of the 1st inning. Kevin Millar scored on a Bill Mueller single, also during the bottom of the 1st inning, to put the Red Sox up 4-to-0. Mike Matheny was out on a sacrifice fly which scored Jim Edmonds 4-to-1 in the 2nd inning.

Larry Walker homered on a fly ball to right field in the top of the 3rd inning 4-to-2. The Red Sox ended the progress of the Cardinals in the 3rd inning with a double play (Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen). In the bottom of the 3rd inning a Johnny Damon single scored Bill Mueller 5-to-2. Orlando Cabrera singled on a line drive to left fielder So Taguchi, Doug Mirabelli scored 6-to-2. Manny Ramírez grounded to shortstop Edgar Rentería, Mark Bellhorn scored 7-to-2. Kevin Millar grounded out with a broken bat hit to end the 3rd inning.

Mike Matheny went out again on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Trot Nixon scoring Jim Edmonds 7-to-3. Reggie Sanders scored on a throwing error by first baseman Kevin Millar. Taguchi grounded out to third baseman Bill Mueller, Tony Womack scored 7-to-5. The 5th inning passed without a run for either team.

In the top of the 6th inning, Rentería doubled on a line drive to center fielder Johnny Damon and So Taguchi scored. A Larry Walker double scored Rentería, tying the game at 7.

Kelly Clarkson performed God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch. In the bottom of the 7th inning, a Manny Ramírez single combined with a poor throw by Jim Edmonds led to a run by Mark Bellhorn; the Red Sox regained the lead 8-to-7. A David Ortiz line drive connected with the collarbone of Tony Womack, sending him to the bench, and scored Orlando Cabrera to put the Red Sox up 9-to-7. Marlon Anderson replaced second baseman Tony Womack.

At the top of the 8th inning, Edgar Rentería singled on a ground ball to left fielder Manny Ramírez, Jason Marquis scored on a Ramírez fielding error on that play. On the next at bat, Larry Walker hit a single to Ramírez, who fumbled the catch into a second error, and Roger Cedeño scored to tie the game at 9. In the bottom of the inning, Jason Varitek reached on a fielding error by Rentería. Mark Bellhorn homered into right field, scoring Varitek, and the Red Sox led 11-to-9.

In the top of the 9th inning Keith Foulke struck out Reggie Sanders. Cedeño went down swinging. Despite blowing an early lead, the Red Sox won 11-to-9, setting a new record for the highest scoring World Series opening game, breaking the previous record in 1932.

Attendance for the game was 35,035 and the time of the game was 4 hours even. Play-by-play from ESPN.com

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis	0	1	1	3	0	2	0	2	0	9	11	1
Boston	4	0	3	0	0	0	2	2	X	11	13	4
W: Keith Foulke (1-0) L: Julián Tavárez (0-1)

Game Two -- October 24

Boston's Fenway Park was the site for game 2. The Cardinals' starting pitcher was Matt Morris, while Curt Schilling started for the Red Sox. The Star-Spangled Banner was performed by platinum selling musician James Taylor, a Boston native and Grammy award winning member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The game was played in a steady mist, with a game-time temperature of 48 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius).

Schilling survived a two-out double by Albert Pujols to get out of the first inning. In the home half, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz walked with two out, setting the stage for Jason Varitek to bring both runners home with a triple that landed in the deepest part of the yard.

The Red Sox made their first of four errors in the game in the top of the second, when third baseman Bill Mueller dropped a foul fly off the bat of Jim Edmonds. But Schilling bore down and got Edmonds out. Reggie Sanders walked and Tony Womack singled, but Mueller redeemed himself by catching a Mike Matheny line drive and tagging the running Sanders for a double play.

St. Louis reached the scoreboard in the fourth inning thanks to Boston's second error. With Pujols on third, Sanders hit a ball that Mueller booted, allowing Pujols to score and narrow the gap to 2-1.

Boston wasted no time again extending their lead. Kevin Millar was hit by a Morris pitch, and Mueller doubled to right with two out, putting runners on first and third for Mark Bellhorn, who hit a ball almost as far as Varitek's first-inning blast, scoring both runners and making it a 4-1 game.

Cal Eldred relieved Morris in the fifth, and he was victimized in the sixth. Trot Nixon led off with a single to center. With two out, Johnny Damon singled to left and then Orlando Cabrera hit a ball midway up the Green Monster in left field that plated both Nixon and Damon, stretching the Red Sox advantage to 6-1.

In the top of the 6th, Mueller's bad day in the field continued, as he committed his World Series record-tying third error of the game, misplaying a ground ball hit by Scott Rolen. Bellhorn failed to play a ground ball by Edmonds a moment later, but the Sox got out of the jam when Mueller redeemed himself by fielding Reggie Sanders's ground ball for a fielder's choice.

Boston native Donna Summer performed God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch.

The Cardinals would score their last run in the eighth inning. Reliever Mike Timlin walked Edgar Renteria, who moved to third on a grounder by Larry Walker and a single by Pujols. Scott Rolen then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing Renteria home with the game's final run. Keith Foulke came on to strike out Jim Edmonds to end the rally.

Announced attendance was 35,001. The game lasted 3 hours 20 minutes. Play-by-play from ESPN.com

Team	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
W: Curt Schilling (1-0) L: Matt Morris (0-1)

Game Three -- October 26

8:00 PM at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, Missouri

The scheduled starting pitchers are Pedro Martinez for the Red Sox versus Jeff Suppan for the Cardinals.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston
St. Louis
W: TBA (-) L: TBA (-) S: TBA ()

Game Four -- October 27

8:00 PM at Busch Stadium

The scheduled starting pitchers are Derek Lowe for the Red Sox versus Jason Marquis for the Cardinals.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston
St. Louis
W: TBA (-) L: TBA (-) S: TBA ()

Game Five (if necessary) -- October 28

8:00 PM at Busch Stadium

The scheduled starting pitchers are TBA for the Red Sox versus Woody Williams for the Cardinals.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston
St. Louis
W: TBA (-) L: TBA (-) S: TBA ()

Game Six (if necessary) -- October 30

7:30 PM at Fenway Park

The scheduled starting pitchers are TBA for the Cardinals versus TBA for the Red Sox.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis
Boston
W: TBA (-) L: TBA (-) S: TBA ()

Game Seven (if necessary) -- October 31

7:30 PM at Fenway Park

If the 2004 World Series lasts all seven games, this final game will be played on Halloween. The scheduled starting pitchers are TBA for the Cardinals versus TBA for the Red Sox.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
St. Louis
Boston
W: TBA (-) L: TBA (-) S: TBA ()