2004 World Series

The 2004 World Series represented the 100th time two modern Major League Baseball teams met to decide the championship. The best-of-seven series began on October 23. After winning four consecutive games, on October 27 at 10:40 pm CT, the American League champion Boston Red Sox defeated the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals to claim the 2004 World Series Trophy. It had been 86 years since Boston last claimed the prize by defeating the Chicago Cubs in the 1918 World Series.

Game 4, October 27

The fourth and final game of the 2004 World Series also took place at Busch Stadium. Gretchen Wilson, a multi-platinum-selling country singer, performed "The Star-Spangled Banner", which was followed by a fly-over by a squadron of 2 F/A-18 fighter planes from Fighter Squadron Composite 12, which is based at Naval Air Station Oceana; base where the planes flew from.

Related Topics:
Gretchen Wilson - Platinum - Country - Singer - The Star-Spangled Banner - F/A-18 - Fighter planes - Naval Air Station Oceana

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In attendance at the game was Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, who holds the record for most home runs in a career (755). Aaron was a perennial All-Star, and the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1957. In his career, he was selected a record 24 times to appear in the All-Star Game. He also won three Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder (1958-60).

Related Topics:
Baseball Hall of Fame - Hank Aaron - Most home runs in a career - National League's Most Valuable Player - All-Star Game - Gold Glove Award

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The Hank Aaron Award winners for 2004 were presented prior to the game: Barry Bonds in the NL, Manny Ramírez in the AL.

Related Topics:
Hank Aaron Award - Barry Bonds - Manny Ramírez

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Skies were partly cloudy, and the game time temperature was 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). Perhaps forshadowing the game's outcome, a total lunar eclipse was visible from the stadium starting around 8:14 PM local time, the first time a lunar eclipse has occurred during a post-season or World Series game. The first pitch, from the Cardinals' starting pitcher, Jason Marquis, came at 7:26 PM local time.

Related Topics:
Lunar eclipse - Jason Marquis

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Johnny Damon, the game's first batter, got the scoring under way for the Red Sox with a home run into the bullpen in right field. It was the first World Series game-opening homer since Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets.

Related Topics:
Johnny Damon - Home run - Bullpen - Derek Jeter - New York Yankees - 2000 World Series - New York Mets

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Against the Cardinals' starting pitcher, Jason Marquis, Manny Ramírez singled with one out in the 3rd inning to equal the postseason hitting streak record of 17 games (tied with Hank Bauer and Derek Jeter). David Ortiz followed with a double down the right-field line. Jason Varitek hit a ground ball to first which Albert Pujols fielded, firing home to Yadier Molina, who tagged Ramirez for the inning's second out. But Marquis then walked Bill Mueller and gave up a double to Trot Nixon off the wall in right-center field, scoring Ortiz and Varitek, and missing a grand slam by a mere 2 feet.

Related Topics:
Jason Marquis - Manny Ramírez - Hank Bauer - Derek Jeter - David Ortiz - Jason Varitek - Albert Pujols - Yadier Molina - Bill Mueller - Trot Nixon

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Scott Stapp, a Grammy Award-winning vocalist formerly with the group Creed, performed "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch.

Related Topics:
Scott Stapp - Grammy Award - Creed - God Bless America

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In the top of the eighth, Mueller led off with a single to right-center off reliever Dan Haren, and Nixon followed with his third double of the night, down the right-field line. Gabe Kapler pinch-ran for Nixon, and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa countered by calling on Jason Isringhausen to try to shut the door. It was Isringhausen's first appearance of the series, as the Cards generally use him as their closer. Isringhausen promptly walked Mark Bellhorn, loading the bases, but he got out of the inning with two strikeouts and another outstanding fielding play by Pujols. With the infield in, he snagged a Damon grounder and threw home, forcing out Mueller.

Related Topics:
Dan Haren - Tony La Russa - Jason Isringhausen - Mark Bellhorn

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Lowe's night on the mound ended when he was pinch-hit for in the eighth inning. He finished with four strikeouts, one walk, and three hits allowed in his seven shutout innings, making three consecutive no-earned-run games for Boston starting pitchers (20 innings total). He became the winning pitcher in the deciding game of all three postseason series.

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Bronson Arroyo came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth, and he walked Reggie Sanders with one out before yielding to reliever Alan Embree, who struck out pinch-hitter Hector Luna and got Larry Walker to pop up, ending the inning.

Related Topics:
Bronson Arroyo - Reggie Sanders - Alan Embree - Hector Luna - Larry Walker

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Keith Foulke, the Red Sox closer, came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Pujols started the inning by lacing a single through Foulke's legs. Scott Rolen flied to Kapler in right for the first out. Foulke then struck out Jim Edmonds and got Edgar Rentería to bounce back to the mound, ending the game, the Series, and the fictitious "Curse of the Bambino" with a 3-0 Red Sox victory. In a somewhat fitting coincidence, their World Series victory came on the same day (October 27) as their defeat in the 1986 World Series, and the night of a lunar eclipse. Manny Ramírez was named MVP.

Related Topics:
Keith Foulke - Scott Rolen - Jim Edmonds - Edgar Rentería - Curse of the Bambino - October 27 - Lunar eclipse - Manny Ramírez

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This would be the second time in a row that the home team (in this case St. Louis) did not win the deciding game of a World Series. Notably, the Busch Stadium staff re-opened the building's main gates to allow several hundred Red Sox fans who had been milling outside without tickets into the stadium to see the Red Sox' final victory.

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The game lasted 3 hours 14 minutes before 52,037 fans at Busch Stadium. (Play-by-play from ESPN.com)

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