World Series 2013: Cardinals vs. Red Sox final score – St. Louis wins 4-2
By Bryan Rose
As a road team in the playoffs, you obviously hope you can come in and take the first two games of a series. Of course, that’s pretty rare so you’re relatively content to go home with a tied series, which is exactly what the St. Louis Cardinals are doing after a 4-2 win in Game 2 of the 2013 World Series.
The Cardinals were backed by another strong performance from rookie arm Michael Wacha who was relatively flawless, making one lone mistake to David Ortiz in the sixth inning. Before that mistake though, Wacha was flawless, throwing five innings of shutout ball which allowed the Cardinals to take a one-run lead in the in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a leadoff triple from Matt Holliday. Holliday was plated by Yadier Molina, giving the Cardinals a lead that would stick until the bottom of the sixth inning.
That’s where Wacha’s aforementioned mistake took place, a mistake that Red Sox slugger David Ortiz drilled over the Green Monster, the bomb giving the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. The two-run shot ended Wacha’s near perfect run where he had only given up one earned run in 26 postseason innings.
Unfortunately for Boston and starter John Lackey, that lead wouldn’t hold very long as St. Louis stormed back that following half inning, though it was just as much terrible defensive play by the Red Sox as it was offense by the Cardinals that helped the rally morph into a two run lead for the Red Birds.
Two errors on one play allowed the Cardinals to take a 3-2 lead which would be extended to 4-2 just moments later after a Carlos Beltran RBI single.
The 4-2 lead would be plenty enough for the stout Cardinals bullpen who shut down the vaulted Boston offense for the final nine outs.
The teams will have a travel day on Friday before opening Game 3 in St. Louis on Saturday night.