1 Game One, October 23

The first game of the 2004 World Series was played at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. The American 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 1st 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. Kevin Millar scored on a Bill Mueller single, also during the bottom of the 1st, 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 with a double play ( Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen). In the bottom of the 3rd, 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.

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)

2 Game Two, October 24

Boston's Fenway Park was again 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 1st inning. In the home half, Manny Ramírez 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 2nd inning, 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 4th 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 5th inning, and he was victimized in the 6th. 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 7th-inning stretch.

The Cardinals would score their last run in the 8th inning. Reliever Mike Timlin walked Edgar Rentería, 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 Rentería 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)

3 Game Three, October 26

For Game 3, the scene shifted to Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, Missouri. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was performed by three-time Country Music Association awards winner, three-time Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist award winner, and Grammy Award winning country music singer Martina McBride. At a pregame ceremony, Edgar Martinez was presented with the 2004 Roberto Clemente Award.

Game time temperature was 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). A pre-game rain stopped about half an hour before the first pitch, but left much of the outfield near the wall wet.

Manny Ramírez opened the scoring for the Red Sox with two out in the top of the 1st inning, sending a 2-2 pitch from the Cardinals' starting pitcher, former Red Sox player Jeff Suppan, into the bleachers over the wall in left-center field, which is 372 feet from home plate.

The starting pitcher for the Red Sox was Pedro Martinez. In the bottom of the 1st, the Cardinals loaded the bases with one out, but Jim Edmonds hit a fly ball to left fielder Ramirez, who threw home to catcher Jason Varitek to retire Larry Walker attempting to score from third, for an inning-ending double play.

The Cardinals threatened again in the top of the 3rd inning, as Suppan beat out an infield single to third base and Edgar Rentería delivered a double to right-center field. But Walker grounded to first, and Suppan hesitated in his attempt to score. David Ortiz, making a rare appearance at first base (as there is no designated hitter in the National League), took the throw from second baseman Mark Bellhorn, retired Walker, and threw to third, where Bill Mueller tagged Suppan for a double play.

Trot Nixon extended the Red Sox lead to 2-0 in the top of the 4th, hitting a single to right field that scored Mueller, who had started the rally with a two-out double to left center. Johnny Damon led off the Red Sox's 5th inning with a double to right, confounding Walker, who had trouble navigating the wet grass and warning track. Orlando Cabrera followed with a single to right, and Ramírez singled to left, scoring Damon. After Ortiz flied to center and Varitek grounded into a fielder's choice, Mueller singled sharply past first base, allowing Cabrera to score the Red Sox's fourth run. At that point, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa replaced Suppan with Al Reyes (Cardinals starting pitchers failed to finish the 5th inning in all 3 games played so far), who got the final out.

At the 7th-inning stretch Gospel Music Hall of Fame recording artist, and platinum selling Grammy Award winner Amy Grant performed " God Bless America" from the top of the Cardinals dugout.

Martinez' outing ended after the 7th inning. He finished with six strikeouts, two walks, and three hits allowed. Mike Timlin came on to pitch the 8th.

Walker homered to center field off Keith Foulke with one out in the Cardinals' 9th to break up the shutout, as the rain returned. Foulke escaped further damage, and the Red Sox won the game 4-1, their seventh straight playoff victory.

The game was played before 52,015 paying fans, in a brisk (for modern-day playoff baseball) 2 hours and 58 minutes. (Play-by-play from ESPN.com)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston	1	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	4	9	0
St. Louis	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	4	0
W: Pedro Martinez (1-0) L: Jeff Suppan (0-1)

4 Game Four, 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 ; it is not known which United States Air Force base the planes flew from.

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).

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

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 Red Sox's starting pitcher, Derek Lowe, came at 7:26 PM local time.

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.

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.

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

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 LaRussa 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.

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).

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. 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 and the Series 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. Manny Ramírez was named MVP.

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.

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

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	0
St. Louis	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
W: Derek Lowe (1-0) L: Jason Marquis (0-1) S: Keith Foulke (1)

5 Aftermath

After the end of Game 4, fans in Boston were understandably ecstatic. There was less rioting and damage downtown than there had been after the final pennant match the preceding week, but there were perhaps twice as many people in the streets. This caused some problems when an ambulance tried to drive through the crowd to get to an injured woman. The crowd did get out of the way as the ambulance moved however, the crowd did reform again and even followed the ambluance. Most of the crowd was mostly peaceful and calm, some forming mosh pits and others dancing. Some did try to scale lampposts and ledges, most suceeding in doing with no police intervention. Many roads were closed offincluding Yawkey Way and a police perimeter was formed around Fenway Park to keep fans from tresspassing into the field and stadium; and most bars shut down, during the hour after the end of the game. Small caches of fireworks were set off around the city, and many news programs showed several hours of footage of the streets in Boston and Cambridge, interspersed with footage and interviews from inside Busch Stadium, which began about 10 seconds after the final out was thrown. People in surburbs were celebrating also, in some places such as Lynn, some screams were heard, some fireworks were being set off and people were banging pots and pans. At last count there had been 35 arrests, mostly for minor offenses (e.g. drunk and disorderly conduct), 22 injuries resulting in hospitalization (one of which was a police officer hit in the face with a beer bottle), and some minor property damage (2 reported property vandalizations, several damaged trees). Compared to the riots following the ALCS Game 7 victory one week prior, which caused damage to a McDonald's and a Sovereign Bank in Kenmore Square as well as the death of Victoria Snelgrove, a 21 year old college student, the reported property damage was minor. The next morning, most of the Boston radio stations' morning shows were celebrating also and rush hour traffic was very light on the usually congested Route 128 and Interstate 93.

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