Lester Dominates As Red Sox Take Game 1
Jon Lester silenced the St. Louis Cardinals with seven-plus innings of shutout baseball as the Boston Red Sox took Game 1 of the World Series 8-1 on Wednesday night.
Lester allowed just five hits and struck out eight batters in 7 2/3 innings of work. He threw 112 pitches and walked a single batter.
The Red Sox scored three runs on a double by Mike Napoli in the first inning and added two more in the second. Boston nearly scored more as Carlos Beltran robbed David Ortiz of a potential grand slam to right field in the second frame. Ortiz was limited to a sacrifice fly, but Beltran had to leave the game with a rib injury.
He was taken to a local hospital for testing.
Ortiz connected on a pitch thrown by Seth Maness for a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Xander Bogaerts tacked on the eighth run with a sac fly of his own in the eighth.
Matt Holliday put St. Louis on the board in the top of the ninth with a solo home run to center field.
Game 2 will take place on Thursday night at Fenway Park.
The Cardinals committed an uncharacteristic three errors. The Red Sox got to Adam Wainwright early. The right-hander threw 95 pitches, but lasted just five innings. He was charged with three earned runs (five scored). He struck out four and walked one.