By CNN Staff
(CNN) — Boston was strong. Too strong for the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Red Sox, defeated the Cardinals 6-1 on Wednesday to win their eighth World Series title and cap a wicked good worst-to-first season that delighted a city dealing with the aftermath of the deadly bombings at its signature marathon in April.
Shane Victorino drove in four runs with a bases-loaded double in the third and an RBI single in the fourth as Boston took the Series four games to two.
Leading hitter for the Red Sox, David Ortiz, walked four times — three times intentionally — and scored two runs.
A resurgent John Lackey pitched six strong innings before fading in the seventh and leaving with the bases loaded with a 6-1 lead. But reliever Junichi Tazawa got out Allen Craig to blunt the Cardinals’ comeback attempt.
In April at a remembrance ceremony for the victims of the bombing, it was Ortiz, known as Big Papi, who fired up the crowd.
“This jersey, that we wear today, it doesn’t say ‘Red Sox.’ It says ‘Boston,’ ” Ortiz said, standing on the infield as the crowd cheered officers who were on the field.
“We want to thank you Mayor (Michael) Menino, Gov. (Deval) Patrick, the whole police department, for the great job that they did this past week. This is our f***ing city. And nobody’s going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong,” he said, echoing the newly minted “Boston Strong” motto.
The Red Sox became only the second team in major league history to finish last in their division in one season and win the World Series the next year. In 1991, two worst-to-first teams met in the World Series with the Minnesota Twins edging the Atlanta Braves in seven games.
It’s the club’s third World Series title in nine years — albeit the first that they’ve celebrated on their home field since 1918.
The-CNN-Wire
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