2004 World Series Game 4
The 2004 Red Sox ended an 86-year championship drought with a historic comeback and a World Series sweep.
The 2004 Boston Red Sox season was the 104th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. Managed by Terry Francona, the Red Sox finished with a 98–64 record, three games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. The Red Sox qualified for the postseason as the AL wild card, swept the Anaheim Angels in the ALDS, and faced the Yankees in the ALCS for the second straight year. After losing the first three games and trailing in the ninth inning of the fourth game, the Red Sox became the first team in major league history to come back from a 3–0 postseason deficit, defeating the Yankees in seven games. The Red Sox then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, capturing their first championship since 1918.
- Series Outcome
- Red Sox win 4-0
- Final Score
- Boston 3, St. Louis 0
- Winning Pitcher
- Derek Lowe
- Location
- Busch Stadium II, St. Louis
- Series Context
- Red Sox become first team to overcome 3-0 deficit in MLB history
Lore & Background
The Red Sox had a strong offense in the regular season, leading the major leagues in runs scored (949), doubles (373), on-base percentage (.360), slugging percentage (.472), on-base plus slugging (.832), total bases (2,702), batting average on balls in play, and plate appearances. They led all postseason teams in batting average and on-base percentage. The team played its home games at Fenway Park, before a regular season total attendance of 2,837,304 fans.
In Their Own Story
Under the bright lights of Game 4, history didn't just happen; it crashed down. Derek Lowe stood on the rubber, his face unreadable against the backdrop of a hostile crowd, eyes locked solely on Jason Varitek's mitt. The count was full. One strike separated Boston from immortality. Lowe wound up, and the pitch hung in the humid St. Louis air for an eternity before Edgar Renteria swung at nothing. The umpire's arm snapped upward—Strike three! In that split second, the Red Sox dugout didn't just erupt; it exploded with a primal roar, the sound of a century-long nightmare finally shattering into dust.
Reader's Guide
The Red Sox swept the Anaheim Angels in the ALDS. In Game 1, Curt Schilling suffered a torn tendon when hit by a line drive. In Game 3, David Ortiz hit a game-winning two-run homer in the 10th inning. In the ALCS, the Red Sox lost the first three games, then became the first team in major league history to come back from a 3–0 postseason deficit, winning in seven games. The Red Sox then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
Did You Know?
- The Red Sox never trailed in the 2004 World Series, winning 4–0.
- Derek Lowe pitched on two days' rest in Game 7 of the ALCS, not one day.
- Kevin Millar's quote 'Let's go get a beer' was said after Game 4 of the ALCS, not the World Series.
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