Jon Lester, Mike Napoli, David Ortiz Lead Red Sox 8-1 Rout of Cardinals in World Series Game One

Players of the Day for Wednesday, October 23, 2013

David Ortiz

World Series Game One

It was obvious right away which team was ready for the World Series and which was not.

After Jon Lester retired the Cardinals in the top of the first, yielding only a single to Matt Holliday, Boston roughed up Cardinal starter, Adam Wainwright, with some help from an error by shortstop Pete Kozma.

Jon Lester

Walking the first batter he face, Jacoby Ellsbury, Wainwright looked jittery and nervous. After he got Shane Victorino on a sharp liner to left, Dustin Pedroia laced a single up the middle, then David Ortiz grounded into what appeared to be a tailor-made double play, but Kozma never handled the toss from second baseman Matt Carpenter, loading the bases.

Then came the biggest blow of the game, as Mike Napoli cleared the bases with a booming double that went to the wall in left center.

Mike Napoli

It was 3-0 Boston, and it didn't get any better for the visitors after that.

The Sox scored two more in the second inning, Pedroia singling in a run and Ortiz plating another with a sac fly.

Lester mowed through the St. Louis order, eventually working 7 2/3 innings, allowing five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. Wainwright took the loss, lasting five innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk.

Ortiz smashed a two run homer in the eighth, giving him and Napoli three RBI apiece. Boston finished the scoring with a sac fly run from Xavier Bogaerts which got Daniel Nava home from third base.

Holliday supplied the only Cardinal run with a solo homer in the ninth, the Red Sox running off to a 8-1 win.

Not only did the Cardinals lose the game, they may have lost their most capable hitter, Carlos Beltran, who slammed into the wall in right field, robbing Ortiz of a grand slam in the second inning. He finished the frame in the outfield but did not return after going to the bench, and then into the clubhouse, replaced by Jon Jay.

Beltran received X-rays to his ribs, which came back negative. He is day-to-day with bruised ribs and doubtful for game two, which starts Thursday night, at 8:07 pm EDT at Fenway Park in Boston.

Today's Trivia: Who is the all-time career leader in post-season RBI? (answer tomorrow)

Yesterday's Answer: Kenny Lofton is the all-time post-season stolen base leader, with 34, one better than Ricky Henderson.