rand slam gave the Reds the lead for good and they went

BOSTON -- The old ballpark was packed for a celebration nearly a century in the making. Players danced around the infield with their families. Fans remained in the stands, savoring a long-awaited moment generations of New Englanders had never been able to witness. Turmoil to triumph. Worst to first. A clincher at Fenway Park. David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox, baseballs bearded wonders, capped their remarkable turnaround by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 in Game 6 on Wednesday night to win their third World Series championship in 10 seasons. When it was over, Ortiz took a microphone on the field and addressed the city, just as he did a week after the marathon bombings last April. "This is for you, Boston. You guys deserve it," the Series MVP said. "Weve been through a lot this year and this is for all of you and all those families who struggled." And the Red Sox didnt even have to fly the trophy home. For the first time since Babe Ruths team back in 1918, Boston won the title at Fenway. The 101-year-old stadium, oldest in the majors, was packed with 38,447 singing, shouting fans anticipating a party building for more than nine decades. "Maybe they wont have to go another 95 years," said John Farrell, a champion in his first season as Bostons manager. Shane Victorino, symbolic of these resilient Sox, returned from a stiff back and got Boston rolling with a three-run double off the Green Monster against rookie sensation Michael Wacha. Pumped with emotion, Victorino pounded his chest with both fists three times. John Lackey became the first pitcher to start and win a Series clincher for two different teams, allowing one run over 6 2-3 innings 11 years after his Game 7 victory as an Angels rookie in 2002. With fans roaring on every pitch and cameras flashing, Koji Uehara struck out Matt Carpenter for the final out. The Japanese pitcher jumped into the arms of catcher David Ross while Red Sox players rushed from the dugout and bullpen as the Boston theme "Dirty Water" played on the public-address system. There wasnt the "Cowboy Up!" comeback charm of "The Idiots" from 2004, who swept St. Louis to end an 86-year title drought. There wasnt that cool efficiency of the 2007 team that swept Colorado. This time, they were Boston Strong -- playing for a city shaken by tragedy. "Weve dealt with a lot," Dustin Pedroia said. "But our team came together." After a late-season collapse in 2011, the embarrassing revelations of a chicken-and-beer clubhouse culture that contributed to the ouster of manager Terry Francona, and the daily tumult of Bobby Valentines one-year flop, these Red Sox grew on fans. Just like the long whiskers on the players faces, starting with Gomes scruffy spring training beard. "As soon as we went to Fort Myers, the movies already been written," Gomes said. "All we had to do was press play, and this is what happened." The only player remaining from the 2004 champs, Ortiz had himself a Ruthian World Series. He batted .688 (11 for 16) with two homers, six RBIs and eight walks -- including four in the finale -- for a .760 on-base percentage in 25 plate appearances, the second-highest in Series history. "We have a lot of players with heart. We probably dont have the talent that we had in 07 and 04, but we have guys that are capable (of staying) focused and do the little things," Ortiz said. Even slumping Stephen Drew delivered a big hit in Game 6, sending Wachas first pitch of the fourth into the right-centre bullpen for a 4-0 lead. By the time the inning was over, RBI singles by Mike Napoli and Victorino had made it 6-0, and the Red Sox were on their way. "Hey, I missed two games. Its time to shine," Victorino said. All over New England, from Connecticuts Housatonic River up to the Aroostook in Maine, Bostons eighth championship can be remembered for the beard-yanking bonding. Fans bid up the average ticket price to over $1,000 on the resale market and some prime locations went for more than $10,000 each. Nearly all the Red Sox rooters stood in place for 30 minutes after the final out to view the presentation of the trophy and MVP award. A few thousand remained when a beaming Ortiz came back on the field with his son 75 minutes after the final out. "It was an awesome atmosphere here," Lackey said. The win capped an emotional season for the Red Sox, one heavy with the memory of the events that unfolded on Patriots Day, when three people were killed and more than 260 wounded in bombing attacks at the Boston Marathon. The Red Sox wore "Boston Strong" logos on their left sleeves, erected a large emblem on the Green Monster and moved the logo into the centre-field grass as a constant reminder. "Theres I think a civil responsibility that we have wearing this uniform, particularly here in Boston," Farrell said. "And it became a connection initially, the way our guys reached out to individuals or to hospital visits. And it continued to build throughout the course of the season. I think our fans, they got to a point where they appreciated the way we played the game, how they cared for one another. And in return they gave these guys an incredible amount of energy to thrive on in this ballpark." Red, white and blue fireworks fired over the ballpark as Commissioner Bud Selig presented the World Series trophy to Red Sox owners John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino, leaving a haze over the field. "When the fireworks went off at the presentation of the trophy out there, when the ballpark was filled with smoke, it was completely surreal," Farrell said. "To be in this position, given where weve come from, reflecting back a year ago at this time, theres been a lot thats happened in 13 months." Players then put on goggles for a champagne celebration in the cramped clubhouse. "They just found ways to win," Henry said. "At some point you have to think theres something special happening here." Among the players blamed for the indifferent culture at the end of the Francona years, Lackey took the mound two days shy of the second anniversary of his elbow surgery and got his first Series win since the 2002 clincher. He pitched shutout ball into the seventh, when Carlos Beltrans RBI single ended the Cardinals slump with runners in scoring position at 0 for 14. Junichi Tazawa came in with the bases loaded and retired Allen Craig on an inning-ending grounder to first. Brandon Workman followed in the eighth and Uehara finished. St. Louis had been seeking its second title in three seasons, but the Cardinals sputtered after arriving in Boston late Tuesday following a seven-hour flight delay caused by mechanical problems. Symbolic of the teams struggles, reliever Trevor Rosenthal tripped while throwing a pitch to Ortiz in the eighth, balking Pedroia to second. "They were some frustrated guys in there, but overall you cant ask us to go about any better than how our guys did," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Not too many people expected us to do what we did." Wacha entered 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his post-season career but gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 3 2-3 innings, the shortest start of the 22-year-olds big league career. "I just made too many mistakes," he said. "It doesnt matter how hard youre throwing if you cant locate it." Boston was a 30-1 underdog to win the World Series last winter but joined the 1991 Minnesota Twins as the only teams to win titles one season after finishing in last place. Now, the Red Sox will raise another championship flag before their home opener next season April 4 against Milwaukee. Boston hit just .211, the lowest average for a Series champion in 39 years and 13 points lower than the Cardinals. But after falling behind 2-1 in the Series on the first-game ending obstruction call in post-season history, the Red Sox tied it the following night on the first-game ending pickoff in post-season play. That sparked the Red Sox to three straight wins and another title. "When we started rolling," Ortiz said, "nobody ever stopped the train." NOTES: Boston also won the Series at Fenway Park in 1912. The Red Sox won the first World Series in 1903 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds and in 1916 at Braves Field. ... Catfish Hunter and Jimmy Key each won Series clinchers for two clubs, as a starter and reliever. ... Freese, the 2011 World Series MVP, hit .158 (3 for 19) with no RBIs. Eric Dickerson Jersey . Roma has a game in hand but now second place is even at risk for the capital side as Napoli moved to within three points with the win. "The result is not always fair," Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. "If we play like this until the end we will win many matches. Deacon Jones Jersey . Simon (10-3) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1-3 innings to break a tie with the Dodgers Zack Greinke and Cardinals Adam Wainwright for the NL lead in victories. Simon went to spring training as a relief pitcher and moved into the starting rotation when Mat Latos was recovering from elbow and knee surgeries. http://www.cheaplosangelesramsjerseysaut...lor-rapp-jersey. Olsen, who is 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, can play either centre or guard. The 25-year-old Olsen played 16 games and made four starts in 2012 with the New Orleans Saints. Nolan Cromwell Jersey . The 28-year-old from Rochester, Alta., was selected by the Redblacks from the Saskatchewan Roughriders roster in the 2013 CFL Expansion Draft. Kurt Warner Jersey . They wanna make t-shirts about it and sell them at our next hockey game..DB: Wow, they want to make t-shirts? That sounds pretty amazing.MS: Yeah, I was also on the Top 10, I was number 1 today, so that was pretty cool.PHOENIX -- Devin Mesoraco had caught Bronson Arroyo often enough to know the pitcher likes to try to sneak a first-pitch curveball past hitters in tough situations. So when Mesoraco came to the plate to face his former teammate with the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning, he wasnt surprised to see that slow curve coming -- and the Cincinnati catcher hit into the seats in left field. The grand slam gave the Reds the lead for good and they went on to beat Arroyo and the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 on Friday night. "I was aware that he likes to flip that easy breaking ball in there for a first-pitch strike, especially in situations where he really needs a strike," Mesoraco said. "I wouldnt say that I was looking for it, but I went up there with an idea that may be coming." When Arroyo came to the plate later in the game, he talked to Mesoraco about it. "I said, Rac, you were supposed to take one," Arroyo said. He said, I couldnt let that one go by." Mesoraco also had a solo shot off reliever Evan Marshall in the ninth inning for the second two-homer game of his career. A.J. Pollock doubled twice, singled and scored two runs for the Diamondbacks. In the first five games of the homestand, Pollock is 11 for 20 with five doubles, a triple and a home run and has scored nine runs. Mike Leake (3-4) gave up four runs, three earned, and six hits in six innings for his first win in eight starts. He struck out four and walked one. Arroyo (4-4), facing his former team for the first time, allowed five runs and nine hits through seven innings. "Regardless of the results, that was one of the more enjoyable games I have pitched," he said. When you know someone that intimately, it is nice to know that the guys are beating you that they are good guys and it was a fun competition." Mesoracos second career slam came on the first pitch after the Reds opened the second inning with three consecutive singles. Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save. Roger Bernadina doubledd in Cincinnatis other run.dddddddddddd The Reds opened the second with singles by Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier and Bernadina, loading the bases for Mesoraco, who made it 4-1. Mesoracos other grand slam came against Atlanta on May 24, 2012. Arizona got two runs in the third. With two outs, Pollock lined one past Frazier at third base. It was originally ruled an error but later changed to a double. Gerardo Parra followed with an RBI single. He took second on the throw home, then scored when Frazier fielded Paul Goldschmidts slow bouncer and threw it high over the head of Bernadina at first and into the Reds dugout. Arizona squandered a chance to tie it in the fifth. Ender Inciarte led off with a double down the right field line and took second on Arroyos sacrifice bunt. But Pollock bounced to the pitcher and Parra grounded out to shortstop to end the threat. The Reds got a run in the sixth on Bernadinas RBI double, and Arizona answered with one in its half of the inning. Aaron Hill singled home Goldschmidt from second, leaving runners at first and third with one out. Chris Owings struck out, then Inciarte was called out at first with Leake taking the throw from second baseman Brandon Phillips and covering on a close play. Manager Kirk Gibson challenged the call but it was upheld on review. The tying run would have scored had the challenge been successful. "That was a huge play right there," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. "I wouldnt say a game-saver, but maybe a game-changer for sure." NOTES: The Reds Billy Hamilton stole his 19th base of the season. ... When Miguel Montero threw out Bernadina trying to steal third in the sixth, it was just the third caught stealing for the Arizona catcher in 28 tries. ... In the third game of the series Saturday night, the Reds have Johnny Cueto (4-4, 1.83 ERA) on the mound against Arizonas Brandon McCarthy (1-6, 4.87). ... Cincinnati is 26-11 with the roof closed at Chase Field, 5-12 with it open. It was open Friday night. 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