Video reports by Alison Morris, Fox CT
Text by Paul Doyle, The Hartford Courant
BOSTON — Each game throughout October, the Red Sox have waltzed into late innings with the feeling that somehow things would fall into place.
And most nights, it did. Manager John Farrell has handed the ball to one reliever or another and rallies were extinguished before the offense would awaken.
So when Craig Breslow took the mound with two on and one out in the seventh, virtually everyone in Fenway Park expected the pride of Trumbull and Yale to preserve a one-run lead. But in a matter of minutes, the game slipped away.
There was a walk, a sacrifice fly, an error and a single. Just like that, the Red Sox were trailing and Breslow was walking to the dugout.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals bullpen stifled the Red Sox and Game 2 of the World Series slipped away. After dropping the first game of the series, the Cardinals earned 4-2 victory and are going home with the series even.
Game 3 is Saturday night at Busch Stadium and the Cardinals return with wind in their sails.
The Red Sox had a 2-1 lead on a David Ortiz homer off phenom Michael Wacha. But John Lackey put two runners on base in the seventh, turning it over to Breslow.
Breslow entered with a streak of 18 scoreless appearances and has been flawless in the postseason. But the allowed the tying run to score on a sacrifice fly, as a throw from left fielder Jonny Gomes skipped past catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Breslow, backing up the plate, grabbed the ball and threw to third as a runner took the extra base. His wild throw wound up in the stands and the lead run scored.
Next, Breslow allowed a run-scoring single to Carlos Beltran to give the Cardinals an insurance run. Not that they needed it. Carlos Martinez struck out three over two innings and closer Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth.