Lester’s Dominant Night Gives Red Sox Series Edge

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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Matt LaPan, GoLocalWorcester Sports Reporter

There was no need for final out pick-off plays. There was no need for game winning obstruction calls. Game 5 of the 2013 World Series was simply a pitcher’s duel. John Lester and Adam Wainwright showed on the grandest stage of them all why they are the respective aces on their teams.

Lester finished the night with the win, pitching 7.2 innings and only allowing only one run on four hits while striking out seven. Wainwright was also impressive in the loss, giving up three runs over seven innings on eight hits with 10 strikeouts.

The Red Sox were able to strike first when David Ortiz continued his stellar World Series by doubling home Dustin Pedroia in the top of the first to put the Sox up 1-0 in the 1st inning. The run came in the midst of an amazing run or six straight strikeouts for Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright to start the game.

The Red Sox lead looked safe as John Lester pitched very well through the first three-plus innings, but the Cardinals received an equalizer off the bat of Matt Holliday. Holliday sent a Lester fastball into the Busch Stadium seats to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 4th.

Both teams were kept off the board by great pitching until the Red Sox were able to get to Wainwright for two runs in the top of the 7th. The inning started with a Xander Bogaerts single and a Stephen Drew walk. David Ross then sent a Wainwright pitch down the left field line for a ground-rule double, driving in Bogaerts. Jacoby Elsbury came up two batters later and drove in Drew, but Ross was thrown out at home plate to end the inning and Wainwright’s night.

John Lester continued his strong night through 7.2 innings when he was pulled for Koji Uehara. Uehara was brought in to face pinch-hitting Matt Adams and struck him out on three pitches.
Uehara came back on in the 9th and retired the top of the Cardinals lineup in order to close out the game. With the win John Lester moves to 2-0 in the World Series, giving up only one run through 15.2 innings.
With the Red Sox winning in the pitcher’s duel, they now have a chance to return back to Fenway Park on Wednesday night with a chance to win the World Series in Game 6.