FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Grady Sizemore had three hits, scored three runs and showed a good glove in the outfield, helping the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 Monday.

An AL All-Star in each of his last three full seasons (2006-08), Sizemore has been hampered by injuries over the last five years and missed the past two seasons following operations on his right knee and back.

“I’m just happy to be healthy and be out there playing and being able to do those things, and hopefully build off that,” Sizemore said.

Sizemore, signed in January to a $750,000, one-year contract, ended the first inning when he crashed into the center-field wall to rob Daniel Descalso of an extra-base hit. In the eighth, sprinting back and to his right, Sizemore made a diving catch at the warning track to nab Jon Jay’s sinking fly ball.

“Obviously, a very good day, both sides of the ball,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Very good defense, fearless as we saw. And as we’ve talked about the timing at the plate left-handed pitching, right-handed pitching. He puts very good swings on some pitches and maybe a little bit of a flashback to how good Grady was for a number of years.”

Boston starter John Lackey gave up five runs, six hits and two walks in five innings with three strikeouts.

Cardinals starter Shelby Miller gave up three runs, three hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Red Sox and Cardinals played with green bases, the Red Sox wore green caps and jerseys and the Cardinals wore green caps.

— Associated Press —

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Matt Holliday doubled in both at-bats and drove in two runs Sunday for the St. Louis Cardinals in a 7-1 win over the New York Mets.

Holliday didn’t play in the Cardinals’ spring training opener on Friday. He singled and walked in two plate appearances as the designated hitter Saturday.

“I feel good,” said Holliday, who played left field for the first time this spring. “It’s two days into spring training, so I don’t put too much into it, but having good at-bats is always a positive. You just try to roll it into the next day.”

Holliday’s first double came off starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, who’s competing for the fifth spot in the Mets’ rotation.

“I gave up a run in the first inning today, but I think all my pitches are very good at this point of the year except for my slider. I think that needs a little bit more work,” Matsuzaka said through a translator.

A 30-pitch first inning that included two walks kept Cardinals starter Michael Wacha from getting out of the second. He reached his pitch cap after retiring the first two batters of the second without allowing a run.

“I was happy with it,” Wacha said. “Arm felt great. Body felt great. Command wasn’t where I wanted it to be. Hopefully that will come along.”

— Associated Press —

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed right-handed pitcher Pat Neshek to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League camp for Spring Training.

Neshek pitched over seven Major League seasons with the Twins (2006-10), Padres (2011) and most recently Athletics in 2012-13.

The 33-year old Madison, Wis., native has made 226 career appearances, all in relief, compiling a 16-9 record with a 3.07 ERA while averaging over a strikeout per inning fanning 216 batters in 214.1 innings.

He appeared in a career-high 74 games during his second season with the Twins in 2007 while posting a 7-2 record and a 2.94 ERA.

Neshek held right-handed batters to a .182 batting average over 494 career at bats and has limited the opposition to a .192 average with runners on base and .183 with runners in scoring position.

He has played in two post-seasons first with the Twins in 2006 and then the Athletics in 2012, making three relief appearances.

The Cardinals will have 58 players in camp including non-roster invitations with this transaction.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

Free agent shortstop Jhonny Peralta and the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed on a four-year contract, giving the All-Star a fresh start after his Biogenesis drug suspension last summer.

The Cardinals filled a need by getting a top-hitting shortstop a month after losing the World Series in six games to Boston. Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso, while generally good fielders, are light hitters.

The deal was expected to be worth more than $50 million.

”We are pleased to announce that Jhonny has agreed to terms and I know he is equally excited to be joining the Cardinals,” general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement. ”Jhonny is among the game’s top offensive shortstops, he’s a steady defender and he has experience playing for a contender. He gives us proven veteran experience and brings balance and versatility to our everyday lineup. ”

But the move drew a different reaction from a couple other big leaguers.

”It pays to cheat… Thanks, owners, for encouraging PED use,” Arizona pitcher Brad Ziegler tweeted.

”Apparently getting suspended for PED’s means you get a raise. What’s stopping anyone from doing it? (hashtag)weneedtomakeachange,” free agent pitcher David Aardsma tweeted.

The 31-year-old Peralta was suspended 50 games last season as a result of Major League Baseball’s investigation in the Biogenesis case involving performance-enhancing drugs. He returned to the Detroit Tigers in late September and played in the postseason, both in left field and at shortstop.

Shortly before Peralta was penalized, the Tigers acquired young shortstop Jose Iglesias from Boston in a three-team trade.

Peralta hit .303 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs in 107 games during the regular season, then batted .333 with one homer, four doubles and six RBIs in 10 playoff games.

The two-time All-Star is a career .268 hitter with 156 homers and 698 RBIs in 11 seasons with Cleveland and Detroit.

The NL champion Cardinals have been busy since the season ended. A few days ago, they sent third baseman David Freese, a hometown product and the 2011 World Series MVP, to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Peter Bourjos in a four-player trade.

The Cardinals cut about $45 million off last season’s payroll, and wanted to plug a hole at shortstop. St. Louis lost All-Star Rafael Furcal in spring training for the whole year because of elbow surgery.

Detroit did not extend a qualifying offer to Peralta, meaning there would be no compensation draft pick involved in his move from the AL Central champions to the NL Central winners.

Earlier this offseason, the Tigers traded first baseman Prince Fielder to Texas for second baseman Ian Kinsler in a swap of All-Stars with rich contracts.

— Associated Press —

Former World Series MVP David Freese was traded by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals to the Los Angeles Angels in a four-player deal Friday that reunites Albert Pujols with a pair of ex-teammates.

In a conference call with media, Freese said he got a welcoming text from Pujols and responded with a reference to the 2011 World Series: “Remember what we did the last time we played together? Let’s go try to do that again.”

Freese didn’t think his drop-off in production last season had anything to do with the pressure of being the “hometown kid.”

“Obviously, I’m a little sad closing this chapter, but I’m extremely pumped about joining the Angels,” Freese said. “If it was going to go down, I wanted it to happen on a team like the Angels.”

St. Louis obtained a new starting center fielder in Peter Bourjos, plus outfield prospect Randal Grichuk. The Cardinals also sent reliever Fernando Salas to the Angels.

“Overall, we just felt this was a very compelling deal to make,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said.

Freese’s departure did not come as a surprise.

“I definitely would look myself in the mirror and say, ‘Where am I going to be in March?'” Freese said. “I was ready to go anywhere. I’m excited to get this going.”

The 30-year-old was the MVP of the 2011 NL championship series and the World Series, setting a major league record with 21 postseason RBIs and hitting a game-ending, 11th-inning home run in Game 6.

Freese injured his back chasing a foul ball into the stands during spring training this year and never hit stride. He hit only .179 in this year’s postseason, going 3-for-19 (.158) with no RBIs in the six-game loss to Boston in the World Series.

“David, growing up in St. Louis, this could not have been the easiest place to play,” Mozeliak said. “I do think he may be looking forward to a fresh start. This was not an easy year for him.”

Freese batted .262 with nine homers and 60 RBIs, a letdown from career bests of 20 homers, 79 RBIs and a .293 average the previous year. Freese made $3.15 million and is eligible for salary arbitration.

“He knows how to drive in the important runs,” Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “That’s something that really fits in our lineup.”

The Angels were a match because they need a third baseman and Freese didn’t figure as the long-term solution at third for St. Louis. The Cardinals will move second baseman Matt Carpenter to third, opening a position for former top draft pick Kolten Wong.

Wong batted just .153 in 32 games last fall and was picked off first base to end Game 4 of the World Series against the Red Sox. Mozeliak said that was just a “snapshot” of Wong, who batted .303 with 20 steals in 21 chances at Triple-A Memphis.

“It gives Wong a clear shot,” Mozeliak said. “I think he’s going to hit.”

Pujols also played on the 2011 title team before signing a $240 million, 10-year deal with the Angels. Bourjos said Pujols called him just before the start of a teleconference with St. Louis media and Bourjos planned to call back later, adding, “I’m going to pick his brain a little bit more, but I can’t wait.”

The trade adds about $4 million to the payroll of the Angels, who have yet to add starting pitching. Jason Vargas left this week for a $32 million, four-year contract with Kansas City.

The Angels haven’t had an accomplished third baseman since Chone Figgins left after the 2009 — their last postseason appearance. Their outfield next season is likely to be Josh Hamiliton in left, Trout in center and Kole Calhoun in right.

Coming off their second World Series appearance in three years, the Cardinals have shed more than $45 million in payroll with Chris Carpenter, Carlos Beltran, Jake Westbrook, Rafael Furcal and Edward Mujica also off the books.

The 28-year-old Salas had 24 saves in 2011, but did not have a major role in the bullpen the last two years and spent part of 2013 in the minors. He was 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 27 games last year.

The 26-year-old Bourjos, who bumps Jon Jay to the bench, was supposed to be the Angels’ everyday center fielder last year after Los Angeles allowed Torii Hunter to leave and traded Kendrys Morales. Trout was moved to left to accommodate Bourjos, who is a better fielder.

“We did juggle some things around to make sure he got an opportunity, and it didn’t play out the way we hoped or the way he hoped,” Dipoto said.

Bourjos missed May with a hamstring strain, then broke his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch in Houston on June 29. He played just 55 games, said he was “getting real close” to full strength.

A career .251 hitter with speed, Bourjos stole 41 bases in 54 attempts and was among AL leaders with 11 triples, 17 bunt hits and 38 infield hits in 2011.

Allen Craig will move to right field next year, making room for slugger Matt Adams at first base, with Matt Holliday in left field. Top prospect Oscar Taveras is expected to make the team but without the pressure of starting in center field.

The 22-year-old Grichuk was the 24th overall selection in the 2009 amateur draft, one ahead of Mike Trout, and starred at Double-A Arkansas last season. Dipoto said Grichuk likely would have begun next season at the Triple-A level.

“There’s still some growing he needs to do at the plate, but Randal has the upside to play at the major league level,” Dipoto said. “I hope he ends up a major league player.”

Grichuk had 57 extra-base hits, including a team-leading 22 homers that ranked sixth in the Texas League. He batted leadoff the majority of the time and made two errors in the outfield, playing center and right field. Grichuk has a .284 average with 61 homers and 259 RBIs in 433 minor league games.

— Associated Press —

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that Manager Mike Matheny has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2017 season.  The team announced this past February that it had exercised Matheny’s option for the 2014 season.

“We are pleased to announce that Mike Matheny will be leading our ball club for the foreseeable future,” stated Cardinals Senior V.P./General Manager John Mozeliak.  “He continues to demonstrate the leadership skills necessary to produce winning baseball and has quickly established himself as a respected manager and leader.”

Cardinals Chairman William O. DeWitt, Jr. added, “Mike has done an outstanding job in his first two seasons and we are thrilled to have him as our manager for at least the next four years.”

Matheny, 43, has guided the Cardinals to postseason appearances in each of his first two seasons at the helm, including back-to-back trips to the National League Championship Series and a World Series appearance this past season.  His 2013 team earned the franchise its 19th League Championship and the team’s 9th N.L. Central Division title with a Major League-leading 97-65 won-loss mark.

In his two seasons as St. Louis manager, Matheny has posted a 185-139 record (.571 win pct. – 4th best in majors) in regular season play and a 16-14 mark in the postseason.  His team won the 2012 Wild Card game and Division Series and in 2013 posted wins in both the Division and League Championship Series. Matheny’s 16 postseason wins and 30 postseason games managed the past two seasons (2012-13) lead all managers.

Matheny is the first Cardinals manager to have piloted the team to the postseason in each of his first two full seasons with the ball club and he’s the 8th all-time to have done so, joining Ron Gardenhire (2002-04), Bob Brenly (2001-02), Larry Dierker (1997-99), Ralph Houk (1961-63), Mickey Cochrane (1934-35), Bucky Harris (1924-25) and Hughie Jennings (1907-09).

Matheny, who in 2012, at the age of 41, was the youngest manager in the majors, piloted the Cardinals to the National League Championship Series while also becoming the first rookie manager to lead the Redbirds to the postseason since Eddie Dyer did so in 1946.

Matheny is slated to manage the 2014 National League All-Star team next July in Minneapolis.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

BOSTON (AP) — There hasn’t been a party like this in New England for nearly a century.

Turmoil to triumph. Worst to first.

MVP David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox, baseball’s 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.

Shane Victorino, symbolic of these resilient Red Sox, returned from a stiff back and got Boston rolling with a three-run double off the Green Monster against rookie sensation Michael Wacha.

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.

And the Red Sox didn’t have to fly the trophy home. For the first time since Babe Ruth’s team back in 1918, Boston won the title at Fenway Park. The 101-year-old ballpark, oldest in the majors, was packed with 38,447 singing, shouting fans anticipating a celebration 95 years in the making. There wasn’t the cowboy-up comeback charm of “The Idiots” from 2004, who swept St. Louis to end an 86-year title drought. There wasn’t that cool efficiency of the 2007 team that swept Colorado. This time, they were Boston Strong — playing for a city shaken by the marathon bombings in April.

After late-season slumps in 2010 and ’11, 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 Valentine’s one-year flop, these Red Sox grew on fans. Just like the long whiskers on the players’ faces, starting with Jonny Gomes’ scruffy spring training beard.

Across the Northeast, from Connecticut’s Housatonic River up to the Aroostook in Maine, Boston’s eighth championship will be remembered for all the beard-yanking bonding. Ortiz, the only player remaining from the 2004 champs, had 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. Even slumping Stephen Drew delivered a big hit in Game 6, sending Wacha’s first pitch of the fourth into the right-center bullpen.

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.

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 and erected a large emblem on the Green Monster as a constant reminder. A “B Strong” logo was mowed into center-field grass at Fenway.

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 Beltran’s 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.

Symbolic of the team’s struggles, reliever Trevor Rosenthal tripped while throwing a pitch to Ortiz in the eighth, balking Dustin Pedroia to second.

Pedroia had brought back memories of Carlton Fisk’s 1975 Game 6-winning home run, sending a first-inning drive about 10 feet foul of the Green Monster foul pole — and waving his left arm once to try to urge the ball fair as he came out of the batter’s box.

Lackey escaped a two-on, none-out jam in the second when he retired Matt Adams and David Freese on flyouts and, after a wild pitch, struck out Jon Jay. Boston wasted a similar threat in the bottom half, then went ahead on the third. Jacoby Ellsbury singled leading off and went to second on Pedroia’s grounder. Ortiz was intentionally walked, Napoli struck out and Gomes was hit above the left elbow with a pitch, loading the bases.

Victorino, wearing red, white and blue spikes with an American flag motif, had been 0-for-10 in the Series and missed the previous two games with a bad back. Dropped from second to sixth in the batting order, he took two balls and a called strike, then turned on a 93 mph fastball and sent it high off the Green Monster, the 37-foot-high wall in left. Gomes slid home as Yadier Molina took Matt Holliday’s one-hop throw and applied the tag, then argued with plate umpire Jim Joyce. Victorino, pumped with emotion, went to third on the throw and pounded his chest with both fists three times.

After Drew’s homer, Lance Lynn relieved Wacha with two on, and RBI singles by Napoli and Victorino boosted Boston’s lead to 6-0. Wacha entered 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his postseason career but gave up six runs, five hits and four walks in 3 2-3 innings, the shortest start of the 22-year-old’s big league career.

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.

The Red Sox had not played a Series Game 6 since that infamous night at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1986, when Bill Buckner allowed Mookie Wilson’s 10th-inning roller to get through his legs. And there had not been one at Fenway since Fisk’s 12th-inning home run off the foul pole atop the Green Monster. Following consecutive late-season skids, the Red Sox parted with Francona at the end of the 2011 season and reports emerged of players drinking beer and eating fried chicken in the clubhouse during games. Valentine took over as manager, injuries caused Boston to use a club-record 56 players, and the Red Sox skidded to a 69-93 record, their poorest since 1965.

John Farrell, Boston’s pitching coach from 2007-10, was hired after a pair of seasons as Toronto’s manager. A roster turnover began in August 2012 when Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and their big-money contracts were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that saved Boston just more than $261.66 million through 2018.

The Red Sox restocked during the offseason by signing seven major league free agents for contracts of three years or fewer at a total of $100.45 million: Victorino, Napoli, Gomes, Drew, Uehara, Ryan Dempster and Ross. After losing closers Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey to injuries early in the season, the Red Sox remained relatively healthy: Seventeen players wound up on the DL, down from 27.

They finished 97-65 _ matching St. Louis for the best record in the major leagues _ and made the playoffs for the first time since 2009. They also became the first team since the 2005 Cardinals to navigate the season without losing more than three in a row. After falling behind 2-1 in the Series, the Red Sox ended with three straight wins.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jon Lester pitched the Boston Red Sox within a whisker of yet another World Series championship.

Now, this bearded band goes back to Fenway Park just one win away.

”Pretty special time,” Lester said.

Lester bested Adam Wainwright once again, journeyman David Ross hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the Red Sox downed the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 Monday night to take a 3-2 Series edge.

David Ortiz delivered his latest big hit, too, putting Boston in position to capture its third crown in a decade. Not since 1918 have the Red Sox clinched the title at their century-old bandbox.

”The fact is we’re going home,” manager John Farrell said. ”Going back to a place that our guys love to play in, in front of our fans.”

”This atmosphere here, these three games, has been phenomenal. We know it’s going to be equal to that, if not better. And we’re excited about going home in the position we are,” he said.

Said Ortiz: ”It’s going to get loud out there.”

John Lackey gets the first chance to win it Wednesday night against St. Louis rookie sensation Michael Wacha. A Cardinals victory would set up a most spooky proposition for both teams – Game 7 on Halloween night.

”It will be legendary if we go into Boston and win two games,” Wainwright said.

Ortiz enjoyed even more success in Game 5 after moving up from cleanup to the third slot. He is 11 for 15 (.733) in this Series with two homers, six RBIs and four walks.

Ortiz left in a double switch, shortly after legging out a hit in the eighth. He was OK, and he’d already done enough damage to the Cardinals.

”What planet’s that guy from?” Ross said.

Lester enhanced his reputation as an October ace with every pitch. He allowed one run and four hits in 7 2-3 innings, striking out seven without a walk. Nearly the same line he had in beating Wainwright in the opener.

”I think the biggest thing is me and Rossy have had a good rhythm,” Lester said. ”Early on, we just went back to our game plan from Game 1 and just fell back on that and really just tried to make them swing the bats early, and we were able to do that.”

The lefty who’s won all three of his career World Series starts had just one scary inning, when Matt Holliday homered in the fourth, Carlos Beltran flied out to the wall and Yadier Molina hit a liner. Other than that, Lester was sharp as a knife while retiring 12 in a row.

He tweaked himself late, but said he was all right. In fact, Lester’s biggest brush with major trouble came well before his first pitch.

Lester was getting loose near the warning track when a team of eight Clydesdales pulling a beer wagon came trotting by – it’s a Busch Stadium tradition and Lester moved aside to watch the horses.

He also took a brief break in the seventh. A giant paper airplane floated down from the stands, and some fans cheered its flight as it landed near the mound. Lester handed it to a ballboy, and retired Molina to end the inning.

”It was a tough loss. It was 1-1 in the seventh – that was obviously the game. Tip your cap to Ross, he hit a double to take the lead,” Wainwright said. ”Their guy Lester did a good job.”

Lester did it without any flap over his glove. During Game 1, a Cardinals minor league pitcher posted a picture on Twitter of discoloration on Lester’s mitt and wondered if some foreign substance was there.

Lester said he merely used rosin for a better grip, and Major League Baseball said it didn’t see anything wrong.

Koji Uehara got four outs for his second save. No crazy endings this time, either, following one night with an obstruction call and the next with Uehara’s game-finishing pickoff.

The Cardinals went quickly in the ninth, and now need two wins in Boston. They overcame a 3-2 deficit at home to beat Texas for the 2011 title.

”The guys know what we have to do,” manager Mike Matheny said. ”We have to play the game. They have to lock arms, trust each other and play the game the right way. Most of it is going to be the mentality of not buying into any kind of stats, any kind of predictions, any kind of odds. And go out and play the game.”

Ortiz put Boston ahead with an RBI double in the first, hitting the first pitch after Dustin Pedroia doubled on an 0-2 curve. Ortiz singled the next time up and tied the Series record by reaching base in nine straight plate appearances.

Big Papi and the Red Sox took two of three at the NL park despite playing without a designated hitter. Ortiz became the first baseman, putting slugger Mike Napoli on the bench.

The Red Sox lead the Series despite a .205 team batting average. Ortiz has one-third of the team’s 33 hits.

Ross, a graybeard on a team led by scraggly veterans, broke a 1-all tie when he hooked a drive just inside the left-field line, and the ball bounced into the seats for a go-ahead double.

”How about that? It’s nice to drive in runs,” Ross said. ”I’ve got to credit the guys in front of me.”

Jacoby Ellsbury later hit an RBI single, and Ross was thrown out at the plate trying to score on the play.

A day after Ortiz delivered a stirring, in-game pep talk to rev up the Red Sox, the Cardinals could’ve used some inspiration themselves – perhaps a visit from the good-luck Rally Squirrel from their 2011 title run.

The St. Louis hitters went quietly, a couple slinging their bats after routine popups and fly balls and others questioning the solid calls by plate umpire Bill Miller.

Holliday shook St. Louis’ slumber and broke Lester’s string with his second home run of the Series. Lester had pitched 16 1-3 scoreless innings in his first three World Series starts before Holliday tagged him.

That was all St. Louis got. Not even a revamped lineup that included the hobbled Allen Craig helped the Cards.

Wainwright changed things the next time Ortiz came up, varying his tempo and delivery. Ortiz still hit it hard while lining out to center.

Wainwright struck out 10 in seven innings, becoming the first Cardinals pitcher to reach double digits in the Series since Bob Gibson did it twice in 1968 against Detroit.

It was a big sports night in St. Louis, with an NFL game between the Rams and Seattle eight blocks away at the Edward Jones Dome. This is a baseball town, clearly: Football tickets sold for $10 on StubHub as kickoff approached, and fans inside the dome loudly booed when the World Series game was taken off the video board.

The baseball fans got to see Lester do more than pitch. He helped himself in the field, knocking down a hard comebacker and swiftly handling a bunt. He also made a dent with his bat, sort of.

Coming in with a career 0-for-31 mark at the plate, he nubbed a ball in front of the plate and was thrown out leading off the third. But at least he broke Wainwright’s string of five straight strikeouts, one shy of the postseason record tied by Detroit’s Justin Verlander against Boston in the AL championship series.

— Associated Press —

BOSTON (AP) — Rookie Michael Wacha kept pitching like a postseason ace and John Lackey matched him, leaving the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox scoreless through three innings Thursday night in Game 2 of the World Series.

A day after the Red Sox romped past the sloppy Cardinals 8-1, this one was tight at the start as Boston tried for its 10th straight Series win and a commanding lead.

At 22, Wacha came as advertised. He pitched well beyond his years – and in October, of all things.

The right-hander flashed a 95 mph fastball and a diving changeup while holding Boston hitless until Jacoby Ellsbury’s broken-bat bloop single with two outs in the third.

No one in the Boston lineup had ever hit against Wacha and it showed, as the Red Sox struck out four times and took a lot of weak, awkward swings.

The Cardinals had seen this already from Wacha, even though he made only nine regular-season starts. He began the night with a 3-0 record in three postseason starts, allowing just eight hits while striking out 22.

Wacha had his own cheering section at chilly Fenway Park, too. His mom, dad and younger sister bundled up in the stands after arriving from Texarkana, Texas.

Lackey worked around a pair of singles in blanking the Cardinals. He pitched a day after turning 35 – it was his first Series start since 2002 when, as a rookie for the Angels, he beat Barry Bonds and San Francisco in Game 7.

Carlos Beltran started for the Cardinals in right field, returning from an injury that forced him out of the opener. Beltran exited in the third inning and went to a hospital, shortly after bruising his ribs when he rammed into the short bullpen wall while taking away a grand slam from David Ortiz.

Both teams made changes to their lineups.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny benched shortstop Pete Kozma after making two errors in the opener and put Daniel Descalso in his place. Jarrod Saltalamacchia replaced David Ross as Boston’s catcher.

The teams are off Friday, and resume with Game 3 at Busch Stadium on Saturday night. Boston starter Jake Peavy makes his Series debut against Joe Kelly.

— Associated Press —