Boston Red Sox: 5 greatest World Series moments of the decade 2010s

Confession time: This is my number one Boston Red Sox World Series moment because I was there, and Shane Victorino put wide smiles on fans’ faces. Before Game 6, my buddy and I parked my car at the Prudential and walked to Fenway from Boylston St. to Ipswich St. onto Landsdowne.

Landsdowne was PACKED, and you could feel the energy of the crowd. The snippets of conversation, Sausage smoke, the swaying of slightly buzzed Sox fans, the anticipation. It was palpable. The Red Sox would not lose that night. I knew it. Everyone knew it.

Cardinal’s pitcher Michael Wacha spun two scoreless frames, getting out of a jam in the second after the first two batters reached. Early on, Sox hurler John Lackey wasn’t perfect either but battled. In the bottom of the third, Jacoby Ellsbury singled, Dustin Pedroia grounded out, David Ortiz was intentionally walked (wise decision…more on that in a minute), and Mike Napoli struck out.

Wacha was about to navigate the Cards out of a major jam when Victorino took a 2-1 offering and launched it off the top of the monster. Ellsbury and Ortiz scored easily, as Jonny Gomes raced around the bases, just beating the throw from the outfield to sneak under the tag 3-0 Red Sox.

I was sitting in the bleachers, the last row of section 43, and I legitimately thought the stands were going to collapse. It was the loudest, most intense sporting moment I have ever experienced in person. Cruising into third, Victorino’s chest-pounding seemed to align with the rhythmic pulse of the shaking stadium.

It was amazing. Fans knew that the series was already over. John Lackey gave up his only run in the top of the seventh, Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless eighth, and Koji K’d Matt Carpenter for the home clincher. Magic.