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

The Boston Red Sox have had some exhilarating postseason moments.  Here are the five greatest moments of the 2010s.

The Boston Red Sox competed in two Fall Classics this decade, winning both with two different types of teams.

In 2013, the bearded, rag-tag, overachieving group of low-risk/high reward veterans scratched and clawed its way to victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in six games to clinch a championship title at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918.

After a back-to-back disappointing playoff performances, the 2018 powerhouse Boston Red Sox featured core young talent and high profile veteran hurlers to catapult them to 108 regular-season wins, knocking off the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Los Angeles Dodgers, en route to a World Series victory at Chavez Ravine.

So what were the top five moments from these memorable post-season performances?

Eduardo Nunez pinch-hit three-run homer

In the top of the 7th inning, the Boston Red Sox were leading the Dodgers 5-3 when Ryan Brasier came in to toe the rubber. Brasier got Joc Pederson to ground to short, but back to back singles by Max Muncy and Justin Turner, plus a walk to Yasmani Grandel loaded the bases with one out. Red Sox nemesis Manny Machado then drove in Muncy on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to one. Eduardo Rodriguez was summoned to get Cody Bellinger to pop out to center.

Looking for some insurance runs, the Red Sox struck back in the bottom of that frame. Andrew Benintendi hit a ground-rule double. Mitch Moreland K’d. J.D. Martinez was intentionally walked. Xander Bogaerts whiffed. So after a leadoff double, the Sox were in danger of stranding Benny on second. Dave Roberts, playing the matchup game brought in lefty Alex Wood to face Rafael Devers. In three plate appearances that night, Devers was 1-2 with a walk, a hit, and an RBI.

Alex Cora chose to pinch-hit for his young superstar and bring up hobbled right-handed veteran Eduardo Nunez. I hated the move at the time.

But two pitches later Nunez cranked a three-run homer off the left-field light tower to put the Boston Red Sox ahead for good.  Sixty-four percent of teams that win game one of the Fall Classic eventually become champs, so this homer was about as clutch as they come.

Koji picks off Kolten Wong to end Game 4 (2013)

The Boston Red Sox entered the bottom of the ninth with a 4-2 lead and venerated closer Koji Uehara got leadoff man Daniel Descalso to ground out to second.

Then pinch-hitter Alan Craig singled and rookie speedster Kolten Wong was brought in to pinch run. Koji then got Matt Carpenter to pop out, but this brought up feared slugger Carlos Beltran who had hid nearly 60 home runs in his two-year tenure with the Red Birds.

A tie game was one swing of the bat away. But Koji took the bat right out of Beltran’s hands. He caught Wong leaning and fired the ball to first baseman Mike Napoli who tagged Wong on his right forearm.

It remains the only World Series game to end with a pick off.

Mitch Moreland’s pinch-hit three-run blast in Game 4 (2018)

After pitching five scoreless innings of Game 4, Boston Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez had an epic meltdown in the bottom of the sixth. A hit-by-pitch, double, intentional walk, and throwing error had already plated one run for the Dodgers, and Yasiel Puig put the dagger in E-Rod by launching a hard liner into the bleachers for a three-run shot, causing E-Rod to throw down his glove in frustration.

He should have been frustrated. With a four-run lead in the later innings, the Dodgers were poised to win their second game in a row and tie up the series, with one more to play in the City of Angels.

But the very next inning after walks issued to Xander Bogaerts and Brock Holt,  first baseman Mitch Moreland took much-maligned righty Ryan Madson about 100 rows deep to cut the lead to one.

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1056376452596195329

Even though Steve Pearce was the story of the remainder of the game (game-tying home run, go-ahead double), Moreland’s blast put life back into the Sox and made it a game again. The best part of the video is Yasiel Puig not moving a step after Moreland connects.

Chris Sale comes out of the bullpen and K’s Manny Machado to clinch it. (2018, Game 5)

The long ball was the story of the Boston Red Sox offense this night. Steve Pearce (2), Mookie Betts, and J.D. Martinez all went deep for the Old Town Team, and on the mound, starter David Price dazzled to the tune of 7 IP, 1 run on 3 hits.

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Joe Kelly then struck out the side in the eighth, but instead of calling on closer Craig Kimbrel and his 5.91 post-season ERA in the ninth, manager Alex Cora decided to go with lanky lefty Chris Sale.

Sale struck out all three batters he faced, ending the game by sending Manny Machado, quite literally to his knees.

Here is what the tall, lanky lefty said following the thrilling World Series clincher, via MLB.com:

"“It was so surreal. I throw a pitch, next thing I know I got [Vazquez] in my arms and just the first thought of being a World Series champ ran through my mind. It was unbelievable.”"

And it was an unbelievable feeling and moment for Boston Red Sox fans everywhere.

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.

David Ortiz has an epic performance

This wasn’t a moment, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t include this epic Boston Red Sox postseason performance.

Here’s David Ortiz’ line in the 2013 World Series: .688 Batting Average, 11 Hits/16 At Bats, 2 Home Runs, .760 OBP, 1.188 SLG.

In the first two contests, Ortiz went 4 for 6 with two homers and 5 RBI. Games 3 through 5 he went 6 for 9. Game 5 saw him collect three more hits and an RBI double to right field.

Ortiz was held hitless in the deciding Game 6. That’s probably because he was walked four times, three of them intentionally. Give credit where credit is due.

Cards skipper Mike Matheny wasn’t going to let Ortiz beat him. So Shane Victorino, John Lackey, and Steven Drew (homer in the fourth inning) decided to step up and shut the door on St. Louis.