MARK BELLHORN: Boston's Mark Bellhorn, who finally put the Red Sox ahead for good with a two-run homer off the rightfield foul pole with one out in the eighth.
MANNY RAMIREZ: Boston's Manny Ramirez, who raised his right finger in victory after singling in a run that put the Red Sox ahead in the seventh, then made errors on back-to-back plays in the eighth that allowed the Cardinals to tie.
KEY MOMENT
The way this game was going, it wasn't until the final moment, when Keith Foulke struck out Roger Cedeno for the final out.
SECOND GUESS
Manager Tony La Russa didn't have a lot of choices and Julian Tavarez has been pitching well, but he's not the most even-tempered guy to have on the mound in key situations.
HE SAID IT
"A lot of media picked us to play in the World Series this year. You guys got something right this year."
- RAY KING Cardinals reliever
DID YOU KNOW ...
Tampa's Tony La Russa is the sixth manager to take a team to the World Series in both leagues. Sparky Anderson is the only one to win championships in both leagues.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Bernie Miklasz in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Thank the baseball gods for giving us an old-school World Series. The color teal has been banned from these proceedings. The Red Sox and Cardinals play in actual ballparks instead of junked-up, gimmick-infested stadiums with swimming pools, waterfalls, artificial rock formations and shrieking video boards.
You have to go back to 1981, Dodgers vs. Yankees, to find a World Series matchup that rivals the rich, baseball genealogy represented here by the Cardinals and Red Sox. With apologies to Florida and Anaheim and Arizona, it's time to turn back the clock.
Red Sox and Cardinals.
Or, as they say in this neighborhood, "Sox and Cahds."
This is the World Series of nostalgia.
This is a World Series for purists.
There is no need for fake retro baseball here. The Cardinals and Red Sox are genuine throwbacks, with real fans. The teams draw from a wide geographical range. The Red Sox are a religion throughout New England. The Cardinals have support in many parts of the Midwest, the South and the southwest. St. Louis and Boston not only have the most passionate baseball fans, they're also the most knowledgeable. So if you want to talk ball at Fenway Park or Busch Stadium during this thinking-person's World Series, you'd better know your baseball history.
WEATHER REPORT
It's going to be wicked cold again, with game-time temperatures in the high 40s and a wind chill in the low 40s.
