Red Sox Tie World Series

Game 4 was a game of many heroes for the Boston Red Sox.

Clay Buchholz only pitched 4-innings but considering his shoulder was causing him discomfort, allowing just one run in those 4-innings was important.  He gave the Red Sox a chance to win the game by keeping it close early.

Felix Doubront came on to pitch 2.2-innings and only allowed one run.  Doubront went from being ignored in the early stages of the playoffs to becoming the Red Sox most important relief pitcher in just a matter of days.  With Craig Breslow, his usual lefty specialist, struggling, manager John Farrell has been forced to turn to Doubront and has been rewarded for doing so.

Jonny Gomes, who was scheduled to be on the bench last night and only got in the lineup when Shane Victorino couldn't play due to lower back tightness, hit a 3-run home run in the top of the 6th-innings which provided all the runs the Red Sox would need to get the win and tie the series.

John Lackey, the scheduled Game 6 starter, gave the Red Sox a perfect 8th-inning, setting up Koji Uehara to get the save.  It can't be written enough how valuable Lackey has been all season and the turnaround he has accomplished following a rocky first three years in Boston.

David Ortiz, the only on-field link between the 2004 World Series championship team and this current edition of the Red Sox, not only went 3-for-3 with a walk but also rallied his teammates prior to the team coming to the plate in the top of the 6th-inning.  Ortiz' leadership this season has been well documented going back to his comments following the Boston Marathon bombings in April and will go down as legend should the Red Sox complete the series victory over the Cardinals to clinch their third World Series title in ten years.