DENVER – Gone are those pleading, pathetic days when the Red Sox were practically begging to win a World Series. There's a new monster in baseball, and it's in Boston.
Overwhelming in every way, the Red Sox swept to their second title in four years Sunday night. Jon Lester, Mike Lowell & Co. left little room for drama with a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies in Game 4.
Then again, no NL team could have blocked Boston this October.
This was hardly a repeat from 2004, when the Red Sox ended their 86-year championship drought by beating St. Louis. Boston is a major league bully these days, playing in rarefied air before crowds who demand to win.
At this rate, New England fans might get spoiled. Manager Terry Francona's team has become a perfect counterpart to coach Bill Belichick's bruisers on the Patriots.
After rallying from a 3-1 deficit against Cleveland in the AL championship series, the Red Sox won seven straight games and won their seventh World Series crown.
The Rockies, who won a remarkable 21 of 22 games to get this far, were a mere afterthought by the end. Brad Hawpe homered in the seventh inning and Garrett Atkins hit a two-run shot in the eighth that came too late.
Lester, undergoing chemotherapy at this time last year for cancer, pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning and Jonathan Papelbon closed with his third save of the Series.
Lowell led a team that hit .333 in the Series with a home run, double and headfirst slide to score a run. Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury got it started with a leadoff double and, even without big contributions from sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, was too good.
Coors Field was filled with Red Sox fans, many of them brazenly waving brooms they might have brought from the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park.
The celebrations started early, with converted DH Ortiz raising his hand after a nice scoop at first base, and Lester pumping his fist after a key strikeout.
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