Boston's World Series Run In 43 Photographs

With great pitching and timely hitting, the Red Sox made their way through a highlight-filled playoff run to another World Series title. Here's how they did it.

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James Borchuck / Tampa Bay Times / MCT

As with any Red Sox playoff run, the quirkiness of Fenway Park played as much a role as any of the players.

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Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Jonny Gomes' knack for scoring dramatically was foreshadowed in the ALDS against the Rays and confirmed in emphatic fashion later in October.

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James Borchuck / Tampa Bay Times / MCT

Boston won Game 1 of the ALDS against Tampa Bay.

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Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Shane Victorino and Ben Zobrist met up at second base in Game 2.

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Bob Dechiara / USA Today Sports / Reuters

David DeJesus couldn't quite make a catch in left. Fenway!

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Steve Mitchell / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Game 3 was painful for the Sox, as a walkoff homer from Jose Lobaton kept them from a sweep of their division rivals.

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Kim Klement / USA Today Sports / Reuters

But Boston would finish things off the next night with a 3-1 win. At just 21 years old, Xander Bogaerts scored Boston's final run of the series.

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Kim Klement / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Koji Uehara closed it out. Get used to that sentence.

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Brian Blanco / Getty

It would not be the last time the Sox celebrated with a ton of booze.

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Robert Deutsch / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Dustin Pedroia was not pleased to be called out on strikes in Game 1 of the ALCS against Detroit. He had plenty of company, as several Tigers combined to throw a 1-0 shutout at Fenway Park.

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Robert Deutsch / USA Today Sports / Reuters

But Boston's entire postseason turned in the eighth inning of Game 2, when David Ortiz hit his dramatic grand slam to right field, turning a 5-1 deficit into a tie game.

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Al Bello / Getty

And Torii Hunter going over the wall in vain — with BPD officer Steve Horgan throwing his arms up in exaltation — became the iconic moment of the playoffs and maybe the whole season.

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Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Prince Fielder couldn't quite snag this foul ball with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning.

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Robert Deutsch / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Moments later, Jonny Gomes came home with the winning run and the series was tied up at 1-1.

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Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Detroit would ultimately feel another excellent chance at a title slip away.

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Andrew Weber / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Gomes dove for a much-needed out in Game 3, which Boston won 1-0.

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Rick Osentoski / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Koji Uehara, with a win and three saves against the Tigers, knew firsthand how stressful this series was.

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Mandi Wright / Detroit Free Press / MCT

Mike Napoli's home run made all the difference in Game 3.

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Rick Osentosk / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Detroit came back to win Game 4, 7-3, and with one more game at Comerica Park, Boston sent Jon Lester to the mound in Game 5 with the series tied.

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Rick Osentoski / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Lester brought his A-game, and the Red Sox brought a roughneck style of play befitting their mountain man beards, though David Ross was called out on this collision with Alex Avila.

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Andrew Weber / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Former Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias made this spectacular play to help keep the game close, but the Detroit offense couldn't muster enough runs.

22.

Tim Fuller / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Another win for the Sox, another save for Koji Uehara, and another celebratory hug from David Ortiz.

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Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Prince Fielder, caught in a legendarily hilarious rundown, just didn't have any fun in Game 6.

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Robert Deutsch / USA Today Sports / Reuters

Especially when Shane Victorino's seventh-inning grand slam pretty much sealed the pennant for the Sox.

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Greg M. Cooper / USA Today Sports / Reuters

As usual, Uehara closed out the game for Boston, who were off to face the Cardinals in the World Series.

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Elsa / Getty

It was Ortiz again who helped get the Sox going in Game 1 of the Fall Classic as part of the three-run, first-inning scoring barrage against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright.

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Rob Carr / Getty

And his two-run blast in the seventh put Game 1 well out of St. Louis' reach.

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Jamie Squire / Getty

Yet another Ortiz home run in Game 2 kept the Red Sox close, but it wasn't enough, and the Cardinals won 4-2 to tie the series.

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http://J.B. Forbes / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT

Carlos Beltran, who bruised his ribs in Game 1 in the process of stealing a grand slam away from Ortiz, scored on this nice slide in Game 3, which St. Louis won, 5-4.

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Jamie Squire / Getty

You might have heard of how this game finished. It was, after all, the most bizarre ending to a World Series game in baseball history.

31.

David Carson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT

But in Game 4, once again, it was Jonny Gomes (background) who stepped up. His three-run homer in the sixth inning gave Boston a 4-1 lead that it would not relinquish.

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Jeff Curry / USA Today Sports / Reuters

And another Sox win meant another hug from Ortiz for closer Koji Uehara.

33.

Chris Lee / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT

Game 5 was a better version of Game 1. Adam Wainwright pitched much better, but Jon Lester was, once again, superior when he needed to be. Here, David Ross is tagged out in the seventh inning on a play at home.

34.

David Carson / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT

Uehara held Boston's lead in the ninth, and 3-1 victory gave the Sox the chance to clinch a World Series at home for the first time in 95 years.

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Jamie Squire / Getty

In the deciding Game 6, Shane Victorino's three-run double would provide all the offense the Sox would need. With a nifty slide, Jonny Gomes accounted for the third run.

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Rob Carr / Getty

From there, the Red Sox cruised for the rest of the night, and before anyone knew, Koji Uehara was once again on in the ninth to end it all.

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Rob Carr / Getty

And then it was over.

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Rob Carr / Getty

The Red Sox were world champions again.

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Alex Trautwig / Getty

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Jim Rogash / Getty

Smoke from the postgame celebration engulfed Fenway Park.

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Jamie Squire / Getty

World Series MVP David Ortiz hugged MLB commissioner Bud Selig.

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Jamie Squire / Getty

In his first season as skipper, Red Sox manager John Farrell held the World Series trophy in victory.

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Jared Wickerham / Getty

And David Ross and his wife Hyla made their way to the outfield for a moment alone as a city celebrated outside the walls of Fenway. See you next year, baseball.