The Boston Red Sox finally nabbed that elusive road win against the St. Louis Cardinals last night, tying the 2013 World Series at two games apiece and suddenly making the Fall Classic a three-game contest. Although they fell behind late in the third inning, the Red Sox got behind the bearded wonder of Jonny Gomes, who hit a three-run homerun in Game 4 to setup an important World Series Game 5 tonight at Busch Stadium. The game’s first pitch is scheduled for 8:07 EST / 5:07 PST on FOX, or you can watch World Series online Game 5 using one of several different methods.
The back-to-back format is interesting tonight, as St. Louis is also hosting Monday Night Football (Seahawks vs. Rams). But with the World Series now a best-of-three affair, there’s little question the Boston Red Sox visiting the St. Louis Cardinals is the bigger of the two tickets. That may be particularly true as Adam Wainwright takes the mound for the Cardinals hoping to regain the favor of his hometown after dropping Game 1 at Fenway Park. The Red Sox, meanwhile, will also bring in their Game 1 pitcher, Jon Lester, who hopes to repeat his performance in Game 5 of the World Series.
Lester was dominant against the Cardinals in Game 1, perhaps because St. Louis was unfamiliar with him. For Game 5, though, Lester is away from Fenway Park, where he was 7-1 with a 3.09 ERA during the regular season and has had a 1.25 ERA during the playoffs. His pitching on the road hasn’t been nearly as strong, and although he’d like to calm down and focus on his game, Lester will surely face some additional pressure (and scrutiny) as players, fans and FOX broadcasters alike pay close attention to see if there are any sticky substances in his glove.
While the pitching is reason enough to watch World Series online Game 5 using the links above and below, the hitting will also be intriguing tonight. David Ortiz, who was 3-for-3 in last night’s Game 4, will be back at first base hoping to continue his torrid hitting streak. Ortiz is 8-for-11 (.727) so far in the World Series with no strikeouts, and it’s likely that he’ll continue to be pitched around. In each of the last two games, the Cardinals refused to give Ortiz anything to hit with a man on first base and two outs, and there’s little reason to think that’ll change in tonight’s World Series Game 5.
For the Cardinals, St. Louis will be looking for something from third baseman David Freese, who hasn’t played anywhere near his level of play from the 2011 World Series. In the 2011 postseason, Freese batted .397 with five homers and 21 RBIs. For this post-season he’s batting just .163 with one HR and four RBIs, and in the 2013 World Series he’s been even worse, going 1 for 12 and has left 13 runners on base. The Cardinals are waiting for the old Freese to play the role of hometown hero again, which they’ll see when the game’s first pitch goes out at 8:07 EST / 5:07 PST on FOX. Live pre-game coverage is expected to begin at 7:30 EST / 4:30 PST.
Although the broadcast for World Series game 5 will be best in HD on FOX, you can also watch World Series online Game 5 on FOX’s website or via Justin.tv. With the Fall Classic now a three-game affair, and as the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox continue to trade punches, there’s no telling what might happen in tonight’s matchup.