The Boston Red Sox now have a three-games-to-two lead in the World Series.
Jon Lester pitched into the eighth inning for the second time in the Fall Classic as the Sox knocked off St. Louis 3-1 in Game 5. The lefty held the Cardinals to a run and four hits while striking out seven over 7 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals hung tough with Boston for the first six innings. Matt Holliday tied the game with his second solo homer of the series, a blast to left-center in the fourth. The Red Sox regained the lead with a two-run seventh as David Ross doubled home the tiebreaking run before Jacoby Ellsbury added an RBI single.
Red Sox first baseman David Ortiz is Lester's chief competition for series MVP honors so far. Ortiz doubled home Boston's first run of the night and finished 3-for-4 for the second consecutive game. He's hitting .733 with a pair of two-run homers and six RBIs in the series.
The Red Sox can wrap up their third World Series title in 10 seasons when they host the Redbirds on Wednesday. Boston hasn't clinched a World Series title at home since 1918, when a guy named Babe Ruth pitched the Red Sox to two of their four victories.
John Lackey will take the mound for Boston against Michael Wacha, who was the winning pitcher in Game 2.
Elsewhere, the Seattle Seahawks downed St. Louis 14-9. The 7-1 Seahawks lead the NFC West by one game over San Francisco.
In other NFL news, the Boston Herald is reporting that Patriots right tackle Sebastian Vollmer will have surgery to repair a broken right leg.
The Washington Redskins say Robert Griffin III's left knee is fine but a little sore after he was injured in the second half of Sunday's loss at Denver.
Case Keenum will start at quarterback when the Texans host Indianapolis Sunday night.
In other news, Penn State says it is paying $59.7 million to 26 young men over claims of child sexual abuse at the hands of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
On the NHL scoreboard, Montreal shut out the NY Rangers 2-0. It was Dallas over Buffalo 4-3. Pittsburgh defeated Carolina 3-1. Chicago edged Minnesota 5-1 and Vancouver beat Washington 3-2.
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