Gretchen Wilson performed the national anthem prior to Game 4. Her rowdy country voice was not well suited to the song, but she mostly managed to stay true to the material. Although some clouds remained, no rain fell during Game 4 and the sky was clear enough to allow a view of the total lunar eclipse, which happened to correspond with the contest.

CF-L Johnny Damon began the game with a decisive bang for Boston, launching a home run into St. Louis's bullpen in right field. While LF-R Manny Ramirez took a base on balls, the Red Sox did not score again in the first.

2B-L Tony Womack led off the bottom of the inning with a line drive into left center for a single. RF-L Larry Walker moved him to second with a sac bunt, and when 1B-R Albert Pujols grounded out, Womack advanced to third. 3B-R Scott Rolen hit a soft groundball down the first base line and almost dove out of the way of RHP Derek Lowe's tag, but Lowe made the play to end the inning, stranding Womack at third.

In the top of the second, RF-L Trot Nixon hit a line drive into right field for a double and 2B-S Mark Bellhorn walked, giving Boston runners at first and second. Lowe then executed a sacrifice bunt in order to advance them to second and third. However, Damon grounded out to end the inning before the Red Sox could move either across the plate.

With Ramirez on first after a hitting a groundball single into left, 1B-L David Ortiz hit a line drive down the right field line for a double, giving Boston runners at second and third in the top of the third. Up next, C-S Jason Varitek hit a grounder to first. Pujols fielded the ball and threw home to get Ramirez at the plate, while Ortiz advanced to third and Varitek safely reached first. RHP Jason Marquis then issued a four-pitch walk to 3B-S Bill Mueller to load the bases for Nixon. Swinging on 3-0, Nixon hit a flyball off the wall in right center for a double that drove in both Ortiz and Varitek to make the score 3-0. The Cardinals responded by intentionally walking Bellhorn to bring up Lowe, who Marquis struck out to end the inning.

Ortiz led off the top of the fifth with a walk and advanced to second on a Mueller groundout, but he remained stranded when the inning ended. In the bottom of the fifth, SS-R Edgar Renteria hit a flyball into left center for a double, giving St. Louis their first baserunner since the first inning. With LF-L John Mabry at the plate, Lowe threw a wild pitch that escaped Varitek, allowing Renteria to advance to third. Mabry proceeded to strike out, though he believed that he fouled off strike three and pleaded extensively with the umpire to give him another swing. Lowe then retired C-R Yadier Molina, ending the inning with Renteria stranded at third.

Two outs into the top of the sixth, Damon hit a line drive into right center and stretched it into a triple. However, Marquis retired SS-R Orlando Cabrera to prevent the Red Sox from adding to their lead that inning. Two outs into the bottom of the sixth, Walker worked Lowe for a base on balls, but Pujols popped out to end the inning before the Cardinals could score.

St. Louis sent RHP Dan Haren out to the mound for the seventh, pulling Marquis, who had thrown 121 pitches as the first Cardinal starter to make it out of the fifth inning in this series. Two outs into the bottom of the seventh, Renteria hit a line drive into right for a single, but his teammates again were unable to drive him in.

After pitching a perfect seventh, Haren remained in to start the eighth. Mueller led off the inning with a line drive single into right, and Nixon followed with a line drive down the right field line for a double, prompting St. Louis to send in closer RHP Jason Isringhausen. Isringhausen walked Bellhorn to load the bases, and Boston pinch-hit right-handed hitter Kevin Millar for Lowe. Millar struck out, bringing Damon to the plate. Damon hit a grounder to Pujols, who threw home to get Mueller at the plate. Isringhausen then struck out Cabrera, preventing the Red Sox from scoring despite having loaded the bases with no outs.

RHP Bronson Arroyo took over for Lowe in the bottom of the eighth and successfully retired switch-hitter Roger Cedeno, who was pinch-hitting for Molina. However, once he issued a walk to LF-R Reggie Sanders, who'd entered the game with Isringhausen on a double switch, Boston sent in LHP Alan Embree. The Cardinals responded by pinch-hitting right-handed hitter Hector Luna for Womack. Sanders stole second during Luna's at-bat, but Luna struck out, and Walker popped out to end the inning with St. Louis still scoreless.

Varitek hit a line drive single into left field in the top of the ninth, but Isringhausen kept the Red Sox from increasing their lead. The Red Sox sent RHP Keith Foulke out to get the final three outs the team needed to sweep the Cardinals and win the club's first World Series since 1918. Leading off, Pujols hit a groundball up the middle, between Foulke's legs, and into centerfield for a single. With Boston's history, three-runs did not seem like a big lead. Rolen hit a catchable fly into right, and Pujols remained at first. Foulke then struck out CF-L Jim Edmonds with just three pitches. Renteria followed, hitting a slow bouncer to the mound, where Foulke carefully fielded it, ran cautiously towards first, and finally made a deliberate toss to the bag to get the final out.

Although many have declared that this series cannot be considered a great one due to the sweep, I disagree. We witnessed the strength of both offenses in Game 1, as St. Louis threatened to overcome the Red Sox throughout the contest. Game 2 featured the Curt Schilling storyline, and Pedro Martinez stole center stage in Game 3 with a memorable pitching performance. Finally, in Game 4, Jason Marquis managed to pitch beyond the fifth inning, a feat none of his fellow starters were able to accomplish this series. His performance and that of the Cardinals' bullpen held Boston to three runs. With the built in tension of the Red Sox's past, Boston fans were unable to relax until the final out was in the books. Perhaps the series will fade with time if this marks the start of a Red Sox dynasty but for now Boston's 2004 World Championship is one to tell the kids about.

Given the team effort made by the Red Sox, picking a World Series MVP probably was not easy. Manny Ramirez received the award, having hit .412 with a .500 OBP and .588 SLG on 7 H and 1 HR with a 3:3 BB:K over 17 AB, racking up 4 RBI and 2 R. I would not have objected to Keith Foulke, Mark Bellhorn, or David Ortiz picking up the trophy, but Ramirez was a find choice.