Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox is tagged out at home by Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba in Game 3 of the 2007 World Series. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
The Giants on Wednesday won their third World Series Championship in five years, but in 2007 (I know, it seems so long ago), it was the Rockies who had a shot at the title.
Colorado entered the series having won 21 of its last 22 games and swept the Phillies in the NLDS and the Diamondbacks in the NLCS. Boston knocked off the Angels and Indians to make it to the Series and, because the American League won the 2007 All-Star Game, the Red Sox were granted home-field advantage.
Boston handedly won Game 1, 13-1, thanks in large part to Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters. It then took Game 2, 2-1, despite Matt Holliday’s four hits and Todd Helton’s early groundout for a score.
Game 3 in Denver took a record four hours and 19 minutes to complete and ended with a 10-5 Boston win. Holliday’s three-run homer brought the Rockies with in one run in the bottom of the seventh, but Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury combined for seven hits, three runs and four RBIs. In the top of the third inning, Jason Varitek singled to left field while Manny Ramirez was on second. Holliday fielded the ball and threw a rocket to home, where Ramirez was sprinting toward catcher Yorvit Torrealba. The throw was on point and Torrealba stretched out fully to tag out Ramirez.
It was one play among many that didn’t go Colorado’s way — the Red Sox went on to win Game 4 4-3 for the sweep and the title — but it produced one heck of a photo.
Tags: 2007 World Series, Manny Ramirez, Red Sox, Rockies, Yorvit Torrealba
