By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Cardinals' players and fans ended the season Wednesday night by watching the Boston Red Sox celebrate a World Series win in the infield of Busch Stadium.
The Red Sox finished off a four-game sweep of the Redbirds 3-0 win. They also lifted the long-heralded Curse of the Bambino. Boston hadn't won a World Series since 1918, when they topped the Chicago Cubs.
Boston pitcher Derek Lowe allowed just three hits while striking out four in seven innings.
The Red Sox went ahead on the fourth pitch of the game, when Johnny Damon hit a home run off losing pitcher Jason Marquis.
The Cards' big hitters - Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds came up with some big hits in the NLCS, but they were a combined 6-45 with no homers and 1 RBI in the World Series.
Boston's Manny Ramirez won the World Series MVP; he went 7-16 with a homer and 4 RBI's during the series.
The Cardinals had more wins this regular season than any other team in baseball.
This was the third time the Cardinals and Red Sox met in a World Series (St. Louis won the previous two). It's also the third World Series the Cards have lost since 1982.
And the only other time the Redbirds have been swept in a World Series was in 1928 against the Yankees.
To hear a report on Game Four from NPR's Tom Goldman, which aired on Morning Edition, click here.