Game 1: Red Sox Pour It On

Oct 25, 05:00 AM

Current Headlines: By Bob Nightengale

World Series Game 2

Colorado Rockies at

Boston Red Sox

Tonight, 8:29 ET, on Fox

Starting pitchers: Rockies RH Ubaldo Jimenez (4-4, 4.28 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Curt Schilling (9-8, 3.87)

BOSTON -- The Red Sox, putting on their own version of the Boston Massacre, rudely welcomed the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday to their first World Series with a crushing 13-1 victory at Fenway Park.

The output was the greatest offensive attack and most lopsided victory in an opening game in World Series history, severing the Rockies' 10-game winning streak.

The Red Sox scored the most by runs by a team in Game1 of the World Series. They produced 17 hits, including a record nine for extra bases. Seven players had at least one extra-base hit, and third baseman Mike Lowell was the only player in the starting lineup without an RBI.

The Red Sox's offensive assault, which included 11 runs with two outs, overshadowed ace Josh Beckett's latest postseason gem. Beckett, 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA this postseason, set the tone by striking out the first four batters he faced. He gave up six hits and one run in seven innings and struck out nine.

"It's tough to have (eight) days off, especially having to face the best pitcher in baseball," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who led off the game with a home run.

The Red Sox's biggest obstacle at this point may be overconfidence.

They battered ace Jeff Francis for 10 hits and six runs in four innings and have outscored the opposition 43-6 in their last four postseason games. They became the first team in history to score at least 10 runs in three consecutive playoff games.

The Rockies, with an eight-day layoff, had won 21 of the last 22 games entering the Series and had a 2.08 ERA this postseason. Yet, they gave up seven runs in the fifth inning, one fewer than they gave up the entire National League Championship Series.

"We're a no-excuse ballclub," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "Always have been. Always will be. We got outplayed tonight."

The Rockies will have to figure out a way to not only slow down the Red Sox, but buck a trend. The winner of Game1 has won all six series this season and nine of the last 10 World Series. (c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.