Boston reach World Series

American League Championship Series
Boston Red Sox 10-3 New York Yankees
Red Sox win series 4-3

The Boston Red Sox offence hit top form in New York

Boston Red Sox stormed to their first World Series since 1986 after completing an astonishing comeback against their bitter rivals the New York Yankees.

Having lost the first three games of American League Championship, the Sox had to win all the remaining four, and they created history by doing just that, topping it off with a brilliant 10-3 win on Wednesday.

The hero on the night was Johnny Damon. He hit two homers, the first scoring four runs in the second inning with the bases loaded.

That gave Boston a 6-0 stranglehold following a David Ortiz homer in the first and on a chilly night in the Bronx the home fans were silenced.

The Yankees grabbed a single in the fourth inning, but Damon's massive second home run, thrashed by the left-hander into the top tier of the stand at right field, was worth two more runs as Orlando Cabrera also scored.

Johnny just showed what he has always been out there. You felt he had to do something and he did it David Ortiz Most Valuable Player

As New York hunted around for a decent pitcher, Derek Lowe kept his cool, tossing the first six innings for the Red Sox and giving up just one run.

His relief Pedro Martinez gave up two runs in the seventh with a shaky display, but the pressure was relieved when Mark Bellhorn hammered a fourth homer in the game for the Red Sox at the top of the eighth.

The visitors managed one more run in the ninth inning and it all ended when Ruben Sierra failed to reach first base off Alan an Embree pitch, Boston had the final out they needed.

New York had had a nightmare - it all began with lead-off pitcher Kevin Brown being hit all around the ball-park and their hitters were nowhere near their top form.

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National League Championship Series
St Louis Cardinals 6-4 Houston Astros (series tied 3-3)

St Louis Cardinals celebrate their massive win on Wednesday

Jim Edmonds thumped a two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the St Louis Cardinals a gripping victory on Wednesday, forcing a seventh and deciding game in the National League Championship Series.

The best-of-seven encounter is tied 3-3, with Game Seven again at the Cardinals' Busch Stadium on Thursday.

The home team have won every contest in the series to date.

Relief pitcher Julian Tavarez hit form when the match went into overtime after Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen had pitched three frames, blowing the save in the ninth.

Albert Pujols got the scoring underway for the Cardinals when cracking a two-run homer in the first inning and when Edgar Renteria slapped a two-run single in the third the Cardinals were ahead 4-2.

St Louis were one out away from winning in the ninth but a run-scoring single by Jeff Bagwell off Isringhausen tied the game.