CHAMPIONS!

Red Sox capture second title in four years with four-game sweep of Rockies

MLB. Never before in their storied 107-year history had the Red Sox been playing baseball as late as Oct. 28, but last night the beloved Boston baseball bunch made it well worth the wait.

The Sox wrapped up their second World Series title in four seasons and their seventh world championship overall with a nail-biting 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies in Game 4 at Coors Field.

The win was the eighth straight World Series win for the Sox and capped off a dominant sweep during which they bludgeoned the Rocks’ by a 29-10 margin.

The series was never in doubt despite relatively close contests in three out of four games. The Boston hit squad broke the World Series record for on-base percentage by more than 20 points while also becoming the first team since the powerhouse 1989 Oakland A’s to have its starting pitchers go a perfect 4-0.

The Sox once again bounded out of the gate strongly with a run in the top of the first inning.

Rookie sparkplug Jacoby Ellsbury set things off with a double perfectly sliced down the left-field line, moved to third on a Dustin Pedroia ground out and then scored on a David Ortiz RBI single.

The one run looked like it would be all the Sox would require, as lefty Jon Lester was overpowering during his five-plus innings of work. The 23-year-old, who ap-peared to be getting stronger and stronger as the season unfolded, generated 13 swings and misses in his 92 pitches of work with a low 90s fastball, curveball and a devastating cut fastball that darted out of the zone as it crossed home plate.

Lester allowed only three hits over 5 2/3 innings, struck out three batters and walk-ed three in netting the all-important fourth victory of the Series.

Boston scored another run in the fifth when third baseman Mike Lowell swatted a gapper into left center field that he legged out for a double. One out later, Jason Varitek followed with a solid single to right field, and Lowell was able to execute a head-first slide just outside of the catcher’s tag.

The Rockies had several early scoring opportunities as they led off the second and third innings with doubles, but Lester made crucial pitches to snuff out any potential Colorado rallies.

Solo home runs by Lowell, Brad Hawpe and Bobby Kielty set up a 4-1 score heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, and a two-run Garrett Atkins bomb off Hideki Okajima in the eighth made it a tight 4-3 ballgame.

Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon Riverdanced his way out of the ’pen and nailed down the last four outs to preserve Boston’s World Series glory.