Watch: Victorino doubles off Green Monster to put Red Sox up 3-0 in Game 6

The first big blow of Game 6 of the World Series was struck with two outs in the bottom of the third inning by Boston's Shane Victorino.

After Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning against Cardinals starter Michael Wacha with a single and moved to second on a groundout, St. Louis intentionally walked the scalding-hot David Ortiz. Wacha then struck out Mike Napoli for the second time in the game but hit Jonny Gomes in the left arm to load the bases.

That brought up Victorino, whose grand slam over Fenway Park's Green Monster in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series was the decisive blow of that series but who also hadn't played since Saturday's Game 3 due to back stiffness.

Victorino took the first three pitches he saw from Wacha to run the count to 2-1, then jumped on a low fastball and hit it high off the Monster for a double. Matt Holliday threw home on the fly, but Gomes scored just ahead of Yadier Molina's tag as Victorino pulled into third having just given the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.

Stephen Drew