The Boston Red Sox have won the opening game of major-league baseball's World Series, beating the visiting St. Louis Cardinals, 11-9, on an eighth-inning, two-run home run by Mark Bellhorn.
Boston slugger David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in the first inning and drove in a game-high four runs.
The Red Sox built a 7-2 lead after three innings, but the Cardinals came back to tie it up at seven runs apiece in the sixth. Boston retook a two-run lead in the seventh inning, but St. Louis tied the game again in the eighth before Bellhorn's blast off the rightfield foul pole.
Game 2 of baseball's "Fall Classic" will be played Sunday in Boston. Curt Schilling pitches for the Red Sox, while Matt Morris will be on the mound for the Cardinals.
St. Louis and Boston have met twice before in the World Series -- in 1946 and 1967 -- with the Cardinals winning both times (in seven games).
St. Louis had the best record in the major leagues this season, with 105 wins against 57 losses. Boston trailed only the New York Yankees for the top record in the American League, with 98 wins and 64 losses.
Boston has won the AL championship 11 times, and has five World Series titles - but none since 1918.
St. Louis has 16 NL pennants and nine World Series victories. The first was in 1926, with the most recent championship coming in 1982.