Craig Breslow's error following Pete Kozma's (shown here) run in the seventh led to a big inning for the Cardinals. (Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports)
BOSTON — It was the Boston Red Sox’s turn to play a sloppy game.
The Red Sox made two errors on one play, and the St. Louis Cardinals scored three runs in the seventh inning to rally for a 4-2 victory Thursday night in Game 2 of the World Series at Fenway Park.
The best-of-seven series is tied one game apiece, with the next three games to be played in St. Louis on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The Red Sox won 8-1 in Game 1 on Wednesday when the Cardinals committed three errors.
After David Ortiz hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning Thursday to put the Red Sox ahead 2-1 and end Cardinals rookie right-hander Michael Wacha’s streak of 19 consecutive scoreless postseason innings, St. Louis answered in the seventh.
David Freese walked with one out and moved to second on Jon Jay’s single, chasing Boston starter John Lackey.
Reliever Craig Breslow entered, and pinch runner Pete Komza and Jay pulled off a double steal. Daniel Descalso then walked to load the bases.
Matt Carpenter flied out to left field, and Komza scored from third. Jay moved up to third when catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia failed to catch left fielder Jonny Gomes’ throw home, and Jay scored when Breslow, who was backing up the play at the plate, threw wildly to third base.
Descalso wound up at third base, and he scored on Carlos Beltran’s single. Beltran had two hits after leaving Game 1 with a bruised right ribcage that he suffered in the second inning as crashed into the right field wall while robbing Ortiz of a grand slam.
Lackey took the loss, allowing three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Wacha had a two-hit shutout before he walked Dustin Pedroia with one out in the sixth inning. Ortiz followed with an opposite-field drive over the Green Monster in left field for his fifth home run of the postseason, tying the Red Sox single-season record set by Todd Walker in 2003 and matched by Ortiz in 2004.
In six innings, Wacha allowed two runs and three hits, walked four and struck out six. He raised his postseason record to 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA.
Carlos Martinez followed with two scoreless innings, and a third rookie, Trevor Rosenthal, struck out the side in the ninth on 11 pitches for the save.
St. Louis broke through with the game’s first run in the fourth when Matt Holliday led off the inning with a triple against Lackey and scored on Yadier Molina’s chopper to second base.
NOTES: Beltran was cleared to play after taking swings in an indoor batting cage about three hours before game time. … Boston LHP Jon Lester denied allegations that he had an illegal substance in his glove in Game 1 when he threw 7 2/3 shutout innings for the win, claiming it was rosin. Photographs and video circulated around the Internet on Wednesday night and into Thursday that showed a green substance on Lester’s glove, but Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said his team moved on from Game 1. … Cardinals INF Daniel Descalso started at shortstop in place of Pete Kozma, who made two errors in Game 1. … Game 3 will be played Saturday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, with Boston RHP Jake Peavy (12-5, 4.17 ERA regular season; 0-1, 8.31 postseason) facing Cardinals RHP Joe Kelly (10-5, 2.69; 0-1, 4.41).
