Photos: Relive when the Red Sox broke the curse and won the 2004 World Series

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It may be hard for folks who weren’t here in 2004 to understand this, but a photo gallery celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Red Sox winning their first World Series in 86 years can’t start with the actual World Series.

It has to start 10 days earlier, in the American League Championship Series, when the Sox, down three games to none against the New York Yankees, trailed by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning:

If you’re a Red Sox fan, you know what this is. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

That’s Dave Roberts. That’s him stealing second, beating the tag by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

That’s what changed everything.

Roberts’ steal and score extended Game 4 against the great Sox nemesis. Boston won that game. And they never lost another in 2004.

Boston Red Sox's Dave Roberts slides home to score the tying run against New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of game 4 of the ALCS Sunday, Oct. 17, 2004 in Boston. (Elise Amendola/AP)
Boston Red Sox’s Dave Roberts slides home to score the tying run against New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of game 4 of the ALCS Sunday, Oct. 17, 2004 in Boston. (Elise Amendola/AP)

The Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals and won their sixth World Series on October 27, 2004.

Nobody remembers it that way.

This was the curse-breaker. The Boston Red Sox, the self-styled “Idiots” were World Series champions. It was a balm that finally healed the scars of 1946, 1967, 1978, 1986 and 2003. The team would go on to win again in 2007, 2013 and 2018. All those championships were sweet.

But 2004 was the sweetest.

Here are photos from that series, and the days of celebration that followed.

Boston Red Sox fans hold up signs prior to the beginning of Game 1 of the World Series, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2004, at Boston's Fenway Park. (Winslow Townson/AP)
Boston Red Sox fans hold up signs prior to the beginning of Game 1 at Fenway Park. (Winslow Townson/AP)
The St. Louis Cardinals, left, and the Boston Red Sox line up before the start of Game 1 of the World Series Saturday, Oct. 23, 2004 in Boston. (Mike Segar/AP)
The St. Louis Cardinals, left, and the Boston Red Sox line up before the start of Game 1. (Mike Segar/AP)
Pitcher Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox throws a knuckleball against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during game one of the World Series on October 23, 2004 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Pitcher Tim Wakefield throws one of his signature knuckleballs against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona answers questions at his news conference before Game 4 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, in St. Louis. (James Finley/AP)
Manager Terry Francona answers questions at a news conference. (James Finley/AP)
Blood seeps through the sock of Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling during the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series in Boston. Schilling played through a tendon tear in his ankle. (Winslow Townson/AP)
Blood seeps through the sock of Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling during the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series in Boston. Schilling played through a tendon tear in his ankle. (Winslow Townson/AP)
Boston Red Sox' Pokey Reese, left, hugs Manny Ramirez after the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 in Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in St. Louis. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
Pokey Reese, left, hugs Manny Ramirez after the Red Sox beat the Cardinals in Game 3. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
Boston Red Sox's Pedro Martinez pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in St. Louis. (Charles Rex Arbogast)
Boston Red Sox’s Pedro Martinez pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in St. Louis. The Sox ace was unavailable earlier in the series after his heroics during the Yankees series. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
Boston Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller throws out St. Louis Cardinals' Scott Rolen at first in the fourth inning of Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in St. Louis. (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Boston Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller throws out St. Louis Cardinals’ Scott Rolen at first in the fourth inning of Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in St. Louis. (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek talks to pitcher Derek Lowe during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, in St. Louis. (Al Behrman/AP)
Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek talks to pitcher Derek Lowe during Game 4. (Al Behrman/AP)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Keith Foulke, center, and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, left, celebrate after St. Louis Cardinals' Edgar Renteria grounded out to end the ninth inning and give Boston a 3-0 win and a sweep of the World Series, Wednesday Oct. 27, 2004, in St. Louis. (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Keith Foulke, center, and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, left, celebrate after making the final out of Game 4 and winning the 2004 World Series. (Mark Humphrey/AP)
Boston Red Sox fans celebrate the Red Sox 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals to sweep the World Series Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, in St. Louis. (Al Behrman/AP)
Red Sox fans at Game 4 in St. Louis celebrate the team’s first World Series win in 86 years. (Al Behrman/AP)
Boston Red Sox's Doug Mientkiewicz, left and catcher Jason Varitek jump into Keith Foulke's (29) arms after the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Caridnals 3-0 in Game 4 to win the World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Mientkiewicz, left and catcher Jason Varitek jump into Foulke’s arms. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Ashley Davis, a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., top, celebrates with her friends on the school's campus after the Boston Red Sox's 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series. The Red Sox swept the Cardinals for their first crown since 1918. (Dennis Vandal/AP)
Ashley Davis, a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., top, celebrates with her friends on the school’s campus after the Sox win the World Series. (Dennis Vandal/AP)
Boston Red Sox players celebrate after beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in Game 4 to win the World Series Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, in St. Louis. (Al Behrman/AP)
The players celebrate after beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in Game 4 to win the World Series. (Al Behrman/AP)
Adam Hutchinson of Boston sells newspaper, which reports Red Sox victory in the World Series on the front page, in front of the South Station in Boston, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
Adam Hutchinson of Boston sells the Oct. 28. 2004 Boston Globe which reports Red Sox victory. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
Dan Curran, of Boston, reads a newspaper reporting the Red Sox victory in the World Series on the front page, at the South Station in Boston, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
Dan Curran, of Boston, reads the Boston Herald’s take on the Red Sox victory in the World Series. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
Faithful Red Sox fans gather around Fenway Park in Boston early Thursday morning Oct. 28, 2004 waiting for their triumphant team to return home.(Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)
Faithful Red Sox fans gather around Fenway Park in Boston early Thursday morning Oct. 28, 2004 waiting for their triumphant team to return home. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)
Boston Re Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino, center, shows the World Series trophy during a news conference at the City Hall in Boston, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004, as Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, left, and Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Robert Dunford, right, look on. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
Boston Mayor Tom Menino can’t contain a smile as Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino presents the World Series trophy during a news conference at the City Hall in Boston. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
The grave of George Herman 'Babe'' Ruth is decorated with items left by New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004 in Hawthorne, New York.(Mary Altaffer/AP)
The grave of George Herman ‘Babe” Ruth is decorated with items left by Yankees and Red Sox fans the day after the Sox won the 2004 World Series. (Mary Altaffer/AP)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez hoists the World Series trophy at the start of the rolling rally at Fenway Park in Boston in 2004. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez hoists the World Series trophy at the start of the rolling rally at Fenway Park in Boston in 2004. (Charles Krupa/AP)
A duckboat carrying Boston Red Sox players and staff makes its way past Fenway Park during the rolling rally in Boston Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004, to celebrate the Red Sox World Series victory. (Elise Amendola/AP)
A Duck Boat carrying Boston Red Sox players and staff makes its way past Fenway Park during the “rolling rally” to celebrate the victory on Oct. 30. (Elise Amendola/AP)
Boston Red Sox fans cheer as the parade of duck boats ride along Boylston Street during the Red Sox World Series Championship parade in Boston, Saturday, Oct 30, 2004. (Elise Amendola/AP)
Fans cheer as the Duck Boats ride along Boylston Street during the “rolling rally”on Oct. 30. (Elise Amendola/AP)
Boston Red Sox's Kevin Millar, left, and Manny Ramirez, right, react to the crowd during the Red Sox World Series Championship parade through the streets of Boston, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004. (Michael Dwyer/AP)
Boston Red Sox Kevin Millar and Manny Ramirez react to the crowd during the parade. (Michael Dwyer/AP)
Boston Red Sox's Johnny Damon reacts to the crowd during the Boston Red Sox's victory parade, Saturday Oct, 30, 2004 in Boston. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)
Johnny Damon reacts to the crowd during the parade. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)
Fans surround vehicles carrying members of the Boston Red Sox during the Red Sox World Series Championship parade through the streets of Boston, Saturday Oct. 30, 2004. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Fans surround vehicles carrying members of the Boston Red Sox during the rally. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein points to the crowd as manager Terry Francona, left, looks on during the Red Sox World Series Championship parade through the streets of Boston, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004. (Michael Dwyer/AP)
Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein points to the crowd as manager Terry Francona looks on. (Michael Dwyer/AP)
Boston Red Sox catchers Jason Varitek, left, and Doug Mirabelli, acknowledge the crowd during the Boston Red Sox's victory parade, Saturday, Oct, 30, 2004 in Boston. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)
Catchers Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli acknowledge the crowd. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)
Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz smiles and waves to cheering fans as he holds the World Series trophy during the rolling rally in Boston, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004, to celebrate the Red Sox World Series victory. (Elise Amendola/AP)
David Ortiz smiles and waves to cheering fans as he holds the World Series trophy. (Elise Amendola/AP)
Boston Red Sox fans line the banks of the Charles River as the Boston Red Sox parade down the river in duck in Boston, Saturday, Oct 30, 2004. (Julia Malakie/AP)
Boston Red Sox fans line the banks of the Charles River as the Boston Red Sox parade down the river in duck in Boston, Saturday, Oct 30, 2004. (Julia Malakie/AP)
Boston Red Sox players and officials wave to spectators from the Duck boats while motoring along the Charles River on the Cambridge, Mass. side during the Red Sox's World Series Championship parade, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
Boston Red Sox players and officials wave to spectators from the Duck boats while motoring along the Charles River on the Cambridge, Mass. side during the Red Sox’s World Series Championship parade, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
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