It was worth it. Months of preparation, late-inning rallies, performances by exhausted teammates — it all came down to an eruption of shouts as Chris Sale struck out Manny Machado.
Champagne dripped from the ceiling and onto the World Series trophy in the clubhouse. Players yelled and embraced. The smell of alcohol and cigar smoke so strong it stuck to your tongue.
“This has been the funnest era of our life,” said Steve Pearce, the World Series MVP who hit three home runs in the final two games — two on Sunday as the Red Sox defeated the Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5.