Red Sox crowned 2013 World Series champions after 6-1 Game 6 victory over Cardinals - MLB

The Red Sox are World Series champions, and they’re celebrating that accomplishment in front of their hometown fans for the first time since 1918.

Red Sox starter John Lackey battled through a bit of early shakiness to deliver 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball and the inspired Boston offense pounded rookie sensation Michael Wacha in a 6-1 Game 6 win over the visiting Cardinals on Wednesday night at a jam-packed and now-champagne-soaked Fenway Park.

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Lackey surrendered nine hits and a walk and the Cardinals seemed to make hard contact off him all night, but the St. Louis offense failed yet again to drive runners in. Junichi Tazawa, Brandon Workman and Koji Uehara combined to close it out.

The heroes on offense for the Red Sox were Shane Victorino, who opened the game’s scoring with a three-run double in the bottom of the third, and Stephen Drew, who emerged from his prolonged postseason slump to slug a solo home run in the fourth. Victorino — a sudden fan favorite in Boston — also had an RBI single.

It’s the third World Series championship for the Red Sox since 2004.

MORE: Fenway Park was absolute bedlam

Team of the century? They certainly have a nice head start.

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SAN DIEGO — The scuffling San Diego Padres claimed catcher Gary Sánchez off waivers from the New York Mets.

The two-time All-Star was designated for assignment after playing in three games for the Mets. He went 1 for 6 with three strikeouts and an RBI, looking shaky at times behind the plate.

With the disappointing Padres (24-29) getting meager offensive production at catcher, they hope Sánchez can provide a boost. Austin Nola is batting .131 with three extra-base hits and a paltry .434 OPS in 39 games. His part-time platoon partner, second-stringer Brett Sullivan, is hitting .170 with four extra-base hits and a .482 OPS in 21 games since getting called up from the minors April 16.

Luis Campusano has been on the injured list since April 17 and is expected to be sidelined until around the All-Star break following left thumb surgery.

San Diego is responsible for just over $1 million in salary for Sánchez after assuming his $1.5 million, one-year contract.

The star-studded Padres have lost seven of 11 and are 3-3 on a nine-game East Coast trip. They open a three-game series at Miami.

San Diego becomes the third National League team to take a close look at the 30-year-old Sánchez this season. He spent time in the minors with San Francisco before getting released May 2 and signing a minor league contract a week later with the Mets, who were minus a couple of injured catchers at the time.

After hitting well in a short stint at Triple-A Syracuse, he was promoted to the big leagues May 19. When the Mets reinstated catcher Tomás Nido from the injured list last week, Sánchez was cut.

Sánchez’s best seasons came early in his career with the New York Yankees, where he was runner-up in 2016 AL Rookie of the Year voting and made the AL All-Star team in 2017 and 2019.

He was traded to Minnesota before the 2022 season and batted .205 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 128 games last year.

With the Padres, Sánchez could also be a candidate for at-bats at designated hitter, where 42-year-old Nelson Cruz is batting .245 with three homers, 16 RBIs and a .670 OPS, and 37-year-old Matt Carpenter is hitting .174 with four homers, 21 RBIs and a .652 OPS.