Red Sox vs. Cardinals: 2013 World Series Hinges on Result of Game 4

Just hours after the controversial, dramatic finish to Game 3 on Saturday night, the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals will go right back to work on Sunday night in what will be the most pivotal matchup in this 2013 World Series: Game 4.

With the Cardinals leading the best-of-seven series 2-1 and having stolen home-field advantage from the Red Sox, the result of Game 4 will in all likelihood determine which team lifts the Commissioner's Trophy this October. 

The first scenario is obvious. A third straight Cardinals victory would give St. Louis complete control of the series and require Boston to win three consecutive elimination games in order to survive, the first of which would be Game 5 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Monday night.

While anything is possible, the odds would be heavily stacked against the Red Sox in that case.

Therefore, the Cards can all but secure the title with win in Game 4. Sure, they'll have work left to do in order to finish off the Red Sox for good, but as Sports Illustrated baseball writer Cliff Corcoran points out, they have tremendous history on their side already, as the Game 3 winner in a World Series tied at 1-1 after two games is almost unbeatable. 

Of the 18 Game 3 winners in past 1-1 World Series dating back to the start of divisional play in 1969, 16 have gone on to win it all. That's a winning percentage of .889, per Corcoran. 

But while St. Louis is in good shape right now, a loss in Game 4 would make it a 2-2 series with the Cards in search of momentum.

There's no reason to believe Boston can't become the third team since 1979 to fight back from a 2-1 deficit in baseball's championship series. After all, it was just 10 years ago that the Florida Marlins fought back from a 2-1 hole against the New York Yankees, ripping off three straight wins to take the title in six games.

Everything hinges on Game 4.

The Red Sox still have two potential home games at Fenway Park left in Games 6 and 7 if necessary, and a win in Game 4 would shift the home-field advantage in their favor and provide them with new life while tossing the pressure right back on the Cardinals' collective shoulders in Game 5.

Regardless of the result, the winner of Sunday's Game 4 will take a major series advantage that is sure to lead to a championship.  

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