Petaluma's Jonny Gomes is 'Unlikely Hero' in World Series Game 4

Petaluma native Jonny Gomes made his first hit of the 2013 World Series count.

The Casa Grande High School grad belted a three-run home run in game four of the World Series Sunday night, lifting his Boston Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 387-foot home run, which sent a screaming Gomes bounding around the bases, prompted Sports Illustrated to call the outfielder an "unlikely hero" in the game.

The Boston Globe also heaped praise on Gomes and his hit, which helped tie the series at two games apiece and force at least two more games in the best-of-seven contest.

"There will be another baseball game played at Fenway Park this year, and we have Jonny Gomes to thank," the Globe's Christopher L. Gasper wrote.

The two publications cited Gomes' go-for-broke attitude.

"When you talk about a guy like me, pretty much every single at-bat, every pitch I see my career is on the line,” Sports Illustrated and the Globe quoted Gomes as saying. "I mean, every punch-out it’s, ‘See, I told you so.’ Then every hit it’s, ‘That wasn’t supposed to happen.’ I don’t need any pats on the back or to make it a sob story. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

The remaining World Series schedule is as follows:

Game 5: Red Sox at Cardinals: 4:30 p.m. Monday, FOX 
Game 6: Cardinals at Red Sox: 4:30 p.m. Oct. 30, FOX 
Game 7: Cardinals at Red Sox: 4:30 p.m. Oct. 31, FOX (if necessary) 

--
Sign up for the free Petaluma Patch newsletter | Like Petaluma Patch on Facebook | Follow @PetalumaPatch on Twitter | Blog for Petaluma Patch