The Boston Red Sox made baseball history by coming back from a 3-0 series deficit to win the American League Championship Series against an ancient foe -- the New York Yankees.

They did so in convincing fashion, winning Game Seven 10-3 on Wednesday night in Yankee Stadium -- crushing the fans of the storied Bronx Bombers.

The victory came courtesy in part to a grand slam home run in the second by the Sox's Johnny Damon -- followed by another two-run shot early in the fourth.

David Ortiz, who has had two game-winning at-bats in this series, kicked in a two-run homer in the first. He was named the series MVP.

The Soxs' Mark Bellhorn homered into right to start off the eighth inning.

However, Derek Lowe, the Sox's starting pitcher, was brilliant. He held the Yankees to one hit and one run over six innings.

With one out in the bottom of the third, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter singled to drive in that run, but the inning ended with one man left on base.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Yankees' Bernie Williams hit a double off the Sox's Pedro Martinez to score Hideki Matsui, who had reached second with his own double. A single then brought Williams home.

Only three other teams have forced a sixth game after being down 3-0.

By losing, the Yankees made history of their own: What some pundits are calling the worst playoff collapse in baseball history. They won the first three games of this series, including a 19-8 shelling of the Sox in Boston's Fenway Park in Game Three.

One must also remember the so-called Curse of the Bambino -- that Boston hasn't won a World Series since it sold the rights of one Herman "Babe" Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000 US and a $300,000 US loan.

Actually, Yankee Stadium, sitting in the Bronx near the East River, is also known as The House That Ruth Built.

Ruth, the great Bambino, had helped the Red Sox to the World Series in four of his eight years with Boston. Legend has it that Frazee sold Ruth to finance a new Broadway show, "No, No, Nanette."

However, his grandson, Harry Frazee III, is now debunking that myth.

In an interview with MSNBC, the grandson said there is no proof his grandfather's fortune was dwindling. Frazee III says Ruth was sold to the Yankees because of his poor behaviour.

However, the numbers speak for themselves. Since 1918, the Yankees have won 26 World Series.

Boston came agonizingly close to ending its shutout streak in 1986, when first baseman Bill Buckner, playing hurt, let a slow-rolling grounder in the 10th inning go between his legs as he covered the first-base line in Game Six. That single produced a game-winning run. The New York Mets went on to win Game Seven.

More recently, Aaron Boone pounded a homer in the 11th inning of Game Seven in last year's ALCS, sending the Yankees to the World Series and the Red Sox home.

It isn't known yet who the Sox will face in their first World Series appearance in 18 years -- and a new chance to kill The Curse.

The NL series

The St. Louis Cardinals staved off elimination Wednesday night by beating the Houston Astros 6-4.

Jim Edmonds was the night's hero for the Cards, blasting a two-run homer in the 12th inning to tie the series 3-3.

On Thursday night, Game Seven in Houston will feature Roger "Rocket" Clemens as the starting pitcher.

Clemens -- who spent most of his career with the Red Sox, but also had stints with the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays -- came out of retirement specifically to pitch for his home-town Astros.