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ST. LOUIS -- David Ross never expected to be on a World Series podium. That seat is for stars, not for grey-bearded baseball journeyman, not for backup catchers knocked onto the disabled list for much of the summer by foul tips. "The trip Ive taken this year, I never thought Id be here, There were times I was questioning whether my career was over," he said Monday night with a smile that brightened the interview room. "Im playing in the World Series, so just this whole skit is just -- Im up here talking to you guys, this is pretty cool, right?" The very definition of a bench player -- a backup catcher who has never gotten more than 311 at-bats in a season -- Ross got the biggest hit of the year thus far for the Boston Red Sox, nearly completing his long-and-winding trek to a World Series title. Ross pulled a hanging curveball down the left-field line that landed just a few inches fair in the seventh inning, driving in the go-ahead run and boosting the Red Sox over the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 for a 3-2 World Series lead. Now 36, Rosss sandy-colored beard makes him look more aging rocker than dashing athlete. A veteran of six major league organizations, he signed last November for his second tour with the Red Sox, his team for part of 2008. His season began to come apart on May 11, when he took a pair of foul tips off his mask against Toronto. He went on the DL for two weeks and went into a 3-for-22 slide when he returned. Then he got whacked in the mask by another foul at Baltimore on June 14. "I got home and my wife said, Youre not right," he recalled. "And they did some tests and kind of concluded I wasnt right. Then I tried to come back fast, not giving enough credit to really what a concussion is. As athletes we feel like we can get through anything, and I couldnt. I stunk for a good two weeks, three weeks, and my wife finally was like, If you dont tell the doctors, Im going to." The Red Sox sent him to Pittsburgh to be examined on June 20 by Dr. Mickey Collins, a concussion specialist. Ross didnt play for Boston again until Aug. 20. "We try to do mind over matter sometimes, and the hardest part when youre going through something like that is just you dont have a cast on or you didnt have surgery," Ross said. "I looked fine, but I wasnt right. Its hard to look your teammates in the eye when youre going through something like that and see if youre bowing out or not, with the questions that they have. Because I used to do the same thing. Concussion, just push through it. Youre not tough enough or something like that." But now he knew what it was like. "Headaches and dizziness and all the symptoms, couldnt ride in a car, couldnt be in crowded places," he said, "but did all the exercises Mickey put me through and slowly came back. And thank goodness my hitting has come around, because I stunk there for a while." With Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a 6-for-32 (.188) post-season slump, Ross got the opportunity of his 12-year major league career. Hes caught Jon Lesters last four post-season starts, impressing Red Sox manager John Farrell with their rapport. "Were all excited for him, and were glad hes doing it and hope he keeps on doing it," first baseman Mike Napoli said. Lester credited Ross for his dazzling performance. "Did a good job of keeping me calm, keeping me in the game," he said. Ross was 1 for 9 in the Series before his fifth-inning single. He stepped to the plate in the seventh against Adam Wainwright following a single by rookie Xander Bogaerts and a walk by Stephen Drew, took a called strike, watched a ball and then fouled off a pitch. When Wainwright left a 79-mph hanger up, Ross pounced. If the ball hadnt bounced into the stands, Drew would have scored, too, but he came around on Jacoby Ellsburys single as Ross was thrown out at the plate by centre fielder Shane Robinson. Ross had never seen himself as a Series star. "Im kind of more of a keep-my-head-down-and-work-hard kind of guy," he said, "Im not the type of player who can plan out all these goals. Thats probably why it hadnt sunk in yet of what all this is, because Im worried about Game 6 already. Theres a pit in my stomach already." After it was over, already showered and dressed for the flight home, he was given a televised postgame news conference. He called it "the signature moment" of his career. "Im just in awe of being in the World Series, really," he said, turning around to look at the MLB logos on the backdrop behind him, as if he wasnt quite sure they were real. "Thats when you see people on TV," he said excitedly. "Im stoked!" Ross has answered questions for 14 minutes, yet he still didnt want to leave the room. "Jon Lester is waiting to come in," announced Phyllis Merhige, an MLB senior vice-president. "You can stay as long as you like." "Can I sit up here while hes up here?" Ross asked. And so he did, sitting alongside Lester and David Ortiz, savoring the night of his career just a little bit longer. Buy Air Max Plus .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes hope they now have the leadership tandem in place to turn the franchise around. Cheap Air Max Plus Shoes . Players suspended during the season for a performance-enhancing drug violation will not be eligible for that years post-season. In addition, discipline will increase from 50 games to 80 for a first testing violation and from 100 games to a season-long 162 for a second. 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The 31-year-old striker wrapped up a week that started with his relegation to Englands World Cup taxi squad with a rocket of a goal to help Toronto FC to a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls before 22,591 on a sunny afternoon at BMO Field. In truth, Defoe could have had even more on the day. But his 12th-minute blast into the top of the Red Bulls goal spoke volumes. "Thats exactly how I thought he would react," said Toronto manager Ryan Nelsen, "A brilliant goal, wasnt it? "Thats Jermain Defoe. And thats why England will miss him dearly, I think, come World Cup time." Red Bulls star Thierry Henry was also full of praise. "Jermain Defoe has been doing this since he was 14 years old and as long as he plays he will do that," said the French forward. Defoe downplayed the significance of his strike, "because Ive been doing that for my whole career. And people know that." "Thats what Ive done since Ive been over here," added Defoe, who now has four goals in five MLS games. "Its not my first goal Ive just continued to do what I do. Work hard and stay positive and get my goals." But prompted again, Defoe acknowledged the goal was a littler sweet. "Its only normal, when you get disappointment, to try and prove people wrong. And just to remind people that, at the end of the day, this is what Im doing. And I think I did that today." Defoe, who has 19 goals and 55 caps for his country, could still be called up to the 23-man main England squad in event of injury. Defoe didnt even see his goal go in. He hit it and went flying as a defender clattered into him. "It was funny because I was on the floor," he said. "I looked at the crowd and everyone was celebrating it so I thought OK, it went in." Englands loss is clearly Torontos gain. "Hes a massive part of whats going on here. Our talisman, so to speak. He gets the goals that win us games," midfielder Bradley Orr said of Defoe. Luke Moore scored late in stoppage-time as Toronto snapped its three-game losing streak. On a day where Arsenal won the FA Cup at Wembley, former Gunners star Henry -- while showing flashes of his brilliance -- was relegated to a supporting role as the Red Bulls saw their 10-game unbeaten streak against Toronto snapped. Both Defoe and Henry made their names scoring goals for north London clubs in the English Premier League. Defoe collected 153 goals for Tottenham while the 36-year-old Henry potted 228 for Arsenal. The New York attack also featured English forward Bradley Wright-Phillips, who came into the game leading MLS with nine goals this season. Toronto (4-4-0) had lost four out of its last five games after opening the MLS campaign with two consecutive wins. New York (3-4-5) was coming off an ugly 5-4 loss to the previously winless Chicago Fire, which snapped its four-game undefeated streak. And the Red Bulls looked slopppy Saturday, turning the ball over in the early going.dddddddddddd A poor pass from fullback Kosuke Kimura led to Torontos first goal when Orr beat Dax McCarty to the ball in midfield and drove forward. He spotted Defoe and slotted a perfect pass, with the striker hammering a right-footed rocket into the top of the net in the 12th minute. Orr, a defender, moved into midfield to help fill the void left by Michael Bradley (with the U.S. World Cup team), Brazilian winger Jackson (concussion) and newly acquired Collen Warner (suspended). He gave all the credit to Defoe on the goal, saying he made the move that created the opening for the pass. "He makes your mind up. His movements that good. World-class. He makes your mind up," said Orr, who had a fine game. Moore, in his home debut, scored his first goal for Toronto with a tap-in after a defensive miscommunication. A long goal kick by Torontos Joe Bendik turned into disaster for New York when goalie Luis Robles collided with defender Chris Duval, leaving Moore to dribble the ball in. Still it was far from a complete performance from an undermanned Toronto squad. At times, the Red Bulls sliced through the home side but could not finish. Toronto wobbled early in the second half and New York missed a glorious opportunity to tie it in the 62nd minute when Wright-Phillips, facing an empty goal, shockingly skied the ball after Bendik palmed away a dangerous cross. Both teams have lost stars to the World Cup: fullback Roy Miller (Costa Rica) and midfielder Tim Cahill (Australia) for New York and Bradley (U.S.) for Toronto. Goalie Julio Cesar, who had been slated to play for Toronto on Saturday before joining Brazil, was out with the flu. The game may cost Toronto. Midfielder Jonathan Osorio played the whole game despite having his hand stepped on in the opening minutes. He was due for an X-ray later, amid fears of a fracture. Toronto started rookie Nick Hagglund at centre back, shifting Doneil Henry to the bench. In his last three games, the 21-year-old Canadian international has given up two penalties and a giveaway that led to a goal. Nelsen offered a different explanation, saying Henry had played 120 minutes during the midweek Amway Canadian Championship semifinal in Vancouver and had a sore quad and head knock. "I just felt like he needed a rest and Nick had kind of deserved his chance," Nelsen said. Faced with one of the games greats in Henry, Hagglund acquitted himself well on the day. Henry introduced himself to Hagglund by racing past the rookie and then felling him with a late tackle that earned a yellow card in the sixth minute. On the plus side, Hagglund got to shake hands with a repentant Henry. A laughing Hagglund said his thought at the time was "Foul me again, Ill shake your hand again." The Red Bulls had not lost to Toronto since June 24, 2009, a 7-0-3 stretch that saw them outscore TFC 25-5. "Obviously, the first half we werent good enough," said New York coach Mike Petke, who took solace in an improved second-half showing. "The pitch was a bit bobbly but that was no excuse for how bad on the ball we were. We had too many giveaways, too many loose passes and too many instances where we gave them the ball back too easily." 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