Category: MLB (Page 18 of 448)

      Cards complete comeback

      October 29, 2011 /
      Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series in St. Louis on October 28, 2011. The Cardinals defeated the Texas Rangers 6-2 winning game 7 of the World Series. The Cardinals won their 11th World Series after defeating the Texans 4 game to 3. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      Tom Verducci speculated that this series might go to seven games and he was right. The St. Louis comebacks in game 6 will be remembered for years along with other classic World Series moments. You had the feeling that Texas needed to jump on the Cardinals early in order to win this game, but they only managed two runs in the early innings when Chris Carpenter was having trouble locating his fastball. Once Dave Duncan pointed out that Carpenter might want to try his curve ball, the ace of the Cardinals staff settled down and the Rangers watched their chances slip away.

      This one will be tough to swallow for the Rangers. Twice they came within one strike of a world title in game 6, only to see things fall apart. They have a great team, but they’ve been on the losing end two years in a row. The experts on ESPN are predicting that the Rangers will be active in free agency, perhaps going after Prince Fielder or even Albert Pujols. I think they need a dominant #1 starter, so perhaps C.C. Sabathia will be in their sites as well.

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      Carpenter to start for Cardinals, Cruz and Holliday both expected to play in Game 7

      October 28, 2011 /
      St. Louis Cardinals’ pitcher Chris Carpenter pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of game 1 of the World Series in St. Louis on October 19, 2011. UPI/Brian Kersey

      Following their epic extra innings victory in Game 6 on Thursday night, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa announced that ace Chris Carpenter would start Game 7 of the World Series against the Rangers tonight.

      It was a move that has been anticipated since David Freese hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Cardinals a 10-9 win on Thursday night. Carpenter last pitched on Monday and has worked on short rest before in this postseason. While technically it’s Kyle Lohse’s turn in club’s postseason rotation and Edwin Jackson would be working on a normal rest period, La Russa has to turn to his workhouse in this situation.

      In related news, both Matt Holliday (finger) and Nelson Cruz (groin) are expected to play in Game 7. Holliday suffered what Joe Buck called during the broadcast a “severely bruised little finger” when he dove back into third base during a pickoff attempt Thursday night. He jammed his hand into third baseman Adrian Beltre’s foot and was subsequently called out on the play. Holliday didn’t return to the game, leaving some to speculate whether or not he would play in Game 7.

      Cruz strained a groin muscle on his final at-bat in Game 6 and was shown limping down the clubhouse steps. But as long as he can still walk, one would expect him to be in the lineup. This is Game 7 of the World Series, after all.

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      Epic World Series goes to Game 7

      October 28, 2011 /
      Members of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after David Freese hit a solo home run to win game 6 of the World Series in the 11th inning against the Texas Rangers in St. Louis on October 27, 2011. The Cardinals defeated the Rangers 10-9 and the series is tied 6-6. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      David Freese was having a rough night, as were the rest of the Cardinals as they did their best Little League impersonation in the field last night. But they wouldn’t give up, and every time the Texas Rangers took another lead, often after St. Louis blunders in the field, the Cards somehow fought back to tie up the game. Several times they were down to their last strike, and somehow they kept coming through.

      In the bottom of the 11th, Freese hit a walk-off solo home run that sent this series to game 7.

      It was an amazing game, and now we have game 7. The ratings have sucked for this World Series, but hopefully more people watched last night.

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      Genius La Russa has a rough night

      October 25, 2011 /

      The fiasco with the bullpen was bad enough, but Tony La Russa really blew it in the ninth inning. Tom Verducci explains:

      In the seventh inning, either Pujols called his own hit-and-run play and didn’t swing, or Craig saw a sign that wasn’t there, or the moon was in the phase of Aquarius, but somehow the Cardinals gave up a runner at first (Craig was thrown out), which immediately allowed Washington to intentionally walk Pujols. It gets worse. In the ninth, trailing 4-2, Craig was on first base with no outs while Rangers closer Neftali Feliz had a full count on Pujols, who represented the tying run. La Russa ordered Craig to run on the pitch. Pujols, after two foul balls, chased ball four — a 99 mph fastball off the plate — swung through it and Craig was thrown out for double play.

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      Pujols leads offensive explosion with three dingers

      October 22, 2011 /

      Albert Pujols clubbed three home runs as the Cardinals pounded the Rangers 16-7 to take a 2-1 lead in the World Series. He also had 5 hits and 6 RBIs. The Cardinals chased Rangers starter Matt Harrison in the fourth inning and then continued their assault on a Texas bullpen that had been brilliant in the post-season.

      The series had been characterized by low-scoring games, but everything changed when the teams arrived in the warm Texas climate. Both pitching staffs had a rough night, but Texas suffered a total collapse by giving up 15 runs.

      It had looked like Texas may have stolen momentum in the series with their dramatic ninth-inning win in game two, but the Cardinals shook it off and unleashed Pujols and the rest of the offense. Pujols had received heavy criticism for not talking to the media after committing a key error in the ninth inning of game 2, but he shrugged that off as well.

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