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John Lackey Cardinals-Red Sox Trade: July 31, 2014

rememberyourredbirds — Mon, 23 May 2022 01:03:36 +0000

Heading into the 2014 trade deadline, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak knew that he needed to shake up his ballclub.

As the defending National League champions prepared to play the final game of a three-game series against the Padres, they sat in third place in the Central Division, 2 ½ games behind the Brewers and half a game behind the second-place Pirates. A day earlier, Mozeliak took his first step toward bolstering a rotation that was missing both Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia with shoulder injuries when he traded outfield prospect James Ramsey for right-hander Justin Masterson.

That proved to be a precursor to an even bigger deadline deal that sent outfielder Allen Craig and pitcher Joe Kelly to the Red Sox for starting pitcher John Lackey, pitching prospect Corey Littrell, and $1.75 million. [1]

“What was the genesis of this deal? Trying to address a top-flight starter and add to the rotation for next year,” Mozeliak said. “We were going to have to do something in the outfield because what was happening now was not sustainable.”[2]

The deal came as a shock to a Cardinals clubhouse that was fond of both Craig and Kelly. Craig had emerged as a key part of the Redbirds’ postseason run to the 2011 World Series championship and both players were part of the 2013 team that won the National League championship before falling to the Red Sox in the World Series. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted unnamed veterans who called the trade “shocking,” a “surprise,” and “a punch to the gut.”[3]

“It’s a tough morning for us, no question,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We ask these guys from day one to buy into the fact that we’re in this thing together. To buy into the culture and everything the organization stands for. To see a few guys who have bought into that packing their stuff up – yeah, there’s a business here, but we’re asking for more than just business. It caught everybody off guard.”[4]

The news was even more surprising to the team due to the manner in which it arrived. Craig was in a room just outside the Petco Park visitors’ clubhouse when a television report about the trade came on. Kelly learned about the deal on Twitter. Other players learned about the trade from reporters or online.

“I don’t think the Cardinals organization had any ill will with that,” Craig said. “Ideally, as a player, you don’t want to find out that way, but in today’s age, I don’t see how you can keep anything under wraps. That’s not even a big deal in my mind. Information travels.”[5]

With question marks in both the lineup and rotation, Mozeliak chose to pursue a top-of-the-rotation starter. That included talks with Boston about left-hander Jon Lester, but Mozeliak said Boston asked for too steep a price for the pending free agent.[6] The Red Sox traded Lester and Jonny Gomes to the Athletics for Yoenis Cespedes and a competitive balance pick.

The Cardinals also spoke to the Rays about David Price. Again, while the Cardinals had the pieces Tampa Bay was seeking, they were unwilling to meet their trade demands. Price went to the Tigers instead as part of a three-team trade that sent Willy Adames, Drew Smyly, and Nick Franklin to Tampa Bay.

“We clearly could have matched up, but we didn’t want to go down that path,” Mozeliak said.[7]

Once the Cardinals made the trade for Masterson, a veteran right-hander who won a career-high 14 games in 2013, Kelly suddenly became an expendable piece to deal for Lackey.

In three years with the Cardinals, Kelly had posted a 17-14 record with a 3.25 ERA. In seven starts in 2014, he was 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA.

“I didn’t know any team wanted me at this point,” Kelly joked.[8]

“In Kelly, we feel like we have a guy who is … a developing, advancing major-league starting pitcher,” Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said. “Certainly not a finished product, but really talented and someone our scouts have liked for a long time. Highly athletic, really good stuff, and someone we feel can quickly develop into a core part of our rotation. He was an important addition as we go into the offseason. We wouldn’t have done the Lackey deal without getting someone like that back.”[9]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Strauss wrote that dealing Kelly made sense for a team that needed a No. 2 or No. 3 starter.

“As a No. 5 or even a No. 4 starter, Kelly clicks,” he wrote. “As the No. 3 within a rotation that won’t know about Wacha’s return until mid-September, Kelly didn’t promise enough, especially four starts into his return from a serious hamstring injury. Rather than hope for the best, Mozeliak acted … clinically.”[10]

Less than 17 months earlier, Craig and the Cardinals had agreed to a five-year, $31 million contract extension. In 2013, he played in a career-high 134 games, batting .315 with 13 homers and 97 RBIs. That September, however, he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot, which caused him to miss the final 23 games of the regular season as well as the NLDS and NLCS. When he returned for the World Series, he went 6-for-16 (.375) with a double.

“At some point what was happening in the outfield was going to have to be dealt with,” Mozeliak said. “When you look at the depth we’ve been building at the outfield position, trying to create opportunity in the short term is important.”[11]

That depth included highly touted prospect Oscar Taveras. Craig’s move to Boston essentially opened right field for Taveras.

“He’s going to get an opportunity,” Matheny said.[12]

Most importantly, the trade gave the Cardinals a dependable starting pitcher who had collected double-digit wins in every season since his rookie year, when he won nine as a 23-year-old. In eight years with the Angels, Lackey was 102-71 with a 3.81 ERA, including an all-star-season in 2007 in which he went 19-9 and led the American League with a 3.01 ERA.

In four seasons with the Red Sox, Lackey had gone 47-43 with a 4.46 ERA, and he was 11-7 with a 3.60 ERA at the time of the trade.

“He brings a presence, first of all,” said Cardinals catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played alongside Lackey in Boston. “Second off, he brings competitiveness. He wants the ball. He doesn’t want to ever give up the ball. He’s won big games wherever he’s been. He’s got two rings and I know … that he’s looking for a third.”[13]

In 2012, Lackey suffered an elbow injury that kept him out for the entire season, triggering a team option in his 2015 contract that would pay him just over $500,000. Before finalizing the trade, the Cardinals confirmed with Lackey’s agent that the pitcher intended to play the 2015 campaign.[14]

“That’s a guy who’s been around a lot and helped two teams with a World Series and was the deciding game-winner in both of those World Series, and something like that doesn’t come around that often,” Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz said.[15]

Lackey made 10 starts down the stretch for the Cardinals, going 3-3 with a 4.30 ERA. In Game 3 of the NLDS, he held the Dodgers to one run over seven innings, striking out eight batters en route to a 3-1 win. He took the loss in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Giants, allowing four runs in six innings.

In 2015, Lackey enjoyed his best season since 2007, going 13-10 with a 2.77 ERA. He placed ninth in the NL Cy Young Award voting, then won Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cubs, holding Chicago scoreless over 7 1/3 innings.

In Game 4, however, he allowed four earned runs over three innings and took the loss as the Cubs clinched the series. It proved to be Lackey’s final start with the Cardinals, as he signed a free-agent deal with the Cubs after the season.

Meanwhile, Craig never regained his swing in Boston. He hit just .128 the rest of the 2014 season and was batting.135 in 2015 before he was demoted to Triple-A. After making a brief return to the majors as a September call-up, Craig spent the rest of his career in the minors.

The Red Sox released him on June 30, 2017, and the following winter he signed with the Padres on a minor-league deal. Craig showed a glimpse of his previous form with Triple-A El Paso in 2018, batting .293 with 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 363 plate appearances, but the Padres released him the following March. That April, he accepted a job with the Padres as an advisor to baseball operations.

In six major-league seasons, Craig hit .291/.343/.460 with 57 homers and 291 RBIs.

In 2014 and 2015, Kelly started 35 games for the Red Sox, going 14-8. In 2016, Boston moved Kelly to the bullpen, where he found his niche and posted a 2.79 ERA in 2017. In five seasons with the Red Sox, he went 26-11 with a 4.33 ERA and won the 2018 World Series title.

He signed with the Dodgers ahead of the 2019 season and was part of their 2020 World Series championship team, compiling a 3.59 ERA over three seasons. He retired after the 2024 season, finishing his career with a 54-38 record and a 3.98 ERA over 839 innings.

In 60 career postseason innings, he went 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA, including a 2.03 ERA in 13 1/3 World Series innings.

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[1] Anthony Gulizia, “Buchholz, others understand deals are part of the game,” Boston Globe, August 1, 2014.

[2] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak moves to fix two problems,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[3] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[4] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[5] Anthony Gulizia, “Craig familiar with new home,” Boston Globe, August 2, 2014.

[6] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[7] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[8] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[9] Peter Abraham, “Bogaerts back at short; Middlebrooks returns,” Boston Globe, August 1, 2014.

[10] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak moves to fix two problems,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[11] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak moves to fix two problems,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[12] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[13] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[14] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[15] Anthony Gulizia, “Buchholz, others understand deals are part of the game,” Boston Globe, August 1, 2014.

The post John Lackey Cardinals-Red Sox Trade: July 31, 2014 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

Allen Craig, Cardinals agree to five-year extension: March 8, 2013

remembirds — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 17:06:36 +0000

When Allen Craig signed a five-year, $31 million contract extension with the Cardinals ahead of the 2013 season, he appeared primed for a long career in the middle of the St. Louis lineup.

Less than 17 months later, Craig was playing for the Red Sox and searching for a batting stroke he never recovered after suffering a foot injury late in the 2013 season.

The California native played for the USA Junior National baseball team and was a four-year starter at the University of California, Berkeley, before the Cardinals drafted him as a shortstop in the eighth round (256^th overall) in 2006.

In his first full pro season, Craig hit .311 with 24 homers and 80 RBIs, including a .312 average in High-A Palm Beach before he received a brief promotion to Double-A Springfield. In 2008, he hit .304 with 22 homers and 85 RBIs to earn a promotion to Triple-A Memphis in 2009. There, he hit .322 with 26 homers and 83 RBIs.

That steady production earned Craig his first taste of major-league action in 2010. In 2011, his role expanded, and he appeared in 75 games, batting .315 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs.

Craig became a postseason hero for the Cardinals in the 2011 World Series against the Rangers, hitting three home runs while playing through a knee injury. After hitting a solo home run in Game 3, Craig hit another solo blast in the eighth inning of Game 6. The following night, he made a leaping catch to rob Nelson Cruz of a home run and added a homer of his own as the Cardinals captured the 11^th world championship in franchise history.

“I think he’s proven he’s the type of player that, when he’s in the lineup, can make an impact,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said.[1]

Craig missed the first month of the 2012 season following offseason surgery on his injured right knee, but became the Cardinals’ primary first baseman after Lance Berkman was injured. Though he didn’t make his season debut until May 1, Craig’s .307 batting average and .522 slugging percentage each ranked sixth in the National League, and he finished the year with 22 homers and 92 RBIs. His .400 batting average with runners in scoring position led the majors.[2]

Shortly after the season ended, Craig asked his agents at ACES, Sam and Seth Levinson, to approach the Cardinals regarding an extension.[3] On March 8, 2013, Craig and the Cardinals agreed to an extension that would pay Craig $1.75 million in 2013, $2.75 million in 2014, $5.5 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016, and $11 million in 2017. It also included a $13 million option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout.[4]

With the agreement, the Cardinals bought out all three of Craig’s arbitration years and one year of free agency. Without the extension, Craig would have been eligible for free agency after the 2016 season.

“I wanted security for my family and the team thought it was a good idea too, so it’s a tremendous opportunity and I’m incredibly humbled by it,” Craig said. “It’s something I can’t really fathom at this moment, but I’m just excited to be a part of this team going forward. I think that’s the main key to this thing. We have a really special thing going on here, and to just be a part of it for the next five years is incredibly special.”[5]

Said Mozeliak, “Look at his career path, and this certainly gives him some security that he hasn’t had up until this point. For us, it gives us some protection in the middle of the lineup for a long time.”[6]

With the contract, Craig joined Jaime Garcia and Adam Wainwright as the only players to receive a long-term extension from Mozeliak before they were arbitration-eligible. The deal also made Craig and catcher Yadier Molina the only players on the Cardinals roster with guaranteed contracts that extended through the 2017 season.[7]

“This is something that you’re always striving for – to get a commitment from the team,” Craig said. “It’s been a tough road to reach the big leagues and stick and get playing time and whatnot. I’m just glad it’s going to continue here. The future is bright.”[8]

Craig said he appreciated the stability the contract offered him, even as he recognized that if he continued his 2012 production, he could have earned more than the approximately $6 million annual average value the extension provided.

“Of course you think about it, but the future isn’t guaranteed,” Craig said. “I believe in my abilities and that I’ll be around for a long time, but there are some things that are out of your control. A couple of years ago, I slid and broke my kneecap on the wall, and that’s not something that happened because I’m injury-prone. I was playing hard. You never know what’s going to happen. I just think it’s not in my personality to push it and risk it all.”[9]

Craig’s decision proved wise. In 2013, he played in a career-high 134 games, batting .315 with 13 homers and 97 RBIs. That September, however, he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot that caused him to miss the last 23 games of the regular season as well as the NLDS and NLCS. When he returned for the World Series, he went 6-for-16 (.375) with a double.

Craig’s 2014 season never got off the ground. After batting .220 in March and April, he appeared to recover in May, batting .291 with 19 RBIs. In June, however, he hit .255 with a .311 slugging percentage, and his offense cratered in July, batting just .122 in 54 plate appearances. With highly touted prospect Oscar Taveras waiting to take over right field, the Cardinals traded Craig and relief pitcher Joe Kelly to the Red Sox for John Lackey.

“At some point, what was happening in the outfield was going to have to be dealt with,” Mozeliak said. “When you look at the depth we’ve been building at the outfield position, trying to create opportunity in the short term is important.”[10]

Craig was sitting with teammates and watching television in a room adjoining the Cardinals’ clubhouse when he learned of the trade on TV.[11] The deal was one of four the Red Sox made that day as they sought to rebuild a roster that had won the 2013 World Series but was now in last place in the American League East.

Unfortunately, Craig never regained his swing in Boston. He hit just .128 the rest of the season and was batting.135 in 2015 before he was demoted to Triple-A, where he hit .274 with four homers and 30 RBIs.

After making a brief return to the majors that September, Craig spent the rest of his career in the minors. The Red Sox released him on June 30, 2017, and the following winter, he signed with the Padres on a minor-league deal. Craig showed a glimpse of his previous form with Triple-A El Paso in 2018, batting .293 with 13 homers and 59 RBIs in 363 plate appearances, but the Padres released him the following March. That April, he accepted a job with the Padres as an advisor to baseball operations.

In six major-league seasons, Craig hit .291/.343/.460 with 57 homers and 291 RBIs.

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[1] “Cards, Craig agree on five-year contract,” Evansville Courier and Press, March 9, 2013.

[2] “Cards, Craig agree on five-year contract,” Evansville Courier and Press, March 9, 2013.

[3] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[4] “Cards, Craig agree on five-year contract,” Evansville Courier and Press, March 9, 2013.

[5] “Cardinals give Craig multi-year deal,” Fox Sports Midwest, https://www.foxsports.com/midwest/story/cardinals-give-craig-multi-year-deal-030813.

[6] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[7] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[8] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[9] Derrick Goold, “Cards sign Craig to 5-year deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 10, 2013.

[10] Joe Strauss, “Mozeliak moves to fix two problems,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

[11] Derrick Goold, “Major Shakeup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 1, 2014.

The post Allen Craig, Cardinals agree to five-year extension: March 8, 2013 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

2011 World Series Game 7: Cardinals clinch their 11th title

remembirds — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 18:07:48 +0000

After rallying from 10 ½ games back in the National League wild-card race and falling behind five separate times in their 10-9 Game 6 victory over the Rangers, a 2-0 first-inning deficit didn’t seem like much for the 2011 Cardinals to overcome.

Six unanswered runs later, the Cardinals had a 6-2 victory in World Series Game 7 and the 11^th world championship in franchise history.

“It’s unbelievable, amazing, incredible,” said manager Tony La Russa. “The teams we played in the playoffs were all great teams.”^[1]

Shortly after the madness of Game 6, including David Freese’s game-winning home run in the bottom of the 11^th inning, La Russa turned his attention to Game 7. With Game 6 postponed a day due to weather, the Cardinals planned to pitch ace Chris Carpenter on short rest.

As La Russa recalled in his book, One Last Strike, “It was fun to relive that sixth game, but about the middle of the dinner I started to get distracted, turning my attention to Game 7. Dunc (pitching coach Dave Duncan) and I had decided that Carp was going to start. But just to make sure, I called Dunc later that morning and said, “Let’s discuss the alternatives.” He said, “Carp’s pitching.” And then he hung up on me.”[2]

Game 7 would mark the sixth start of the postseason for the 36-year-old Carpenter. After pitching just three innings in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Phillies, Carpenter bounced back with a dominant showing in Game 5, throwing a complete-game, three-hit shutout opposite Roy Halladay to send the Cardinals to the NLCS.

Since then, he had picked up two more wins, including Game 1 of the World Series. In Game 5, he allowed two runs over seven innings and received no decision.

“Dave and I had a heart-to-heart with him to gauge just how ready he was to pitch, not mentally but physically,” La Russa said. “He’s the guy our club wants to have out there. He’s our guy.”^[3]

The Rangers, meanwhile, turned to Matt Harrison, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound left-hander from North Carolina. The 25-year-old won 14 games during the regular season and picked up another during Game 4 of the ALDS. He had taken the loss for the Rangers in World Series Game 3, allowing three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

In the top of the first, the Rangers gave Harrison an early lead, though Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina did his part to limit the damage. After Ian Kinsler led off with a single into left, Molina picked him off for the first out of the game.

“That was huge,” Carpenter said. “Unbelievable. That’s Yadi doing his thing. That’s what makes him so great.”^[4]

Elvis Andrus followed with a walk before Josh Hamilton and Michael Young hit back-to-back RBI doubles to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

“He had to settle down,” Hamilton said. “We caught him a little by surprise there in the first, but he did settle down, started getting some guys out.”^[5]

“My command wasn’t great to begin with, but I thought I made some pretty good pitches also, and they hit them,” Carpenter said. “But I felt good, I made some adjustments. I continued to make pitches and do what I needed to do, and fortunately we were able to come back and win the game.”^[6]

That comeback began in the bottom of the first. After Harrison walked Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman, Freese hit a two-run double into left field to tie the game.

“To me,” Berkman said, “that kind of gets lost in the shuffle. They jump out to a lead, and we come right back? At that point, we’re like ‘We’re winning, we’re winning this thing.’”[7]

Carpenter worked around a hit and an error in the second, then threw a scoreless third inning. In the bottom of the third, Allen Craig, in the lineup due to an injury to Matt Holliday in Game 6, homered on a 3-2 pitch.

“It’s phenomenal,” Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire said. “Here’s a guy who was having a great year and then unfortunately broke his kneecap. He’s still got a problem with his knee, but he played through it.”^[8]

Scott Feldman entered the game for the Rangers in the fifth and loaded the bases with a walk, hit-by-pitch, and an intentional walk. He issued a six-pitch walk to Molina to bring the go-ahead run home before he was replaced by C.J. Wilson. Wilson hit the first batter he faced, Rafael Furcal, to make the score 4-2.

“Walks hurt us,” Rangers reliever Mike Adams said. “It’s tough to get away with that many walks. You walk people, you pay for it, especially against a team like this. That’s what made the difference in who won the Series. Maybe we tried to be a little too fine, maybe trying to be too perfect and it came back and bit us.”^[9]

With two outs in the sixth, Nelson Cruz hit a deep fly ball to left field. Craig, who already hit a home run, made a leaping catch at the wall to take one away.

“The whole experience was awesome,” Craig said. “Hitting a home run was awesome and I’ve never robbed a home run like that. I was glad to do it in the seventh game of the World Series. It’s all about making the best of your opportunities. You can’t let opportunities slip.”^[10]

In the seventh, another opportunity slipped by the Rangers. After outfielder David Murphy led off the inning with a ground-rule double, veteran left-hander Arthur Rhodes entered the game in place of Carpenter and got Yorvit Torrealba to fly out to center field. Octavio Dotel followed, striking out Kinsler and getting Andrus to fly out to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, Molina added an RBI single to make the score 6-2.

From there, the game was in the hands of the Cardinals’ bullpen. Lance Lynn retired the side in order in the eighth, placing the Cardinals three outs away from the world championship.

Closer Jason Motte took the mound for the ninth inning.

“Sitting at first base with three outs left and thinking about all the things that we went through this year, just how special this group of guys that we have is – to do that and bring another championship to the city of St. Louis is just amazing,” Pujols said.^[11]

Motte started the inning by getting Cruz to fly out to center, then getting Mike Napoli to ground out to third base.

“I just remember standing out in left field and looking up into the crowd,” Craig said. “They’re chanting ‘Let’s go Cards. Let’s go Cards!’ over and over again. It just gives me goose bumps to this day remembering that and feeling that moment.”[12]

After Motte fired a first strike past Murphy, the Rangers outfielder lifted the second pitch to Craig in left field. Craig caught it to clinch the World Series. Molina raced out from behind the plate to embrace Motte and begin the celebration.

“After the final out was made, I turned to Yadi and was like, ‘Hey, come get some, baby!’” Motte recalled. “He was running out, and I remember going to put my arms around him, as he’s jumping in the air, and then next thing you know, I’m getting sideswiped from the rest of the bench! And I completely had blinders on. I hadn’t been looking at anyone else, just seeing Yadi. And I know my joy and my emotion in that moment was pretty awesome, but for me I got to see Yadi’s face. He’s got that smile, running out at me, and it’s one of those things I’ll never forget, baseball-wise. It’s burned into my mind.”[13]

“When it finally happened, it was just pandemonium,” Wainwright said. “You’re just running and you don’t know where to go or who to hug and you just realize you’re going to jump into everyone and hug everyone. You’re going to scream as loud as you can for as long as you can. And that’s what we did.”[14]

The victory capped as unlikely a championship as baseball had ever seen. No team had ever won the championship after being 10 ½ games back so late in the season.^[15] At one point, the Cardinals had a less than 4% chance of even making the playoffs, and Las Vegas was offering 500-to-1 odds on the team winning the World Series.[16]

Somehow, St. Louis defied the odds.

“We’ve got character, that’s why,” Carpenter said. “The personalities in our clubhouse are unbelievable. I’ll never forget them. I’ll never forget this.”^[17]

As the scoreboard flashed graphics declaring the Cardinals World Series champions and confetti fell from the sky, backup catcher Gerald Laird couldn’t believe it.

“Man, Carp, can you believe this?” he said.

“Yeah, I can,” Carpenter said. “This is unbelievable, but we all kept battling and now look at us.”^[18]

With two runs allowed over six innings, Carpenter claimed his fourth win of the postseason without a loss. For the playoffs, he had a 2.72 ERA, including two wins and a 2.79 ERA across 19 1/3 World Series innings.

Freese, the Lafayette High School alum, became the first position player since Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter in 1982 to win both the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP in the same year. Along with the World Series MVP trophy, Freese also received a sports car.

“He also shouldn’t have to buy a meal in this town for four years,” Wainwright said.^[19]

“It’s a dream come true,” Freese said. “Every step of the way has been incredible. We really had to work hard for this. We believed. We wanted it, but we stayed humble. We had to fight our way into the playoffs, but once you get in it gives you a special feeling. We just kept our heads down and worked hard.”^[20]

For the Rangers, who had lost to the Giants in a five-game World Series the year prior, the loss was doubly devastating.

“This will never be a good feeling,” Murphy said. “It hurts. It’s hard to go through a full season and play so well and get to Game 7 of a World Series and not get it done. There are so many positive things we can take away from this year but right now it hurts. That’s the easiest way to put it.”^[21]

Ultimately, the Cardinals timely hitting and the Rangers’ untimely walks proved the difference in the series. Texas pitchers walked six batters in Game 7 and a record 41 batters in the series.^[22]

Afterwards, Harrison insisted that the Rangers weren’t feeling a hangover from Game 7.

“We knew we had a chance to put it away and we didn’t,” Harrison said, “but last night was over with. Nobody was saying anything about it when we got here today.”[23]

Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Gil LeBreton wasn’t convinced.

“The Rangers played … like a team that knew it had let its best chance to win the World Series slip away,” he wrote.^[24]

With his third World Series title, La Russa became the ninth manager to capture three championships, joining Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, Connie Mack, Walter Alston, Joe Torre, Sparky Anderson, Miller Huggins, and John McGraw.[25]

On October 31, after the conclusion of the World Series parade, La Russa gathered his team in the clubhouse for one final meeting. There, he announced something only a small handful of people had known since he made his decision back in August: he was retiring from the game. Craig, who had held onto the baseball from the final out of Game 7, immediately went to his locker to give the ball to La Russa.^[26]

“I think this just feels like time to end it,” said La Russa, the winner of 2,728 games, including a franchise-record 1,408 with the Cardinals.^[27]

Game 7 also proved to be the final game in Cardinal red for Albert Pujols, who signed with the Angels that offseason. It was a heck of a way to end an era.

“They just would not go away,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “They just wouldn’t go away, and that’s the heart of a champion.”[28]

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[1] Joe Strauss, “Cardinals Rule,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[2] Tony La Russa (2012), One Last Strike, [Kindle Android version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com, Page 576.

[3] Dan O’Neill, “Carp Is ‘Our Guy,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[4] Dan O’Neill, “Carp Is ‘Our Guy,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[5] Tom Timmerman, “Doubly Painful,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[6] Dan O’Neill, “Carp Is ‘Our Guy,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[7] Benjamin Hochman (2021) 11 in ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals [Kindle Android version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com, Page 211.

[8] Rick Hummel, “Craig’s Time,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[9] Tom Timmerman, “Doubly Painful,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[10] Rick Hummel, “Craig’s Time,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[11] “They Said It,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 29, 2011, Page 6CC.

[12] Benjamin Hochman (2021) 11 in ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals [Kindle Android version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com, Page 211.

[13] Benjamin Hochman (2021) 11 in ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals [Kindle Android version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com, Page 213.

[14] Benjamin Hochman (2021) 11 in ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals [Kindle Android version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com, Page 213.

[15] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards win like never before,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[16] Joe Strauss, “Cardinals Rule,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[17] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards win like never before,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[18] Bryan Burwell, “Incredible dream realized,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[19] Derrick Goold, “Banner Year,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[20] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards win like never before,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[21] Tom Timmerman, “Doubly Painful,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[22] Tom Timmerman, “Doubly Painful,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[23] Gil LeBreton, “Rangers’ pitching never even came close,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 29, 2011.

[24] Gil LeBreton, “Rangers’ pitching never even came close,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 29, 2011.

[25] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards win like never before,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 29, 2011.

[26] Benjamin Hochman (2021) 11 in ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals [Kindle Android version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com, Page 214.

[27] Joe Strauss, “‘I have no regrets,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 1, 2011.

[28] Kevin Baxter, “Ultimate wild Cards,” Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2011.

The post 2011 World Series Game 7: Cardinals clinch their 11th title first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

10/27/2011: David Freese home run caps historic World Series Game 6

remembirds — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:23:15 +0000

With rain threatening, Major League Baseball postponed the sixth game of the World Series a day.

It was well worth the wait.

The 47,325 fans at Busch Stadium that evening saw David Freese cement his legacy with a game-tying, two-run triple in the ninth inning and a game-winning solo home run in the 11^th. Along the way, the Cardinals became the first team in World Series history to score in the eighth, ninth, 10^th, and 11^th innings.[1] With their 10-9, 11-inning win, the Cardinals forced a decisive seventh game despite twice coming one strike away from elimination.

“If that’s not the best postseason game of all time, I don’t know what could top it,” said outfielder Lance Berkman. “That was unbelievable.”^[2]

After Albert Pujols hit three home runs in Game 3 to lift St. Louis to a 2-1 Series advantage, the Rangers rallied with 4-0 and 4-2 victories in Games 4 and 5. One more loss, and the Cardinals’ late-season rally to claim the wild card would be little more than a footnote to baseball history. At various points in the game, it looked as though that was exactly what would happen.

“It was nothing pretty, but an absolute sight to see,” wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell. “It was terrible execution but enthralling drama. It was joy and pain, up and down, fun and frustration all balled up into 11 of the wackiest innings of championship baseball I’ve ever seen.”[3]

The Rangers took the lead five separate times in the game, beginning in the first inning when Josh Hamilton hit an RBI single off Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia. Berkman responded with a two-run homer off Colby Lewis in the bottom of the first to give the Cardinals a brief 2-1 lead.

Texas tied the game in the second when Ian Kinsler came to the plate with runners on first and second and hit a two-out, ground-rule double into the left-field gap. With Garcia removed after three innings, Fernando Salas entered the game in the fourth and fell victim to a fielding error by Matt Holliday in left field.

Nelson hit a fly ball into shallow left field, and with shortstop Rafael Furcal racing back to try to make a difficult play, Holliday made a late stab for the ball and dropped it. With Cruz safely on second base, Mike Napoli followed with a single into right that gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead.

“Things happen. That’s part of the game,” Holliday said. “Obviously it’s no fun, but it’s part of it. Plays like that happen.”[4]

The Cardinals tied the score in the bottom half of the inning. Berkman reached on an error by Michael Young at first base and Holliday drew a walk before Yadier Molina drove in a run with a ground ball to Adrian Beltre at third base.

Once again, the Rangers responded. After Freese dropped a pop fly off the bat of Josh Hamilton, Young doubled into left field to give Texas a 4-3 lead.

In the fifth, La Russa entered Jon Jay into the game as a pinch hitter for Salas, and when the Cardinals took the field in the sixth, La Russa placed Jay in center field and had incoming pitcher Lance Lynn take Skip Schumaker’s spot in the lineup. The move gave the Cardinals two more at-bats before the pitcher’s spot would come up again, but also meant that Schumaker – who had made solid contact in each of his three at-bats – would be unavailable the remainder of the game.

“If Schu had stayed in the game and I took Jay out, then Lynn wouldn’t have been able to pitch another inning,” La Russa explained. “You need innings from as many relievers as you could.”[5]

Lynn threw a scoreless sixth inning, and the Cardinals tied the score again in the bottom half of the frame, sending seven hitters to the plate without getting the ball out of the infield. After Lewis struck out Pujols, Berkman reached on an infield single, Holliday reached on an error, and Freese drew a one-out walk.

Alexi Ogando entered the game in place of Lewis and immediately walked Molina, tying the score once again. The Cardinals might have taken the lead, but Ogando picked off Holliday at third base before walking Nick Punto.

“I thought I was safe,” Holliday said. “You’re trying to be aggressive there because if the ball gets away, you want to score. They did a good job of selling it.”[6]

Left-hander Derek Holland entered the game and retired Jay to end the inning.

In the seventh, Allen Craig entered the game in place of Holliday, who had injured his right pinky finger while diving back into third base. Lynn, meanwhile, struggled in his second inning of work, allowing home runs to Beltre and Cruz. After David Murphy singled to center field and Holland’s attempt at a sacrifice resulted in a force out at second, La Russa turned to Octavio Dotel.

Although the 37-year-old reliever had been effective throughout the postseason, he threw a wild pitch that advanced Holland to second base before Kinsler singled to give the Rangers a 7-4 lead.

Holland was still on the mound for Texas in the bottom of the eighth when Craig, in the game due to Holliday’s injury, hit a solo home run to cut the deficit to 7-5.

As the game headed into the ninth inning, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, one of just a few people who knew that La Russa planned to retire at the end of the season, was trying to gather his thoughts.

“Throughout the ebb and flow of that game, multiple times I was writing what I was going to tell the club on Tony’s departure,” Mozeliak said. “On the sheet of paper, I was writing down what I thought the messaging should be. One time I even rolled it up and threw it out in the trash can—and then I had to pick it back up.”[7]

Neftali Feliz opened the ninth by striking out Ryan Theriot. Pujols came to the plate next and hit the first pitch over Hamilton’s head in center field. Berkman drew a four-pitch walk before Feliz struck out Craig for the second out.

That brought Freese to the plate as the Cardinals’ final hope. Feliz missed with his first pitch but threw back-to-back strikes to get ahead in the count 1-and-2. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Freese hit a 98-mph fastball over Cruz’s head in right field. Pujols and Berkman both scored to tie the game, 7-7.

“It’s Cardinal baseball,” Freese said. “This is how they teach us. You never give up.”^[8]

In the 10^th, the Rangers took the lead for the fifth time in the game. With Cardinals closer Jason Motte on the mound, Elvis Andrus hit a one-out single and Josh Hamilton launched a two-run homer to put the Rangers back on top, 9-7.

“I remember when Hamilton hit it, I literally thought to myself on the mound, ‘Man, I just lost the World Series,’” recalled Motte.[9]

Berkman, the veteran of 13 major-league seasons, shared Motte’s feeling that this might not be the Cardinals’ night.

“It was miraculous that we came back from a two-run deficit,” Berkman said, “and against their closer, who was really good. Then we go down two runs again the very next inning and you’re like: there’s no way. It’s practically speaking as a baseball player. You have enough experience to know that—hey, this is not looking good. The chances of us coming back twice from two-run deficits are not good against a talented team. So when Hamilton hit that home run, I thought, Well, they deserve it. They had a great year, they got a great team. And then you start thinking, Okay, well, wait a minute, am I coming up next inning? You start thinking about your offensive inning and what you need to do to try to tie the game again.”[10]

Daniel Descalso led off the 10^th inning for the Cardinals.

“I kind of had to get over [the Hamilton homer] pretty quick,” he said. “I’m thinking, I just need to get myself on base. I thought I was going to be facing Neftali Feliz, who had given up the triple to Freese the inning before. This is one of the best closers in the league, throws high-90s, 100 mph. But I get into the on-deck circle and I see Darren Oliver coming in from the bullpen. And no offense to Darren Oliver, but he was a left-handed pitcher who throws 88 or 89. I’d much rather face him than their closer. So I had a little bit of extra confidence going up there, even though I’d never faced him before. I was telling myself, ‘Have a good at-bat. Find a way to get on base.’ I knew if I could find a way to get on base and the tying run comes to bat, we at least have a shot.”[11]

Descalso did find a way to get on base, pulling a single into right field, and Jay followed with a single of his own. Kyle Lohse’s sacrifice bunt advanced Descalso and Jay to second and third, respectively.

With Theriot up next, Rangers manager Ron Washington replaced Oliver with Scott Feldman. When Theriot hit a ground ball out to third base, it scored Descalso to cut the lead to 9-8, but also resulted in the second out of the inning. The Cardinals were down to their final out as the Rangers intentionally walked Pujols to bring Berkman to the plate.

It was just like Berkman had imagined before the game.

“I knew that I’d be hitting behind Albert and I just had this funny feeling that the season is going to come down to one of my at-bats,” he said. “So I prayed. ‘Lord, If that happens, just don’t let the moment be too big. Let me be able to focus and concentrate. I’m not praying for success. I’m not praying for a hit. But Lord just let me be able to focus and really concentrate on what I’m doing and just use the ability that you’ve given me.’ And what’s crazy is that when I was in the dugout in the 10th inning, I was a nervous wreck. But I just knew: here it comes. I got in the on-deck circle, and the place is going nuts. And when you see him start to intentionally walk Albert, you just know that: okay, it’s on me now.

“And from the second I took that donut off my bat and as I was striding up to the plate, it was like, I can’t explain it, but just a calm and focus. I’ve never really had that level of focus before in my life and you can just see it. When I watched it the other night, I can see on my face this incredible calm focus. The first pitch was a fastball, kind of up and in, and I took a huge rip at it. There was no fear, there was no tentativeness. It was all focused aggression, and what’s great is the competition was pure because he didn’t make a bad pitch. If you go back and watch that at-bat, every pitch he threw was either a ball or it was like right on the corners. He was making really tough pitches.”

Feldman’s tough pitches weren’t enough, as Berkman singled into center field to score Jay and tie the game, 9-9. It was the first time in major-league history that a team’s season twice came down to the final out and it came through each time.[12]

Jake Westbrook, who had been left off the Cardinals’ NLCS roster, entered the game for the Cardinals in the 11^th and worked around a one-out Napoli single for a scoreless inning of relief. That brought Freese to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 11^th.

Mark Lowe, in the game to pitch in place of Feldman, threw three consecutive balls before he got a questionable called strike. Freese fouled the next pitch off. Then, down to his final strike, he got a 3-2 curveball.

It was arguably the biggest home run in Cardinals history.

As St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz described the scene:

Freese, the hometown hero, sent a miracle soaring above the diamond, rising above the wall in center field to land in the beautiful green grass that no glove, no Ranger, could reach. Freese circled the bases, his right arm raised in triumph, taking a victory lap, and all of St. Louis wanted to be at his side, running with him.^[13]

“It’s not that easy to win a world championship, as we found out tonight,” Washington said. “We had the right people in the right spots and they beat us. We’ll bounce back tomorrow. We’ve been in some tough spots before, and we’ve responded. I expect us to respond tomorrow.”^[14]

Young shared similar sentiments.

“We thought we had them a couple of times, but give them credit,” he said. “They had some great at-bats when they needed to, so we’ll see them in Game 7. It’s been a classic World Series the entire time, so it’s down to one game for all the marbles. It should be fun. We’re looking forward to it. We thought we had it done, you obviously have to make the final out. Down to the final strike twice. Give them credit. We’ll regroup and be ready tomorrow.”^[15]

As the Rangers put on a brave face in the wake of a heartbreaking loss, a Baseball Hall of Fame representative made their way to the Cardinals’ clubhouse to collect Freese’s bat and jersey for the museum’s collection.^[16]

“It was all about surviving,” Freese said. “It was all about getting to tomorrow, and Game 7.”^[17]

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak placed the game in the context of the Cardinals’ comeback to claim the National League wild-card berth.

“It was an epic game in a lot of ways,” he said. “It captures our season in one night. Nobody ever quit.”^[18]

Meanwhile, Burwell chronicled the fans’ reaction in the Post-Dispatch:

And by the end of the night, this was the soundtrack of the evening: All of Cardinal Nation joyfully exhaling, dancing in the aisles, hugging everyone and partying because this most improbable season of all will live on for one more incredible, historic night. And if you never believed in baseball miracles before, here’s one for the ages: The lights are still on at Busch. Game 7 tonight.[19]

Even as the Cardinals celebrated, they had their eyes set on Game 7 and the opportunity it presented.

“It’s awesome, but the main game is tomorrow,” Pujols said. “After tomorrow, someone is going to be a champion.”[20]

Enjoy this post? Find similar stories listed by decade or by player.

[1] Joe Strauss, “Comeback Special,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[2] Joe Strauss, “Comeback Special,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[3] Bryan Burwell, “What an unbelievable ride,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[4] Dan O’Neill, “Holliday’s Troubles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[5] Rick Hummel, “Escalating Drama,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[6] Dan O’Neill, “Holliday’s Troubles,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[7] Hochman, Benjamin (2021), 11 In ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. Triumph Books, 188.

[8] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards pass their greatest test,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[9] Hochman, Benjamin (2021), 11 In ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. Triumph Books, 187.

[10] Hochman, Benjamin (2021), 11 In ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. Triumph Books, 187.

[11] Hochman, Benjamin (2021), 11 In ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. Triumph Books, 188.

[12] Hochman, Benjamin (2021), 11 In ’11: A Hometown Hero, La Russa’s Last Ride in Red, and a Miracle World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals. Triumph Books, 190.

[13] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards pass their greatest test,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[14] Jeff Wilson, “Rangers can’t close it out,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 28, 2011.

[15] Tom Timmerman, “Rangers Regroup,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[16] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards pass their greatest test,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[17] Bernie Miklasz, “Cards pass their greatest test,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[18] Joe Strauss, “Comeback Special,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[19] Bryan Burwell, “What an unbelievable ride,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 28, 2011.

[20] Mark Feinsand, “Triumph is a St. Loo-Loo to force Texas to Game 7,” New York Daily News, October 28, 2011.

The post 10/27/2011: David Freese home run caps historic World Series Game 6 first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

2011 World Series: Game 1

remembirds — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 03:43:28 +0000

“The thing about Carp, he was exactly what we needed,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.[5]

While Carpenter’s diving play got him out of the inning, Wilson wasn’t able to escape the sixth for the Rangers. David Freese got things started with a one-out double, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Wilson struck out Molina for the second out, he walked No. 8 hitter Punto on four pitches.

“I’m not going to let him get a hit,” Wilson said. “I know the situation there with the pitcher’s spot coming up.”[6]

With Wilson up to 94 pitches, Rangers manager Ron Washington turned to Alexi Ogando, the 27-year-old all-star who had started 29 of his 31 regular-season appearances. La Russa, in turn, called upon Allen Craig to pinch-hit for Carpenter.

Craig smacked a 1-2 pitch from Ogando into right field, just inches in front of a sliding Cruz, to score Freese and give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.

“Man, he’s tough,” Craig said of Ogando. “He came right at me with fastballs and I missed the first two. Then that last one, I was trying to get the barrel on it, make the defense make a play.”[7]

“Craig is the best pinch-hitter we’ve got,” La Russa said, “but to come off the bench, in your first World Series, in your first at-bat, against that guy? Wow.”[8]

For his part, Washington refused to second-guess the decision to bring Ogando into the game.

“He was my best pitcher I felt in that situation,” he said. “You have to give Craig credit. He beat him. We didn’t lose tonight. They beat us.”[9]

Before the Cardinals could claim that win, however, their bullpen needed to fend off the Rangers’ dangerous offense. In the seventh, Cruz singled and Fernando Salas walked Napoli to put runners at first and second with one out. Marc Rzepczynski entered the game and struck out Craig Gentry and Esteban German to end the inning.

In the eighth, Octavio Dotel retired Kinsler and Andrus before left-hander Arthur Rhodes got Hamilton to fly out to center field. In the ninth, Jason Motte retired Young, Beltre, and Cruz in order for his fifth save of the postseason.

“They had the pitching tonight,” Young said. “That was about it. Carpenter was really sharp and their bullpen pitched well. … They made pitches when they had to.”[10]

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[1] Bernie Miklasz, “‘La Genius’ lives up to that label,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2011.

[2] Joe Strauss, “Quality Start,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2011.

[3] Drew Davison, “Postseason frustration builds for Rangers’ ace,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 20, 2011.

[4] David Thomas, “Cardinals build confidence with opening victory,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 20, 2011.

[5] Joe Strauss, “Quality Start,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2011.

[6] Drew Davison, “Postseason frustration builds for Rangers’ ace,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 20, 2011.

[7] Ben Walker, “Craig’s single in 6^th lifts Cardinals to win,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 20, 2011.

[8] Joe Strauss, “Quality Start,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2011.

[9] Joe Strauss, “Quality Start,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2011.

[10] Tom Timmermann, “Lumber Slumber,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 20, 2011.

“Give up a ground ball right there that scores two runs, that’s unfortunate,” Wilson said. “Other than that, I thought I minimized damage and pitched strategically.”[3]

The Rangers tied the score in the top of the fifth. Adriane Beltre led off the inning with a single, and after Carpenter struck out Nelson Cruz, Mike Napoli launched a two-run homer to tie the game.

Texas threatened to tie the score in the sixth. Kinsler reached on an infield pop fly and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. With two outs, Young hit a ground ball that Pujols fielded cleanly. However, with Young racing down the baseline, Pujols’ throw was offline and Carpenter was forced to dive headfirst to catch the relay before landing face-first on the base for the final out of the inning.

“I think we need to work on that one next spring,” Carpenter said. “It was just instinct. He threw the ball, it was a little out of my reach, and I dove. I was like, ‘I’m going to get it,’ and it turned out to work out.’”[4]

After six innings and four strikeouts, Carpenter had allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk.