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Allen Craig caught the final out, and also hit the only home run of the game, his third of the post season. MVP? David Freese. Not important. The St. Louis Cardinals, flying high after their improbable comeback in game six, overwhelmed the Texas Rangers to take Game 7 and win their 11th World Series.
It was painful to watch Scott Feldman pitch, knowing what’s to come. The way he looked when he walked off the field, like the burden of ruining the World Series for the Texas Rangers. Walking everyone. Hitting Albert Pujols (actually just his shirt). Putting another run on the Cardinals board, through a walk of course. And then came on CJ Wilson, hitting Rafael Furcal with his first pitch. Another run, 5-2.
No hits, and two runs already in the fifth. A Bullpen falling apart. But Wilson, while the TV was screaming – He can’t get a strike. Why is he in the game?!!!! finally retired the third batter and making it out of the fifth.
When Allen Craig took a home run from Nelson Cruz, Chris Carpenter’s face said it all. It was pointing towards a Cardinals World Series title, their 11th.
But those are the little stories. Jason Motte’s pitching. Chris Carpenter being the only reliable starter in this series, in these playoffs. Albert Pujols not getting a hit, but coming home for two runs – one walk, once hit by a pitch. The Texas Rangers dropping another lead, not getting anything going after the first inning.
The shock, the disappointment from Game 6, in which they dropped a lead five times, was just too much. An exhausted bullpen and pitching staff, and lineup that didn’t look like it had any faith in getting what they need off of Carpenter, Rhodes, Dotel, Lynn and Motte.
And it was pretty much done by walks, by a fifth inning meltdown which was contained way too late. David Freese set an RBI Postseason records with two more after his double, making it 21. The only numbers that really mattered in the end were those – The St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th World Series, 4-3 over the Texas Rangers, with a 6-2 win to cap it off.