Inside Pitch

The massive statue of Stan Musial sits on the third-base side of Busch Stadium. The big one of Albert Pujols would have gone on the first-base side someday sooner rather than later. I'm with Sully in thinking that Pujols should have appreciated what it meant to be a great icon in a great baseball town like St. Louis. We were both wrong. Pujols has 254 million reasons to show us why but I'm still disappointed.

That said, the Angels put Pujols and Texas ace C.J. Wilson on the field and now become the favorite in the AL West over the two-time defending AL champion Rangers. That will now be quite a race, better than Yankees-Red Sox but without all the ESPN fawning. 

Musial and the team's other Hall of Famers were sorry to see Pujols go, like any other Cardinal fan would be. 

In his terrific column that ran on Page A-1 of today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch (click image at right for a bigger view), longtime sports columnist Bernie Miklasz reminded everyone in Cardinal red and white that this was all business with no sentiment attached.

P-D Hall of Fame writer Rick Hummel has this interesting comparison to where Pujols now stands in relation to Musial.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

(Front page image from Newseum.com) 

I'm covering the Sabres-Flyers game tonight in a one-day respite from my annual post-World Series vacation (which also means continued withdrawal from my daily fix of St. Louis toasted ravioli). So while I'm back on the job today, I figured I'd chime in on some of the big news of recent days.

Headline: Tony La Russa retires

Reaction: They sure suckered us all. The feeling at the Series was that La Russa was coming back. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak did a group interview prior to Game Five in Texas and was asked about La Russa's potential return. Here was the answer:

"You know, as far as handicapping that, I think I'm not going to go down that path, but obviously having a manager in place and that staff in place, that would be probably something that we need to do right away, because obviously it's a very difficult task if we were to have to replace Tony. So at this point, hopeful that we can wrap that up rather quickly. And right now as far as what's going to happen, every time he and I start to sit down and talk about it, we always realize and we sort of pinch ourselves that here we are in the World Series or having success in the postseason. So we just really haven't stopped to focus on it at this time."

Lies, lies, lies. La Russa revealed during his farewell press conference and again on his fascinating interview with Bob Costas Tuesday night on MLB Network that he and the Cardinals had decided he was done during the summer. They did a fabulous game of possum with all of us. Props to them.

Headline: Yankees re-sign CC and Cashman

Reaction: Brian Cashman reeled in the big fish first and then quickly got his own deal done. There's no way the Yankees would be contending next year without CC Sabathia, who wasn't going anywhere unless his hometown A's or Giants somehow found an extra $100 million in a Dixie cup. A one-year, $25 million extension kept CC from exercising his opt-out clause. Now the Yankees need him to opt out of a few more meals starting in 2012. As for Cashman, he's now signed through 2015. He started as GM in 1998. Remember when George Steinbrenner seemingly had a GM a year? Pretty amazing.

White Sox sign Manto as hitting coach

Reaction: About time somebody gave another shot to Manto, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Famer and Bisons legend who turned a journeyman like Freddy Sanchez into a batting champion when he was with the Pirates. Manto has been the Sox minor-league coordinator for four years and probably should have had this job a year or two earlier as Greg Walker continued to accomplish nothing in Chicago (see Rios, Alex and Dunn, Adam). Batting practice during those White Sox-Blue Jays games should be hysterical with Manto and Torey Lovullo (Toronto's first base coach) yammering back and forth.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

ST. LOUIS -- Welcome to the ultimate game. Cardinals. Rangers. Game Seven. A first for MLB since 2002. The third for me (Diamonbacks-Yankees in '01, Giants-Angels in '02). It's an incredible moment to be a part of on one hand. And then on the other, you say to yourself: How can we possibly top last night? Well, we're going to try. 

I don't have a lot of pithy, memorable things to say at this point in the wake of Game Six. When you have about four different stories slowly go to their extinction before your eyes, it takes the 2:30 a.m. postgame cab ride back to the hotel to really process everything that happened. Especially in a game like that where so much went on.

How much went on? The picture at left is my scorebook from last night. Just the Cardinals half. Everyone has a style and this is how I actually keep track of things. Click on the pic for a better look. I keep 'em all for posterity. Call me a packrat but they're fun to look at during the cold winter months.

Speaking of cold, not much here. The temperature is currently 51 degrees. Skies are clear. The flags are basically limp. MLB made the perfect call not trying to play through the rain Wednesday night. By waiting a day, they got two days of flawless weather that had no impact on the games. It's probably going to be the thought process going forward.

Be sure to read my posts from today's pregame press conferences recapping the managers' thoughts on Game Six and their look-aheads to Game Seven.

Tony La Russa press conference notes here

Ron Washington press conference notes here.

Onward.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

The lineups look like this:

Texas: Kinsler, 2b; Andrus, ss; Hamilton, cf; Young, 1b; Beltre, ss; Cruz, rf; Napoli, c; Murphy, lf; Harrison, p
St. Louis: Theriot,  2b; Craig, lf; Pujols, 1b; Berkman,  rf; Freese, 3b; Molina, c; Furcal, ss; Schumaker, cf; Carpenter, p

Top 1st: The crowd is roaring and twirling their white towels as Carpenter throws the first pitch, a ball to Kinsler, at 7:05 CT. The temperature is 50.

End-1st: Apologies for the absence as I was experiencing some techno trouble. It's all fixed and I was multi-tasking anyway watching another boring inning in this series. Hope you saw the sarcasm there. It's 2-2 through one and you have to wonder how long either starter will last unless they figure things out quick.

The first four Texas batters reached base and only Kinsler getting foolishly picked off first by Molina saved a bigger inning. Hamilton and Young posted back-to-back RBI doubles to right (Hamilton's was a screamer down the line past Pujols and Young's was a blooper in front of Berman) to score the Texas runs. Harrison got the first two Cardinals but found big trouble when he walked Pujols and Berkman.

Freese, who has quickly worked into the MVP talk,  worked the count full and then pounded a two-run double up the gap in left-center (left) on a 93-mph fastball as the place went crazy. The inning ended only when Molina took Hamilton to the wall in dead center, where a half-jump hauled in the final out. Game tied 2-2. Carpenter threw 18 pitches while Harrison threw 26 (only 11 strikes). The inning took 24 minutes. Get comfortable,  folks.

End-2nd: We remain at 2-2. The Cardinals don't score and that snaps their streak of five straight innings with runs on the board. Some stat notes -- Freese sets the all-time postseason record with 21 RBIs, snapping the mark of 19 set in 2002 by Scott Spiezio of the Angels. And this is the first Game Seven in Series history that both teams scored more than once in the first inning. (Thanks to Elias/ESPN).

End-3rd: Advantage, Cardinals. Carpenter has steadied himself by allowing just one hit the last two innings and the Cardinals have taken 3-2 lead on Craig's one-out solo home run, an opposite-field drive into the Cards' bullpen in right. Cruz tried to climb the wall (right) to no avail. Hey,  where was that wall climb in the ninth inning last night? Craig's third of the series, tying Pujols for the lead. Who had Allen Craig in your most HRs in the World Series pool? Thought so. Through three: Harrison 54 pitches, 31 strikes. Carpenter 51-25.

Mid-4th: Carpenter set the Rangers down in order and that keeps Harrison in the game. Napoli struck out and Murphy grounded out. So with two out and nobody on base, Harrison hit for himself and struck out swinging. C.J. Wilson had been warming in the Texas bullpen but he sat down when neither of the first two Rangers got on base.

End-4th: Harrison keeps it a one-run game despite giving up singles to Molina and Furcal, who is 2 for 2 in the No. 7 hole after entering the game 3 for 25. But with runners at second and third and two out, Carpenter could not help himself as he popped out to Cruz in right. Harrison at 77 pitches through four, so how much longer does he go? Cards still lead, 3-2.

Mid-5th: We're halfway home and the Cardinals lead, 3-2. Feldman coming in to pitch for Texas. Remember when I wrote the other day that Ron Washington was winning the chess match? Now La Russa did fall apart in Game Five but other than that I take it back. All of it.

Why in the world are the Rangers bunting with the top of their order down a run on the road in the fifth inning? Didn't Washington come from the Moneyball A's who said don't bunt. He's even seen the movie. He's portrayed in the movie! So why is Andrus sacrificing after Kinsler led off with a single. Stupid. Inning then falls apart as Freese makes a great catch of Hamilton's foul popper into the camera well off third and Young strikes out, prompting a fist pump off the mound from Carpenter. But gee whiz, that's not the way baseball is supposed to go, Wash. 

End-5th: Good job bunting for the tie in the 5th, Washington. Now you're down three because your bullpen is shot. Two runs on no hits for the Cardinals. Feldman walked two and hit a man (grazing Pujols' jersey) to load the bases. Then Molina took a cloooooooooose 3-2 pitch for a ball to force in a run. C.J. Wilson relieved and drilled Furcal on the hip to force home another run. But Wilson kept the Rangers in range by striking out Schumaker. Cards lead, 5-2. And keep in mind the home team has won the last eight Game Sevens. I'd say the American League might go all-out to win the All-Star Game next year.

Mid-6th: It's time to start counting outs. The Cardinals are nine away and fate seems to be on their side. With one out, Cruz hits a towering fly to left that just dies at the wall as Craig jumps over the fence (left) and brings it back in. Then Napoli hits a scorcher to right -- right at Berkman for the final out. Cards still lead, 5-2. 

End-6th: The Cardinals were going to pinch-hit Punto for Carpenter but it seems like he changed their minds. Carpenter hits and is back out for the seventh after a 1-2-3 St. Louis sixth.

Mid-7th: At God Bless America, it's still 5-2 and the Cardinals are six outs away. Carpenter was taken out (right) to a raucous ovation after a leadoff double by Murphy but the bullpen pieced together three outs, one by Arthur Rhodes and two by Octavio Dotel. Carpenter went six-plus innings and gave up two runs on six hits. Struck out five and walked two. Threw 91 pitches, 53 strikes. Incredibly gutty performance. And remember, he doesn't even go more than an inning or so tonight if there was no rainout. Seems like everything went the Cardinals' way in October other than that bullpen phone gig.

End-7th: A RBI single by Molina, giving him nine RBIs for the series, makes it 6-2 at Clydesdale video time. Rangers have middle of the order up in the eighth. Probably their last chance.

Mid-8th: Lynn gets the Rangers 1-2-3. Folks in Batavia, where he once played Class A ball,  give a cheer.  Cards have three outs to go with a 6-2 lead.

IT'S OVER: A 1-2-3 ninth for Motte and the Cardinals win it 6-2. Take the series, 4-3.

Game photos: Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa's Cardinals lineup for Game 7 looks like this:

Theriot, 2b
Craig, lf
Pujols, 1b
Berkman, rf
Freese, 3b
Molina, c
Furcal, ss
Schumaker, cf
Carpenter, p

Matt Holliday's sprained finger has him off the roster because La Russa said he could only pinch-run. Adron Chambers is eligible as a backup outfielder. La Russa said Game Six winner and ex-Bison Jake Westbrook might be the first long man out of the pen to follow Chris Carpenter, throwing on three days rest. Here's some of La Russa's other thoughts:

On starting Carpenter on short rest: "If he would be available to pitch, he probably would have pitched in this game sometime. Makes sense to start him. Goes through his routine, gives us all he has. And it made less sense, I think, to come out of the bullpen."

On moving past Game Six: "The first job that we have today is putting yesterday aside to be remembered later. So since I'm one of the ones on the staff that gives that message, as soon as I got stirring this morning, refused to think about last night. You control your mind. That's what we're trying to do as a team."

On Lance Berkman saying Game Six is a footnote if the Cardinals lose tonight:  "You're going to have to go real hard to have a better sixth game than that ever. I think that's going to make its mark as far as the sixth game of the World Series. But I understand his point and I like it. We don't want to settle for an exciting Game Six win. We want to bring it out today and see if they can beat us. I think it'll stand alone as a sixth game, but that's not what we came here for."

On his emotions heading into the first World Series Game Seven of his long career: "Well, whoever is not nervous should not participate because that means you don't care. Nervous is good. Nervous means you care ...  here is like the final piece, you participate in a Game Seven, that's as good as it gets. I plan to enjoy the hell out of it."

For the pregame thoughts from Rangers manager Ron Washington, go to this post.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

ST. LOUIS -- Greetings as we are back under the shadow of the Gateway Arch at Busch Stadium on a spectacular night awaiting the start of Game Six of the World Series. The Rangers lead it, 3-2, and there are no weather problems tonight in the wake of yesterday's rainout. 

It's a little on the chilly and breezy side here, but nothing too terrible. And it was sunny and 60 degrees this afternoon. Too bad we don't play 1 p.m. Series games anymore like the old days! At least there's no sign of that white stuff back home that is a four-letter word beginning with 'S' that I refuse to type on a baseball blog.

Great moment here pregame as a clearly frail Stan Musial, who turns 91 on Nov. 21, is driven in a golf cart from right field to join four other Cardinals legends -- Red Schoendienst, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith -- near home plate while 2006 Series MVP David Eckstein throws the ceremonial first pitch after greeting Brock and Musial (above). But wouldn't you know it? Eckstein got the loudest applause. By a lot. Crazy kids in the stands here.

The lineups:

Texas: Kinsler, 2b; Andrus, ss; Hamilton, lf; Young, 1b; Beltre, 3b; Cruz, rf; Napoli, c; Gentry, cf; Lewis, p
St. Louis: Furcal, ss; Schumaker, cf; Pujols, 1b; Berkman, rf; Holliday, lf; Freese, 3b; Molina, c; Punto, 2b; Garcia, p

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

Mid-1st: We're under way at 7:06 CT as Garcia throws a called strike to Kinsler. The breeze has definitely died down some and it's still 50 degrees at gametime. And we've already had a major moment in the game as the Rangers take a 1-0 lead but Garcia does a spectacular job minimizing damage. Kinsler walked, Andrus singled him first-to-third and Hamilton singled to right on the next pitch (only Garcia's 10th) to send Andrus first to third. But Garcia bounced back to fan Young and Beltre, the latter on a wicked 3-2 changeup, and got Cruz to bounce into a force at second to end the inning. He needed 23 pitches to get through the inning but the Rangers could have taken complete control right away and didn't. Rangers lead, 1-0.

End-1st: See why Garcia's work was so important? The Cardinals immediately go to work to get the lead. Schumaker singles with one out (remember what I posted today about getting on so the Rangers would pitch to Pujols?) but Albert pops to right on the first pitch. Slapped his hands at first base. Just missed it. Berkman didn't miss.

On the next pitch (right), an 89-mph fastball right down the St. Louis main drag of Market Street, Berkman uncoils a no-doubter the opposite way into the seats in left-center to put the Cardinals up, 2-1. The place explodes, just as I was going to write the noise level wasn't even close to Texas. Wrong. First runs Lewis has given up in the first inning in any of his eight career postseason starts. Cardinals lead, 2-1.

Mid-2nd: Garcia is doing his best Houdini here so far. Gave up the tying run but nearly pulled another great escape thanks to the Cardinals' best defensive play of the series. Napoli led off with a full-count walk and Gentry singled him to second. That brought up Lewis and Freese and Pujols were breathing down his neck as he sacrificed. A charging Freese fielded it, double-pumped and fired to Furcal covering third. With the wheel play on, Furcal fired across the diamond to Punto covering first for the easy double play. Like we say 5-6-4s every day.

Garcia was a strike away from escaping the inning but Kinsler worked the count full and then shot a ground-rule double over the wall in left to score Gentry and tie the game. Mitchell Boggs starts warming up in the bullpen so I guess the phone works here (couldn't resist). Andrus lines out to Holliday in right, who jumps to snare it. Garcia not long for this game with 49 pitches (29 strikes) in two innings. Game tied, 2-2.

End-3rd: We're still tied at 2-2 but the big news is that Fernando Salas is coming into the game for the Cardinals to start the fourth. Tony La Russa can't wait for Garcia to find it tonight, even though the third inning was his best (strikeouts of Hamilton, single by Young and Beltre 4-6-3 double play). Garcia threw 59 pitches, 35 strikes. Pujols ended the third with a long fly ball to left that dies when it looked like it had a chance. Outside of Game Three, Pujols is 0 for 14 in the series. Bizarre.

Mid-4th: Holliday gives the Rangers a Christmas gift and Texas takes advantage for a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals left fielder flubbed Cruz's routine leadoff fly ball -- looked like he yelled "you take it" to Furcal on the replay -- and Cruz got to second as Holliday let the ball tick off his glove and collided with Furcal (right). Napoli followed with an RBI single just inside the right-field line for his 10th RBI of the series. One out later, Lewis tried to sacrifice by Salas threw high to second base into CF. Napoli was in safe, but didn't slide and turned his left ankle in ugly fashion stumbling into the bag. Salas recovered, however, to get the final two outs. Let's see if the Cardinals try to bunt now on Napoli to see if he can move on that ankle. Rangers lead, 3-2.

End-4th: The Cardinals start runners, stay out of a double play and get the tying run. Berkman reached on a throwing error by Young, who corraled his grounder but threw just wide of the bag and Lewis missed covering (I'd score it E1). Holliday walked but then came through with a gargantuan takeout slide at second on a Freese grounder, nearly flipping Andrus to break up the DP. With men at the corners and a 3-2 pitch to Molina, La Russa starts Freese and Molina grounds sharply to Beltre at third. He had no play at second as Berkman scored. Punto struck out to end the inning and keep Salas in (Jay was going to pinch-hit with Lynn warming). Game tied, 3-3.

Mid-5th: We're halfway home as the Rangers take a 4-3 lead on another grievous Cardinals error. It was committed by Freese, who one-handed Hamilton's leadoff pop-up in and out of his glove (left) like you'd see on the Mel Ott diamonds in Amherst. Young followed with an RBI double to left-center. Salas intentionally walked Napoli and semi-intentionally walked pinch-hitter David Murphy to load the bases for Lewis, who struck out on three pitches. Texas should be winning this one in a walk: The Rangers have had 14 baserunners but have left eight, hit into two double plays and are just 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Yikes.

End-5th: Lewis with a 1-2-3 inning keeps his 4-3 lead. Also means Pujols leads off the sixth with nobody on. Attendance is a ballpark record 47,325. Lynn on to pitch the sixth for the Cardinals. Assume he'll throw more than four intentional balls. Just realized Lewis hasn't given up a hit since the Berkman homer in the first. Cards have an odd linescore right now of 3-2-3.

Mid-6th: Still 4-3 through 5 1/2. Got a couple inquiries on Twitter about the Lewis at-bat and whether they should have pinch hit. Torrealba was on deck but Rangers were playing possum. I don't think Washington was taking Lewis out. But a definite dilemma for an AL manager. He had Holland warming but I think Holland is reserve for Harrison if we have Game Seven.

End-6th: Where's the full moon? The Cardinals tie it at 4-4 on a bases-loaded walk to Molina from Ogando, who relieved Lewis. But with the bases loaded, Holliday is picked off third by Napoli thanks to a great block of the bag by Beltre. Walks to Molina and Punto re-load the bases and brings in Game Four hero Holland in relief. He gets Jay to bounce back to the mound. Jay is 0 for 16 in the series. Game tied, 4-4.

Mid-7th: And just as the Cardinals get back to even, the Rangers take control and can start counting the outs to their first title. Texas leads it, 7-4, as Beltre and Cruz burned Lance Lynn with back-to-back homers to open the inning and Kinsler got a two-out RBI single to score Holland, of all people, who had reached on a force trying to bunt and took second on a wild pitch. Another terrible Cardinals play in this one. The Cruz home run (right) was a monster, a 419-foot shot to the third deck. It was his eighth of the postseason, tying Barry Bonds' 2002 record. Puts a bit of a damper on God Bless America for Cardinals fans.

End-7th: Holland sets down the Cards in order. Pujols with a 6-3 to end it. He's 0 for 16 outside of Game Three. Utterly bizarre. Six outs to go for Rangers and not many people here clapping along to the Clydesdales ditty.

Bot-8th: Craig takes Holland deep to left to make it 7-5. The Cardinals load the bases on singles by Molina, Descalso and Jay -- who was 0 for 16. But on the first pitch, Furcal hits a little stub that reliever Mike Adams fields and flips to first. Disaster for the Cards. Furcal is 0 for 5 tonight and 3 for 25 in the series. Rangers lead, 7-5. And the Cardinals are out of position players!

Mid-9th: Still 7-5. Feliz coming in. Three outs to go for the Rangers.

END-9TH: Incredible.  We're going extras. 7-7. Two-out,  two-strike, two-run triple by Freese ties it up. How does Cruz not crash the wall going for that? Molina flies out to right for the third out, leaving the winning run at third. GAME TIED 7-7.

MID-10TH: Double incredible. Two-run homer for Hamilton. Texas up 9-7.

END-10TH: Triple incredible. Theriot RBI grounder and Berkman two-out, two-strike RBI single. GAME TIED, 9-9. 

ON TO GAME SEVEN: Freese leads off the bottom of the 11th with a solo shot to center (left). Cards win 10-9. See you tomorrow night and eat your heart out, Carlton Fisk and '86 Mets. This was a classic.

Photos: Associated Press

ST. LOUIS  -- A lot has been made about the Cardinals' 8-for-43 showing with runners in scoring position thus far in the World Series but a bigger issue might be the 4-for-37 output of the top two players in their lineup. Rafael Furcal, just 3 for 20, stays in the leadoff slot tonight but Skip Schmaker moves into the No. 2 hole, where John Jay and Allen Craig have gone 1 for 18.

Furcal and Schumaker have to get on base to force the Texas Rangers to pitch to Albert Pujols. Absent anyone on, Pujols will see very little good to hit and may simply be walked intentionally ad nauseum.

"We have to occupy first base," Schumaker said this afternoon in the pregame interview room. "That's the No. 1 goal for me and Raffy because of how they do pitch Albert. Obviously last game shows they're not going to pitch to him at all, even with guys not on base. It's probably pretty smart. We're talking about the best hitter in the game. 

"If I'm hitting second, which I am tonight, usually they're not trying to walk you, I know that. Because they don't want that base to be occupied, and that means they have to pitch to him. It's a different spot in the lineup. It's usually a place where Tony [La Russa] puts guys to get hot during the season because they see more pitches to hit. "

Schumaker said the Cards aren't fazed by being in a win-or-go-home scenario. They've basically been in one since the end of August.

"We had to face Doc [Roy Halladay] and Roy [Oswalt] to win the Philly series when we were down and that was as tough as anything for us," Schumaker said. "We pulled through with that. We've been backed into a corner for the last two months and I don't think this changes that at all and luckily for us, we have been backed into that corner, so we know what it feels like.

"This is the type of team that's pretty resilient. I've never been on a team like this before, and I'm just real happy to be a part of something like this and hopefully it can continue."

"I think that's one plus we have going for us," added La Russa. "We've played this game - literally we've played it a couple, three times, and there have been a bunch of other times we knew we couldn't lose another game that soon."

La Russa said still no decision on a Game Seven starter, although he admitted Chris Carpenter is in the mix. 

More to come following the Rangers' pregame sessions with manager Ron Washington and GM Jon Daniels.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa was a giant front-page topic in Wednesday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch (right, click for bigger view) but we were all forced to wait another day to see if his Game Five meltdown will prove to be a turning point in the World Series for the Texas Rangers. 

Longtime Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz had some interesting insight Wednesday on La Russa at 67 and wonders if health issues (La Russa has been dealing with shingles and medication issues all season) and Father Time are slowing one of the game's great minds, like happened with legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry.

As for the postponement of Game Six, it adds to the pitching intrigue if we can get to Game Seven. Hear my thoughts on all the latest at the Series in my rainy day podcast by clicking below.

Download audio

--Mike Harrington
(twitter.com/bnharrington)

ST. LOUIS -- It's still hard to fathom what happened at the end of Game Five and how Tony La Russa spent Tuesday afternoon trying to explain it away. Was this is all a staged show so La Russa could protect pitching coach and dear friend Dave Duncan? Did La Russa really make the calls to the bullpen like he said he did? Was bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist to blame for hanging up before La Russa -- or Duncan? -- were done giving instructions?

This is Game Five of the World Series, for God's sake. In the eighth inning of a tie game. This isn't March 15 in Jupiter, Fla. But in one of the more cataclysmic braincramps of recent times, the Cardinals somehow butchered the use of their bullpen, be it via a wonky phone, Lilliquist's inability to hear in the noise or whatever.

Be sure to read my column in Wednesday's paper comparing La Russa's fiasco to the job Ron Washington has done so far. A few secondary thoughts:

---Albert Pujols: La Russa was asked how long Pujols has had the right to call a hit-and-run on his own and his answer was "It's been three or four years. It could have been his rookie year, maybe not his rookie year, second year." Seriously. That was La Russa's answer. Pujols was a rookie in 2001. So did he get this privilege in 2001 or 2002? Or 2007-08? 

More La Russa on Pujols: "So as long as baseball has been played, when you have a player that really understands the game, that player gets a lot of leeway and ability to be involved, based on how he's reading what's going on. It happens to pitchers that are really smart, Tom Seaver. It happens to catchers that when the benches are defending the running games. And you have a catcher like Yadi [Yadier Molina], he can call a pitchout because they're really smart and they sense it."

Memo to La Russa: A catcher calling a pitchout is hardly the same as a batting calling a hit and run and getting his team run out of an inning in a tie game.

Derek Lilliquist: Why didn't the Cardinals bullpen coach ask La Russa if he really wanted Lance Lynn up when he was supposed to be on emergency-use only? Because coaches clearly don't have that right to question La Russa. Said the skipper: " I would be disappointed if Derek would have been saying, 'You know, Tony, I mean, do you know what you're doing?' "

Offense: La  Russa has got to do something here. The Rangers are going to walk Pujols and let no one else beat them. Lance Berkman (7-18) is the only Cardinal doing anything, so he's going to protect Pujols in the No. 4 slot.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

Photo: Associated Press 

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mike Harrington provides postgame thoughts from Game Five of the World Series, including the bullpen phone fiasco that capped a night of mistakes for the Cardinals, the hot hitting of Rangers catcher Mike Napoli and the possible pitching scenarios for Games Six and Seven.

Download the audio

Click below for Mike Harrington's final thoughts on Game Four of the World Series, a 4-0 win for the Texas Rangers that evened the series at two wins apiece.

Mike Harrington on Game Four

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Greetings from Rangers Ballpark, where we're getting set for Game Three of the World Series between the Cardinals and Texas Rangers on an incredible, 80-degree night. I hear what's going on back there, I know. So I'll think of you right now if you think of me when I'm in Winnipeg in January. Deal? Good. Now let's move on.

We've got a crazy-looking red sunset and some heavy clouds moving in (right) There is up to a 40 percent chance of rain so we'll see how this goes.

The teams are tied at a win apiece and, frankly, I'm sick about all the talk of who's talking, who's not talking. Albert Pujols doesn't know why people are mad he didn't talk after Game Two (seriously?), Josh Hamilton isn't talking about his injury -- which may, in fact, be a sports hernia and not a groin problem. Nobody really cares what any of the starting pitchers say because no one figures Matt Harrison and Kyle Lohse will be around very long tonight.

Play ball already. And somebody score. The teams combined for just eight runs in frigid St. Louis, the lowest combined total in the first two games since 1950. Something tells me they'll heat up tonight.

The lineups look like this:

St. Louis:  Furcal, ss; Craig, rf; Pujols, 1b; Holliday, lf; Berkman, dh; Freese, 3b; Molina, c; Jay, cf; Theriot, 2b.
Texas: Kinsler, 2b; Andrus, ss; Hamilton, cf; Young, dh; Beltre, 3b; Cruz, rf; Napoli, c; Murphy, lf; Torrealba, c

The wireless was basically a disaster in this ballpark last year but it's been terrific so far (knock on my work table). There are signs everywhere instructing people not to use their own networks or things like Verizon MiFi, which was a big problem during the 2010 NCAA Tournament in Buffalo and last year's Sabres-Flyers playoff series in Philadelphia (memo to Flyers beat writers -- very rude)

So assuming the techno end holds up, keep it here for thoughts and updates on Game Three.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

End-1st: Who was the dope who mentioned the words Verizon MiFi? That was me. As soon as I said it, one popped up and the wireless popped down. We seem to be back up and I can tell you that nothing has interrupted Allen Craig in this series. Who is this guy? If the series ended right now, he'd be the most unlikely MVP ever. He gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning by roping the second pitch he saw from Harrison deep to left for a solo home run. That's 3 for 3 with three RBIs in three games. Harrison also gave up a single to Holliday. Lohse, meanwhile, pitched a 1-2-3 first. Cards lead, 1-0.

End-3rd: The Cardinals hold their 1-0 led as they have two hits and the Rangers have just one. Through 21 innings of this series, we have only played four outs where either team led by more than a run. That came in Game One, after Berkman's two-run single in the fourth gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. St. Louis made the next three outs and Texas made one out in the top of the fifth before Napoli's two-run laser to right tied the game. The Rangers are hitting just .174 in the series thus far (12-69), while the Cardinals are at exactly .200 (14-70). Nobody could have predicted this after the way the teams pounded the ball in the LCS.

Mid-4th: I have been saying all season MLB should institute a replay challenge system, perhaps one a game for each club. It would take less time that seeing a manager trot out to a base to argue. Case in point: The top of the fourth tonight, where a moment of blindness from first-base umpire Ron Kulpa has cost the Rangers four runs and put the Cardinals in command, 5-0. With no outs and a man at first, Holliday hit a routine 6-4-3 double play ball. But Kinsler's throw to first was high (no excuse for that). Still, Napoli brought it down and clearly tagged Holliday high on the way by, before the runner hit the base and tumbled to the ground. Napoli couldn't believe the call (left) and neither could Ron Washington.

Everyone in the park saw it except Kulpa.  From there, the Rangers crumbled. A single by Berkman, an RBI double by Freese, an intentional walk to Molina, a crippling two-run error as Napoli threw wide of the plate to Torrealba's right, and an RBI single from Theriot. Inexcuseable. Washington challenges, Holliday is out and there's two out and nobody on.

Another aside: Kulpa is a St. Louis native. Bad appearance for MLB -- even if Kulpa correctly called Kinsler safe at second on a steal in the 9th inning Thursday. Cards lead, 5-0.

Bot-4th: Good for the Rangers to answer right back. Home run for Young, single for Beltre and a screaming line drive the other way to right over the wall by Cruz, his seventh of the postseason (one shy of Carlos Beltran's record of 8 in 2004). Napoli singles and Lohse is gone, replaced by Fernando Salas. Suddenly, Cards lead 5-3. In less than four innings, we have eight runs -- or, the total we had in 18 innings in St. Louis. The inning ends with the score 5-3 as Murphy grounds out, Torrealba singles to right (Napoli held at third) and Kinsler lofted a fly ball to left just inside the foul line, with Napoli gunned down at home on a great one-hop throw by Holliday. There were nine runs scored in the first 21 innings of the series and seven in the fourth inning tonight.

Mid-5th: Feldman is on for the Rangers and gives the three runs right back. A single by Pujols (his second in two innings after opening the series 0 for 7), two walks, an RBI groundout by Freese and a two-run double into the left-field corner by Molina. Kind of puts a damper on one of my favorite moments here, the "Deep in the Heart of Texas" sing-a-long. Here's a YouTube of what that sounds like, taken during last year's Series. Cards lead, 8-3.

End-5th: So lemme get this straight. In the first 21 innings of this series (counting the first three tonight), there were nine combined runs. Well, we've just put up 13 between the teams in the fourth and fifth tonight. The Rangers answered the Cards' three in the top of this inning with three more of their own so the Cards lead it, 8-6, through five. There were four straight singles in the inning, the first three off Salas including an RBI drive to left by Young, and the fourth one (by Beltre) drove in Hamilton, who had snapped an 0-for-18 drought in Series play the last two years with a single of his own. Napolis' sac fly made it 8-6 and Lynn walked the next two men to load the bases. But Kinsler popped to Furcal at short and the Cardinals escaped.

I'm listening to the Cards' radio broadcast on MLB.com because of the legendary Mike Shannon, whose steakhouse near Busch Stadium may be feeding me Tuesday night if I return to St. Louis. Said Shannon during Kinsler's at-bat: "This feels like a trip to the taxidermist and we're getting stuffed." The guy is a classic.

End-6th: Exactly three hours after the first pitch, we've played six innings and the Cardinals lead, 12-6. St. Louis got four runs in the top of the sixth off Alexi Ogando and there was some bitter irony for him in the inning as the only man he retired was Craig, who burned him twice in St. Louis. The key blow in the inning was a three-run homer to left by Pujols, a 423-foot moonshot that careened off the facing of the club level here, where only two visitors have reached in the ballpark's 18 seasons (one was Mark McGwire, then with Oakland). Cynics in the media horde, myself included, clearly believe Pujols will stick around to talk after this one. Boo. 

Mid-7th: That's it for the suspense tonight as Pujols goes deep again, crushing the first pitch he sees from Mike Gonzalez 406 feet to dead center. The two-run shot makes it 14-6 and gives him five RBIs as part of his 4-for-5 night. Guess he'll be in the interview room tonight.

End-8th: It's 15-7 as the Cardinals are three outs away from taking the lead in the series and I'm pouding the print story.

Mid-9th: Pujols does it again. A solo homer to deep left (left) to make it 16-7. It goes 397 feet. The fourth three-homer game in Series history (Babe Ruth in 1926 and 1928 against the Cardinals and Reggie Jackson in 1977). The first by an NL player. Just the second in the postseason by an NL player (Bob Robertson of the Pirates in the 1971 NLCS against the Giants. He ties the Series record with five hits and six RBIs too. Wow.

FINAL SCORE: Cardinals win 16-7 in a game that will live in on in Series annals thanks to Pujols.

Game photos: Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A long day of workouts and interviews at Rangers Ballpark, and there was basically no news of any note from either side.

Josh Hamilton stayed home to nurse his sore groin for Texas and Rangers veteran Michael Young and Cardinals vet Lance Berkman were named the DHs for Game Three. If I had some news, I'd share it. Not much going on except for the relatively bizarre on-field sniping session between Albert Pujols and dozens of reporters. That was a bit of a spectacle to say the least.

The Rangers hosted a gala Friday evening at the Fort Worth Zoo but, frankly, after a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call and a long day of travel and writing, I'm not up to the 30-mile plus drive in the dark on the crazy Texas freeways. No armadillo races to share this year. Sorry about that.

Click below for a podcast of some of my thoughts heading into Game Three:

Workout Day

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

ST. LOUIS -- Greetings from Busch Stadium, where we had a bright, sunny day and will be enjoying a clear, crisp night for Game Two of the World Series. The wind doesn't seem to be nearly as harsh as it was last night, when it was swirling around the park. Seems to be blowing more out to center, which means the park is blocking some of it from the fans and us media types on the outdoors.

(I'm in the Stan Musial room in Section 313 down the right-field line. A terrific view, and we have a dedicated Diet Coke line in the suite behind me so that's clutch!).

I've been tied up on early print duties so be sure to read my report in Wednesday's paper on Josh Hamilton's nagging groin and the unusual season of Cardinals reliever Arthur Rhodes, who started the year with Texas and is just the third player in history to play for both Series teams in the same year (Bengie Molina, 2010; and Lonnie Smith, 1985).

Funny pregame scene: Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig, whose pinch single drove in the winning run in Game One, was brought into the media interview room prior to Thursday's game. Reporters were told Craig was not fielding any questions about his pet tortoise, which actually has its own Twitter account (@TortyCraig).

Tweeted the tortoise on Thursday: "The media's focus should be on Master Allen's high level of play & not on me. During the regular season he hit .315 with a .917 OPS!"

Then he followed with this recap of a "conversation: "Merry World Series, Master Allen." "Did you like your gift?" "The hit?" I asked. "Yep," he said. I'm a bit misty eyed."

Odd. Anyway, we're getting set to go and I'll give you some updates and thoughts as this one gets going.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

Top-1st: We're under way at 7:06 CT as Jaime Garcia throws a strike to Ian Kinsler. It's warmer than last night's 48 degrees but I didn't hear the announcement of the temp (muffled PA..sorry)...Update: In fact, it's a balmy 50. The Rangers went down 1-2-3. Hamilton ended it with a broken-bat grounder to third. The bat shattered everywhere and Hamilton barely ran to first. He checked a swing a pitch earlier -- something he said before the game he was no longer going to do -- and the FOX camera clearly caught him exhaling and in pain after  it.

Almost forgot to relate the best pregame scene: The famous Budweiser Clydesdales paraded around the warning track and the crowd roared as flashbulbs popped and the organist rocked the famous Bud ditty. Great fun.

End-1st: Both teams go 1-2-3 in the first. There is a Hardee's hamburger stand here on the upper level behind third base with a beautiful red Cardinals marquee on either side of the Hardees sign. Smells great. How do I know? Some burgers must be well done because there is a ton of smoke coming out of that side and wafting across the field.

End-2nd: Two hitless innings so far. Closest call was when Texas' Cruz missed a home run by inches with a low line drive that screamed barely outside the left-field foul pole.

We're so peppered with Yankees and Red Sox on the East Coast that it's easy forget what a great baseball town this is. I loved their statue garden by the team shop I blogged about yesterday (you didn't see it? Go back and check it out!). And I love how they can trot out legends.

Bob Gibson and Bruce Sutter threw out first pitches last night and tonight's turn went to 88-year-old Red Schoendienst, left, and Lou Brock, who is now 72. (72?? I grew up watching him in the 70s. Not possible). And they just announced that Stan Musial is here and put his picture on the jumbotron. The 91-year-old gave a big wave. They should have left his picture on the board longer so the ovation would have been stronger. Adam Wainwright got a bigger roar last night when he threw a first pitch. Kind of like when Bernie Williams and Tino Martinez can bring the house down at Yankee Stadium and guys from the 60s and 70s, other than maybe Reggie Jackson, get barely a ripple. People simply think of them all as "old fossils", one of the great Jeff Manto-isms I learned in the late 90s Bisons clubhouses.

End-3rd: Locked in a scoreless duel. Furcal got the game's first hit for the Cardinals, a two-out double down the RF line,  but was stranded there. Garcia (right) has thrown only 35 pitches (21 strikes). Lewis is at 45-29. Great job by both thus far. Garcia, the first Mexican to start a Series game in 30 years, is doing Fernando Valenzuala proud.

Mid-4th: Garcia is no longer perfect and he had to work hard -- throwing 21 pitches -- to escape without a run. He walked Kinsler on 3-2 pitch to end the perfect game and lost his no-hitter on Young's two-out single that Jay short-hopped in center as Kinsler went first-to-third. Beltre then fanned on a full-count pitch with the crowd roaring and waving their white towels. During their at-bat, Beltre scorched a one-hopper foul down the third-base line and it rocketed off the back of Kinsler's right shoulder. Undaunted, Kinsler got up and gave the brush-off motion to his teammate like it was no biggie. Sorry. That's gotta hurt.

Halfway home: Still zip-zip through 4 1/2. The Rangers have one hit and they're 7-46 thus far in the series, or a robust .152. They hit .190 last year and said they would definitely do better. Uh-huh.

End-5th: Elvis Andrus flashing a GOLD GLOVE two innings in a row. He ended the fourth by starting a spectacular 6-4-3 double play, with Kinsler taking his flip and firing bare-handed to first. This was even better as Furcal lashed what looked like an RBI single up the middle with men on first and second and two out. Andrus gloved it behind second and flipped with the glove to Kinsler, who took the ball in stride and ran to the bag to beat Garcia after the pitcher had kept the inning going with a walk. Sensational play.

End-6th: Still scoreless and, for once, some starters are going to the seventh inning in this postseason. Huge outings from both guys as each is spinning a two-hit shutout. Garcia has struck out six, walked one and is at 75 pitches (47 strikes). Lewis has fanned three walked two and is at 86-46. So he's looking at one more inning most likely.

This just in from MLB: This is just the second time in Series history (joining Reds-Yankees, 1961) that Games 1 and 2 have been scoreless through three innings. And at God Bless America, we're still scoreless and the Rangers are batting .170 for the series.

Bot-7th: Suddenly, both pitchers are out. With two out and Freese on first, Punto lined a one-hopper that Young butchered at first on the backhand. Freese went first to third on the ball, somehow scored a hit and not an error. With Garcia's spot up, the Cardinals are pinch-hitting Game One hero Craig. And Ron Washington comes out to lift Lewis for Alexi Ogando. Same matchup as last night. And Craig does it again with an RBI single to right to put the Cardinals up 1-0 and the place is absolutely shaking. Just like last night, a decent pitch, down and away. A fastball at 96 mph and Craig beats Ogando.

End-7th: So it's 1-0 for St. Louis. Final lines are:
Lewis 6 2/3 IP, 4-1-1-2-4/96-65;
Garcia 7-3-0-0-1-7/87-56

End-8th: Another 1-2-3 inning for the Cards bullpen. Three outs away from a 2-0 lead.

RANGERS WIN 2-1. Sorry, folks. When the game changes, you're hitting the delete key on large chunks of your print story and you won't hear from me here. Motte blows the save, sac flies in the ninth by Hamilton off Rhodes and Young off Lynn gives Texas a clutch victory. The series is tied. First time a team reversed a deficit in its final at-bat since Arizona came back on the Yankees in Game Seven in 2001.

Photos: Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals sure know how to preserve their legacy for future generations. All around Busch Stadium are statues of their greats, as well as a fabulous display on late broadcaster Jack Buck (right).

I made reference to all this in my story today about Albert Pujols, who will certainly join them one day and might get a likeness bigger than everybody except Stan Musial (above) if he stays and doesn't leave in free agency.

Check out the displays (remember to click on the pix). Awesome.

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

ST. LOUIS -- Click below to hear my thoughts on Media Day and the opening of the 2011 World Series and then make your pick in our poll below. I got the Rangers in six but five wouldn't surprise me either.

Mike Harrington on Media Day

ST. LOUIS -- Media Day at the World Series is great. You have tremendous access and don't have a lot of people who don't belong there getting in the way. One negative: You have a lot of notes and tape recordings to transcribe.

Still have a lot of print edition work I'm in the midst of and we're an hour behind here, of course. So here's some quick updates on what the teams said:

---Rangers manager Ron Washington goes with C.J. Wilson in Game One and Colby Lewis in Game Two. Tony LaRussa counters with Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia, the first Mexican starter in a series since Fernando Valenzuela. Neither team has announced starters for the games in Texas. There were a lot of questions about Carpenter having a sore elbow. Said Carpenter: "Everybody has got soreness and everybody has got aches. {LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan) would not throw me out there if it wasn't good and neither would the trainers or doctors. ... I'm fine to go Wednesday. I wouldn't go out there if I wasn't."

---Look for the Rangers to move Nelson Cruz up out of the No. 7 hole in the lineup, at least for the games here where pitchers will hit. Six homers and 13 RBIs in the ALCS probably warrant a boost up the card, don't you think?

---The teams haven't met in interleague play since 2004, quite a scheduling quirk. So there's plenty of video work and poring over advance scouting reports.

---Albert Pujols again pushed away questions about his impending free agent status as he has all season. I was in a small group that had a great chat with hitting coach and former home run king Mark McGwire about Pujols. Cheap Plug Alert: Be sure to read McGwire's comments in my story about Pujols in Wednesday's paper.

---The Rangers feel their offense will be ready this time. Remember, they hit just .190 last year against the Giants and Josh Hamilton (above) was 2 for 20.  The whole experience of going to the Series last year for the first time really helped them. They were a confident group today.

"When you play for an organization that's never been that far, never got into that kind of territory, you think you're making history and it all becomes bigger than it should be," second baseman Ian Kinsler told me when I asked about the club's swagger. "To be able to experience that is huge for us coming into this year. We didn't panic or got out of our element but there was a little lack of focus."

---Lots of questions to the Rangers about president Nolan Ryan, who predicted his team would win its first title in six games during an interview earlier in the day on a Dallas radio station. Ryan's predictions the last two years have all been pretty good, other than last year's World Series.

"If he says it, trust him," said Cruz. "He's good at that."

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

Photo: Hamilton gives an answer to, lo and behold, the Buffalo News! The shot is from the MLB PR department's Twitter account. Also there is MLB Network reporter Matt Yallof, who formerly worked at Ch. 7.

ST. LOUIS -- Greetings from the Gateway to the West as we're under the shadows of the famed Arch at Busch Stadium for Media Day of the 107th World Series. The Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals will both hold Super Bowl-style sessions today with reporters -- minus the usual freeks and geeks and alleged "media" that show up at the NFL's event a few days before the game. The managers and Game One starters (C.J. Wilson and Chris Carpenter) will hold separate sessions in an adjacent interview room.

The National League won the All-Star Game so that's why we're here but let's just assume that no one figured we would be in this town. Not with the Cardinals 10 1/2 games out of the wild-card on August 24. Not when they faced the Phillies in the division series. And not when they faced the Brewers in the NLCS. But lo and behold, here we are in The House that Albert Built. One of the best managerial jobs of Tony LaRussa's career.

And Albert Pujols figures to be a major center of attention today. He's spent most of the season not talking about his impending free agency but good luck to him on that front today. There are statues of famous Cardinals all around the park and Pujols would get one for sure someday -- if he stayed and finished his career. He's almost the kind of free agent that it seems the team can't possibly let go but we'll  see how that goes.

It's chilly and dank here today. But the weather is supposed to be fine for Game Two on Thursday night and likely fine (only a 20 percent chance of rain for Game One tomorrow). Well, fine provided you like the cold. We're talking lows dipping into the 30s. Brrrr. Look for plenty of FOX shots of fans bundled up in red hats and scarves.

Keep it here all day for updates. Here's today's schedule, with the times listed as Eastern:

2:45-3:30 -- Rangers team availability
3:15 -- C.J. Wilson news conference
3:30 -- Ron Washington news conference
3:30-5:00 -- Rangers workout
4:00-4:45 -- Cardinals team availability
4:45-5:15 -- Tony LaRussa and Chris Carpenter news conferences
5:00-7:00 -- Cardinals workout 

---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington) 

(Photo reminder: Any pictures I post on the blog during the series will be clickable for a bigger view.)