by Nick Boyd
The 2011 World Series was played by the National League champion Saint Louis Cardinals, and the American League champion Texas Rangers. The Series began on October 19, earlier than the previous season so that no games would be played in November. The Cardinals enjoyed home-field advantage for the series because the National League won the 2011 All-Star Game 5–1 on July 12. The 2011 World Series was the first seven-game World Series since 2002.
Game one was played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals took an early lead, scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. However, at the top of the fifth inning, Ranger Mike Napoli hit a 2 run homer, which tied up the game. At the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals got another run, giving them a 3-2 lead. For the rest of the game, no runs were scored, leaving the game ended at the top of the ninth.
Game two was a battle between pitchers Jaime Garcia, and Colby Lewis. Both pitchers kept the game scoreless through the sixth inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Cardinals were able to get one runner in, giving off a sacrifice fly. The Cardinals kept the lead until the top of the ninth inning, where the Rangers were able to secure 2 runs. The Rangers shut the Cardinals out in the bottom of the ninth, and scored themselves a win, tying the series 1-1
Game three was at Ranger’s Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In the first inning, Cardinal Allen Craig hit a home run, giving the Cardinals an early lead. In the fourth inning, the Cardinals were able to score 4 more runs, due to an error by Napoli. However, in the bottom of the fourth, Rangers Michael Young and Nelson Cruz both hit home runs, Young hitting his with a runner on base, putting the score 5-3 in favor of the Cardinals. Yadier Molina hit a double in the fifth inning, letting 3 more runners in, putting it 8-3. In the bottom of the fifth, the Rangers answered the call, scoring three runs themselves. Albert Pujols of the Cardinals came up in the sixth inning, hitting a homerun, and then later hit 2 more home runs, giving the Cardinal 6 runs just by himself. The game ended 16-7, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. This game was the first time there have been 16 runs scored in a series, since 2002 when the San Francisco Giants scored 16 runs again the Anaheim Angels.
Compared to the high scoring night before, game four was rather dull. Early in the first inning, Ranger Josh Hamilton scored, giving the rangers and early lead. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Napoli hit a 3 run homer, giving the Rangers a 4-0 lead, and the Rangers secured it for the rest of the game, leaving the series 2-2.
Game five was another battle between pitchers. In the second inning, the Cardinals were able to score two runs, partially by intentional walks of batters such as Albert Pujols, and doubles, giving the Cardinals a small lead. In the third inning, the Rangers were able to get one RBI, and later in the sixth, Adrián Beltré hit a solo home run, tying the game 2-2. In the eighth inning, the Rangers were able to secure two more RBIs, then winning the game 4-2, and leading the series 3-2 for the first time.
Game six was back at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Despite committing three errors (to the Rangers’ two), the Cardinals came back twice from two-run deficits in the ninth and tenth innings, both times down to their last strike. David Freese tied the game at 7–7 with a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI triple in the bottom of the ninth against Rangers closer Neftalí Feliz. However, in the top of the 10th, the Rangers regained the lead after Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer. In the bottom half of the inning, Ryan Theriot’s RBI groundout followed by Lance Berkman’s RBI single brought in Jon Jay with the tying run. After holding the Rangers scoreless in the top of the 11th, the Cardinals won the game with David Freese’s solo walk-off home run shot to dead center field. This let the Cardinals tie the series at 3-3, forcing a game seven.
In game seven, Josh Hamilton and Michael Young had RBI doubles in the first inning against Chris Carpenter, who became the first pitcher in a decade to make three starts in one Series. David Freese had a game-tying two-run double in the bottom of the first, breaking the post-season RBI record, and Allen Craig hit a go-ahead homer in the third. Craig even robbed a home run from Nelson Cruz in the fifth. St. Louis added two runs off the Texas bullpen in the fifth inning without getting a hit. Yadier Molina walked with the bases loaded and Rafael Furcal was hit by a pitch, forcing in another run to make it 5–2. In the seventh inning, Lance Berkman scored on a Molina single to make it 6–2 Chris Carpenter was relieved after pitching six innings and was credited with the win. The Cardinals used four relievers to hold Texas scoreless over the final three innings. The final out was recorded when David Murphy flied out to Cardinal left fielder Allen Craig as Busch Stadium went into a frenzy.David Freese became the sixth player in history to earn a League Championship Series and World Series MVP award in the same postseason. The Rangers set a Series record by issuing 41 walks, breaking the previous record held by the Florida Marlins when winning the 1997 World Series after issuing 40.