Game 1 of the 2013 World Series is one the Cardinals would love to forget. Miscues in the field (2 errors by Pete Kozma), along with the inability to hit off Red Sox ace Jon Lester, hurt St. Louis as they lost 8-1.
Thursday night was a different story. On one side, you had the veteran John Lackey, making his first World Series appearance since Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. On the Redbirds’ side, you had Michael Wacha, the 22-year old rookie who won the NLCS MVP by out dueling Clayon Kershaw…..twice.
Another big story entering Game 2 was Carlos Beltran, who hurt his ribs robbing David Ortiz of a grand slam in Game 1. Beltran went to the hospital during Game 1, but returned to play the next game, and got the first hit of the game in the first inning off of Lackey. However, he would stay there the rest of the inning.
The Red Sox offense, which surged the night before, struggled against Wacha most of the game, although they drew four walks, but struck out five times. Boston did, however, rack up Wacha’s pitch count drastically, with him throwing 100 pitches by the start of the 6th inning.
In the 4th inning, Matt Holliday, one of only two Cardinals’ to previously ever face Lackey, launched a triple that barely missed going over the center-field wall. A ground out by Yadier Molina scored Holliday to put the Cardinals in front of Boston in the World Series for the first time since Game 7 in 1967 (they never led in the 2004 World Series).
In the 6th inning, and a runner at first, Wacha faced the man that has tortured opposing teams and pitchers all postseason: Big Papi. And one of the few bad pitches Wacha threw all night….Ortiz took, and with all his strength, belted a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway for the 2-1 Boston lead.
In a sudden gasp of breath, it looked like Boston would end the night with a 2-0 series lead over St. Louis, and that 2004 would be revisited. The Cardinals would have absolutely none of that.
In the 7th inning, after both David Freese and Jon Jay reached base, and in which Kozma pinch-ran for Freese, the two runners pulled a vintage move reminiscent of the Whiteyball days: a double steal. That double steal provided the uplift St. Louis needed to regain the lead in the game.
With the bases loaded in the same inning, Matt Carpenter hit a sac fly shallow to left, but there was no close play at the plate, as Kozma scored to tie the game. But the play wasn’t over yet , as a botched throw by Craig Breslow that went into the stands scored Jay, and St. Louis suddenly had a 3-2 lead, much to the dismay of the Fenway faithful.
When the inning was all over, St. Louis had a 4-2 lead. A lead that remained for the rest of the night. Shutout innings by fast-ball pitchers Carlos Martinez and closer Trevor Rosenthal sealed the win for St. Louis, silencing the fans at Fenway, and with the World Series all tied up, the Cardinals will head back to Busch for three straight home games in front of the Redbird Nation.
This game was crucial for the Cardinals. Already backed against the wall, tying the series at one game apiece shifts the momentum back to the Cardinals, as playing at Busch Stadium is a different experience than at Fenway Park. The loss was Boston’s first in a World Series game since Game 7 of the 1986 World Series. Wacha, despite allowing the two run home run, received the win, and Lackey received the loss.
All three pitchers in the game for St. Louis were 23 and under (Wacha, Martinez, Rosenthal), which shows the dominating youth the Cardinals’ possess. When things looked bleak for the Redbirds, in typical fashion, they delivered the comeback needed to keep this series in either team’s grasp.
Rest easy, Cardinal Nation. It all starts back up in two days. Jake Peavy vs Joe Kelly in the Gateway City. This is where the World Series gets interesting…..
