Rangers tie series at one

ST. LOUIS — The Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals were back at it Thursday night for game two of the World Series in St. Louis. The game featured a pitching match up of Colby Lewis for the Rangers versus Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals.  How the game played out was a thriller. One hour and fifty minutes into the game fans were listening to “God Bless America” and singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” neither team had scored and the Cardinals were next to hit in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, David Freese hit a single to center.  Freese was still on first with two outs when Nick Punto singled to right advancing Freese to third.  Rangers manager, Ron Washington, went to the bullpen and brought in Alexi Ogando.  Ogando was responsible for the loss in game one after giving up a pinch hit RBI single to the Cardinals’ Allen Craig.  As Ogando took the mound, Craig walked up to the plate as a pinch hitter for Cardinals starter, Jaime Garcia.  In game one, Craig saw five fastballs and drove the sixth to right for what turned out to be the game-winning RBI.  On Thursday night, Craig saw three fastballs and drove the fourth to right-center, driving in Freese and giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa, brought in Jason Motte to pitch the bottom of the ninth to send the series to Texas with a 2-0 lead.  The Rangers came into the game batting .195 in the postseason and were unable to do anything in the game, so far.  Ian Kinsler started off the ninth with a single to center and soon stole second.  Elvis Andrus followed with a single to center, which advanced Kinsler to third and Andrus went to second on the throw.  Second and third with nobody out meant LaRussa was making a call to the pen, he brought in the lefty Arthur Rhodes.  Josh Hamilton sent a fly ball to center, which was deep enough to score Kinlser and advance Andrus to third.  The score was now tied at one.  Once again, LaRussa went to the pen.  This time he brought in Lance Lynn to face Michael Young.  Young hit another fly ball and was credited with the second sacrifice fly of the inning, which scored Andrus.  Texas now lead 2-1 and took that lead to the bottom of the ninth.

Neftali Feliz came in to close out the game for the Rangers in the ninth.  He walked the first batter he faced (Yadier Molina) and struck out the next two (Nick Punto and Skip Schumaker).  Rafael Furcal stepped to the plate as the last hope for the Cardinals.  Feliz got Furcal to hit a fly ball to right, which ended the game.

The series now shifts to Texas and will resume on Saturday night at 8:05 ET on FOX.

World Series Stat of the Night:

• Coming into the game Cardinals pitcher, Jason Motte, had given up one hit and no runs in eight postseason games.  On Thursday he gave up two hits and two runs (one earned).

Game Recap:
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO.
Texas 2, St. Louis 1
(WP:  Adams) (LP:  Motte) (SV:  Feliz)
The best of seven series is tied at one.

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