 Game 5 Win for Cardinals ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals barely got to the postseason, much less the World Series, and then they had to survive rain and cold as much as the bumbling Detroit Tigers.
They'll take it, though. They beat the Tigers 4-2 on Friday night behind castoffs Jeff Weaver and David Eckstein and sore-shouldered Scott Rolen to wrap up a five-game Series victory, their first title in nearly a quarter-century and 10th overall. "I think we shocked the world," Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds said. "It's an unbelievable experience." Manager Tony La Russa's Cardinals had just 83 regular-season wins, the fewest by a World Series winner, and nearly missed the playoffs after a late-season slump. But St. Louis beat the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets in the playoffs and then won their first title since 1982 by taming a heavily favored Tigers team that entered the Series with six days' rest. After closer Adam Wainwright struck out Brandon Inge for the final out, the ballpark erupted. Wainwright raised his arms in triumph, catcher Yadier Molina ran to the mound and the pair bounced off toward second base, where they were joined by teammates running from the dugout and the bullpen. "I don't think anybody in uniform didn't do something in the postseason. Everyone did," said La Russa, whose uniform number now matches the team's World Series titles. "The defense was great. The pitching was great. Timely hitting. The best bench I've had in a long time. They just refused for us to lose." Minutes later fireworks filled the sky above the ballpark as the Cardinals prepared to receive the Tiffany trophy. Eckstein, the 5-foot-7 shortstop who had four hits in Game 4, was the Series MVP. "No one believed in us, but we believed in ourselves," Eckstein said....MORE Game 4 Win for Cardinals ST. LOUIS (AP) -- All this rain means more rest for pitchers, and that could spell trouble for the slumping Detroit Tigers.
Game 4 was postponed Wednesday night because of showers and will be made up Thursday at 8:27 p.m. EDT, potentially sending the World Series into scheduling chaos. More wet weather was expected the next two days, and nobody was certain when Detroit and St. Louis would play again. Now, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has several appealing options. He could juggle his rotation and bring back Jeff Weaver on regular rest in Game 5 instead of pitching rookie Anthony Reyes again. Reyes, however, dominated Detroit during a 7-2 victory in the opener. So either way, the Cardinals appear to be in pretty good shape -- even if their soggy field isn't. They already lead the best-of-seven Series 2-1 against a Tigers team that batted .185 and managed a total of only five runs in the first three games. The last time the AL champions were rained out, though, they beat the New York Yankees the next three days to win their first-round playoff series....More Game Three Win For Cards ST. LOUIS (AP) -- No smudges, no scuffs, just a cramp in his pitching hand -- and it wasn't about to stain Chris Carpenter's sensational World Series outing.
A brief spasm caused a commotion on the mound, but the Cardinals' ace was more than OK, throwing the Detroit Tigers a curve and leading St. Louis to a 5-0 victory Tuesday night for a 2-1 edge. "He's so strong between the ears that nothing fazes him," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He's got a good head, good heart, good guts." Carpenter used big breaking balls to spin three-hit ball for eight innings. And with Jim Edmonds hitting a key double and St. Louis taking advantage of a poor throw, the Cardinals returned their focus squarely to the field. Gone were any reminders of the squabbling Kenny Rogers caused with his smudged left hand in Game 2.....More Game Two Win For Tigers DETROIT (AP) -- Now you see it. Now you don't.
Whatever was on Kenny Rogers' hand, even after he cleaned it off, the St. Louis Cardinals couldn't hit him. Virtually untouchable this October, Rogers shut down the Cardinals on two hits over eight shutout innings, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 3-1 victory on a chilly Sunday night that tied the World Series at one game apiece. But the real substance of the matter was this: What was on the left-hander's pitching hand that caused a first-inning flap? It appeared to be something dirty or dark, and umpires brought Cardinals manager Tony La Russa out to the field at the end of the first for a brief discussion....More
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DETROIT (AP) -- With the right rookie on the mound, it was the scrappy St. Louis Cardinals who looked sharp in the World Series.
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