Entering the ninth inning of play in Game 2 of the World Series it looked as though the St. Louis Cardinals were on their way to taking a 2-0 series lead as the Texas Rangers trailed 1-0 in the game and the series.
After Ian Kinsler led off the ninth with a single and a steal and Elvis Andrus followed with a single of his own. Andrus then was able to advance to second base after Albert Pujols failed to cut off a throw to home. Two SAC flies gave Texas the lead and eventually allowed them to even the series.
Had the Rangers lost, the ramifications would have been great as no team has come back from a 2-0 deficit to win the World Series since the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers. With that fact staring them in the face, the Rangers clawed back into the series and now hold the momentum moving forward.
Momentum is an immeasurable commodity, but it certainly exists. Too many times, in any sport, a certain play or a certain event seems to propel a certain player or team to greatness. That could certainly be the case for Texas after its stirring Game 2 comeback.
On top of that momentum, the Rangers will return home in Game 3 and would seem to have the starting pitching advantage over St. Louis. The Cardinals will send Kyle Lohse to the mound who is 0-2 during this postseason and hasn't gone more than 5.1 innings in either of his two starts.
Texas, however, will turn to southpaw Matt Harrison. There is no question that Harrison has fared much better with a 1-0 record and 12 strikeouts over 10.2 innings in his two starts. He was also excellent in the regular season, going 14-9 with a 3.39 ERA.
Harrison may hold a matchup disadvantage in that the Cardinals feature a great corps of right-handed hitters like Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, David Freese and Lance Berkman (switch). However, St. Louis' Jaime Garcia was able to shut down Texas' right handed heavy lineup in Game 2.
Simply put, Harrison is the better pitcher right now when compared to Lohse, regardless of what lineup he is facing. Lohse has been unable to pitch late into games, so Texas has a golden opportunity to knock him out fairly early and wear out the Cardinals' bullpen.
That could have a huge impact moving forward as St. Louis' relievers will surely be asked to pitch in some high-pressure situations later on in the series. In other words, if the Rangers can get to Lohse, then they can set themselves up for the remainder of the series in addition to winning Game 3.
It's tough to count the Cardinals out, the comeback win in Game 2 absolutely changed everything about the outlook of the series. With Texas going home and with momentum firmly on their side, I fully expect the Rangers to take a 2-1 lead in the series and shift the pressure over to St. Louis' side.
Francisco Cervelli Chad Moeller Jorge Posada Lance Berkman Reegie Corona Juan Miranda
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