Cardinals Go Up 3-1 With 5-4 Win on Tigers Fielding Miscues…
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The Detroit Tigers went into the St. Louis 7th inning holding on to a 3-2 lead in game 4 of the World Series in St. Louis.
But then Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein reached with a double on a fly ball that centerfielder Curtis Granderson slipped on the wet oufield turf while trying to make the catch. Then, the next hitter, pinch-hitter So Targuchi sacrifice bunted and Detroit reliever Fernando Rodney rushed an errant throw which sailed over 2nd baseman Placido Polanco’s head as he covered at first base. Thus St. Louis tied the game as Eckstein scored on the error and eventually took a 4-3 lead on leftfielder Preston Wilson’s 2 out RBI single to left.
Then, after Detroit tied the game in the top of the 8th inning, Eckstein again doubled, this time off of Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya, driving in 2nd baseman Aaron Miles with the game-winning run as the ball glanced off of the glove of a diving Craig Monroe in leftfield.
Baseball is a game of inches as Yahoo sports reporter Jeff Passan writes;
Balls and strikes and plays at the plate and everything in baseball, really, boils down to tiny slivers of space, and every player understands that. And still, the Tigers couldn’t help but pine for that extra inch Thursday night, not after its absence time and again facilitated their downfall in a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, who now hold a 3-1 series lead and could win their 10th championship Friday night at Busch Stadium.
“You saw it first-hand,” Granderson said. “Add a half-inch to Monroe’s glove and he makes that play. I go ahead and plant an inch instep, keep my feet underneath me a little more, go ahead and stay up and catch that ball routine. Who knows what happens after that?”
Granderson, or anyone, for that matter, could have slapped the game-winning hit, and music could have pumped from the speakers in the Tigers’ clubhouse, and the series could be tied, with at least another game in Detroit guaranteed. Instead, they were left to wonder and wallow in silence, and the pain of an “if” leaves the kind of sting no antihistamine can alleviate.
Not when each instance proved so critical. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Cardinals led off the inning with David Eckstein, who always seemed to show up at the worst times for the Tigers. On Fernando Rodney’s third pitch, Eckstein sent a routine fly ball to center field, one toward which the speedy Granderson glided. As he planted to adjust his line toward the ball, the grass – deluged by nearly two consecutive days of rain – separated from the dirt, and Granderson tumbled. By the time he recovered, Eckstein was on his way to second base, and he scored when So Taguchi’s sacrifice bunt turned into a two-base throwing error by Rodney.
An inning later, with Aaron Miles at second base, in stepped Eckstein again. Because the grass was acting like anti-lock brakes on ground balls, Monroe shaded in so he could have a better play at home. Anyway, Monroe figured, the 5-foot-7, 165-pound Eckstein might be the least likely player in the stadium to hit a ball toward the gap. Of Eckstein’s seven extra-base hits at Busch during the regular season, four were down the left-field line and three down the right-field line, and he’d made only 13 outs on fly balls to left-center.
So, naturally, Eckstein put a charge into a Joel Zumaya pitch, and the ball faded from Monroe. He’d gotten a late jump, surprised like the rest of the 46,470 in the stands, and made up the distance quickly.
“He came out of nowhere,” Cardinals closer Adam Wainwright said. “That ball was in the gap. He looked like Superman.”
In the end, Monroe was more Clark Kent, a mortal bound by his body, and it happened to be one that could not stretch far enough. It was a valiant effort, only valiance and effort could not prevent Miles from scoring the winning run.
“I knew it was going to be a tough play when he hit it,” Monroe said. “I wouldn’t change anything about that play. You know, game of inches.”
Inch, he meant.
Detroit got off to a 1-0 lead as 1st baseman Sean Casey clubbed a 1 out solo shot to rightfield. Detroit added to it’s lead with 2 runs in the 3rd inning as both Casey and catcher Ivan Rodriguez singled to rightfield, each driving in a run.
The Cardinals got on the board in the bottom of the 3rd inning as Eckstein, who was 4 for 5 for the game with 2 RBIs, doubled to left centerfield. In the 4th, the Cardinals closed the gap to 3-2 as catcher Yadier Molina, the hero of the NLCS against the New York Mets, clubbed a 2 out double driving in 3rd baseman Scott Rolen who had previously doubled. 3-2 Detroit.
Neither of the starters was in on the final decision. Cards starter Jeff Suppan and Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman both left the game after 6 and 5 1/3 innings respectively with Detroit holding a 3-2 lead.
Cardinals reliever Adam Wainwright recorded the win getting the side out in the 8th inning after 3rd baseman Brandon Inge doubled to drive in the tying run for the Tigers.
Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya, who gave up Eckstein’s 8th inning game-winning double was tagged with the loss.
For a full recap, box score and play-by-play on Thursday’s World Series game 4, click here.
On Friday, weather-permitting, St. Louis, with a seemingly commanding 3-1 lead in games, hopes to put away this World Series as Jeff Weaver faces Justin Verlanger for the Tigers. However, before writing off the Tigers, recall the 1968 World Series, the last time the Cardinals and Tigers met in the post-season classic, as well as the 1985 Series between the Cards and the Kansas City Royals. On each occasion, the Cards went out to a 3-1 lead only to see their opponents come back with 3 consecutive wins to take the series.
If needed, game 6 will be played on Saturday back in Detroit with lefthander Kenny Rogers, hopefully minus the discoloration on his pitching hand, going against Anthony Reyes for the Cardinals.
For a full box score and play-by-plays on Friday’s game, click here.
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