I don’t even know where to begin.
In Game 6 of the most exciting World Series in who knows how many years, the Rangers found themselves holding a 7-5 lead with Neftali Feliz on the mound, two outs, and two strikes. David Freese delievered a two-run triple just out of Nelson Cruz’s reach (if we’re being honest, it looked like he misjudged the ball and otherwise might’ve made the play) to tie the game at seven.
The Rangers weren’t fazed. Josh Hamilton, seriously injured groin and all, walloped a two-run homer in the top of the tenth to give the Rangers another two run lead. The Cardinals fought back again, though, and with Lance Berkman down to his last strike, he delivered a game-tying single. When the Rangers failed to score in the top of the 11th and Freese was there again. He lasered a walkoff homer to center, giving the Cardinals a 10-9 lead and forcing the first Game 7 since the 2002 World Series.
There’s a lot to talk about after this one: Berkman’s huge game, Ron Washington’s numerous questionable decisions (to name two: letting Colby Lewis bat with the bases loaded, two outs, and a chance to break a 4-3 game open in the fourth inning, and intentionally walking Albert Pujols to face the red-hot Berkman in the 10th, then not bringing Mike Gonzalez in to flip Berkman around to his weaker, right-hand side). Really, though, all I want to do is sit back and bask in the glow of what’s been an amazing run for baseball since the last day of the season.
No one will ever confuse me for a Cardinals’ fan, but I came into Game 6 hoping to see the Cardinals force a Game 7 because the first five games of this series were so much fun to watch. We got more than that. We got a crazy see-saw of a game that saw the Rangers lead 1-0, the Cardinals lead 2-1, the Rangers lead 3-2, 4-3, 7-4, and 9-7, ties at 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 7-7, and 9-9, two incredible rallies by the Cardinals with their season on the line, and a storybook walkoff home run.
What a game. What a World Series. And through six games, it’s not over yet. Somehow, that seems like it might be the best part of it all.
