The Phillies started out stacked like crazy, having by far the best pitchers in the league. They looked like a lock for the World Series.
Then there were the Cardinals, who didn't look so good all the way from starting at Spring Training, when it looked like Albert Pujols' future with the team didn't look so good. It looked as if the only way the Cards could keep their star was to win the World Series. And now look how far they've come.
The Phillies entered as top dogs while the Cards were underdogs. The Phillies fell early, and the Cards made it all the way to the big show, as they faced the Texas Rangers.
St. Louis would win Game One and Three to take an early 2-1 lead in the series. The Rangers then answered back, winning two games at home to take the lead back at 3-2.
Many were already looking at the Rangers to win now, as it looked much like the Dallas Mavericks-Miami Heat championship during the NBA in the Finals. Many drew comparisons and it was following into that series' footsteps.
After the Cardinals completed their eleven-inning comeback in Game Six to force a Game Seven, the Fox Dallas TV Station sent a text message to their subscribers congratulating the Rangers winning the World Series in the ninth inning, jinxing Texas' chances. Former NFL defensive tackle, Warren Sapp, tweeted congratulating the Rangers as well in the ninth. Another jinx.
Coming into the is game, the momentum was on the Cardinals side. David Freese was looking for another big game, Pujols was looking to add to this storied legacy, and Chris Carpenter was in as well.
The first inning started off going the Rangers' way, after a double by Josh Hamilton and another by Michael Young set up a 2-0 lead. Freese would march back, tying the game back up with a double to left center, allowing Pujols and Lance Berkman to score.
"We just kept playing," Cardinals star Lance Berkman said.
The third inning would come in, and Allen Craig would bomb a 379-footer to the right to put St. Louis up, 3-2. After that, this game was over.
The Cardinals are world champions! The best team in baseball!
"This whole ride, this team deserves this," said Freese, who won the Series MVP.
It was the franchise's eleventh World Series win.
"It's hard to explain how this happened," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
Ron Washington did not let his team down, though. Throughout the game, he kept telling his team they were going to win, as Texas was looking to end their 51-year drought of winning a World Series.
"I just told them they're champions, which I believe," Washington said. "Someone has to win, someone has to lose and the Cardinals did it. ... They were the better team. They are the world champions. All we can do is come back next year and commit ourselves to it, like they did this year."
Chris Carpenter played well, playing six tough innings, earning his second World Series championship.
"I was hoping to have an opportunity to go ahead and pitch in that game and fortunately it worked out," Carpenter said. "It started off a little rough in the first. But I was able to collect myself, make some pitches and our guys did an awesome job to battle back. And I mean, it's just amazing."
Congrats to the Cardinals.
Cardinal Nation is flying high!
