World Series Games 1-3 Recaps

Hey, sorry I am so late. I have been busy, or lazy, and did not write recaps for games 1 or 2 of the 2013 World Series. So lets get started.

In Game 1, the Red Sox rode Mike Napoli's bases clearing 1st inning double and John Lester's arm to an easy 8-1 win. The turning point of the game came in the Bottom of the 1st, when David Ortiz hit a ground ball to 2nd Baseman Matt Carpenter, who flipped to Shortstop Pete Kozma for the force out. Or so we thought it was a force out. So it turns out, Kozma never had possession of the ball. The umpires got together and correctly overruled the call, which set up Napoli's 3 run double. A play that summed up the night for St. Louis happened in the Bottom of the 2nd inning, when Stephan Drew hit a pop up to Catcher Yadier Molina. The problem was, Molina and Pitcher Adam Wainwright could not decide on who would catch the ball, and it dropped between them. It was all Sox from there as they would score 5 more runs in the game to win 8-1. John Lester was fantastic, pitching 7 and 2/3 shutout innings for the win. Carlos Beltran would suffer a rib injury, but X-Rays came back negative and he is back in the Cardinal lineup. Wainwright would leave the game being roughed up for 5 runs(3 earned) in 5 innings. The Cardinals only run came on a Matt Holiday solo homerun in the Top of the 9th, but it was meaningless. Game 1 belonged to Boston.

Game 2 was a different story. St. Louis struck 1st in the Top of the 4th inning, with Matt Holiday scoring on a Yadier Molina groundout. However, the Sox would answer in the Bottom of the 6th on a 2 run homer by David Ortiz. The Cards would regain the lead in the next half-inning on a odd play. With the Bases Loaded and 1 out, Matt Carpenter hit a fly ball to Left. The throw by Johnny Gomez bounced past Catcher Jarred Saltalamacchia, allowing the tying run to score. Relief Pitcher Craig Brreslow than threw to 3rd, but the ball sailed over Stephan Drew, who was covering the base, and allowed the go ahead run to score. The Cards would add an insurance run on a Carlos Beltran single and would hang on to win 4-2. Both John Lackey for Boston and Michael Wacha for St. Louis were fantastic, but it was the rookie Wacha, who continued his unbelievable postseason, who's team would come out on top.
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Game 3 was a wild one. The Cards struck first on a Holliday single in the Bottom of the 1st, and would add another run in the inning on a Molina single. The Cards would threaten to break the game open in the Bottom of the 4th when the loaded the bases with 0 outs. But Boston starter Jake Peavy would then strikeout Pete Kozma and get pitcher Joe Kelly and Matt Carpenter on popups to get out of a huge jam. The Sox would cut the lead in half in the Top of the 5th when Mike Carp grounded into a fielders choice, and would tie the game in the 6th on a single by Daniel Nava. The Cards would regain the lead in the Bottom of the 7th on a Matt Holliday 2 run double. The Sox would fight back, however. In the next half inning, they would cut the lead in half on a fielder's choice by Nava, than tie the game on a single by rookie Xander Bogaerts off of Cards Closer Trevor Rosenthal that came up on Kozma, who would not have had a play on it anyway. Ok, now lets get to the part that will be talked about for years to come. With 1 Out, Molina singled. John Farrell than called on lights out closer Koji Uehera to pitch to the recently returned Allen Craig. Craig would double, and the Cards had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Now for the play that will forever go down in World Series lore. After John Farrel made what I think was a dumb move pitching to John Jay when he had an open base, with the weak hitting Kozma on deck, Jay hit a ground ball to 2nd. Dustin Pedroia, who made a great play to get the out at home. Saltalamacchia than made the curious choice of throwing to 3rd to try to get Craig, and the ball sailed past 3rd Baseman will Middlebrooks. Craig would than trip over Middlebrooks, who was on the ground. Johnny Gomes would throw home to get Craig, and the throw beat him easily. However, obstruction was called, so therefore Craig was ruled safe, and the Cards got a big 5-4 win. It was a call that is controversial among Red Sox fans, but was absolutely correct. When a runner trips over a fielder, no matter what the fielders intent, it is obstruction. Shoutout to 3rd Base umpire Jim Joyce for getting it right.


Overall, it has been a great first 3 games, and I cannot wait to see the rest. Thanks for reading.