For the second consecutive World Series game, St. Louis Cardinals pinch-hitter Allen Craig connected on a go-ahead hit against Texas Rangers reliever Alexi Ogando. In Game 1 of the series, Craig put the Cardinals up for good in the sixth inning and then got the best of Ogando again the following night. However, the Rangers rallied in the very next frame to take the game, proving Texas has the mental and physical ability to win a world title.
Ogando was brought into the game specifically to pitch to Craig, despite the previous night’s catastrophe. Rangers’ manager Ron Washington is extremely confident in his top pitcher and put Ogando in the same situation again perhaps to make a point.
However, Craig drove in David Freese to put the Cardinals up 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth, once again putting Washington’s late-game decision-making in question. Then two unlikely Rangers heroes saved the day in the top of the ninth before Texas closer Neftali Feliz put the game away in the final frame.
Don’t expect Ogando to pitch any differently in the remaining games of the Fall Classic; Washington won’t hesitate to put him in for the exact same situation if it occurs. Ogando has been the Rangers’ most reliable pitcher this year, both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Craig proved that pinch hitters are important, but Ogando won’t let him overshadow the significance of a good bullpen. It will be interesting to see Ogando pitch to Craig again in this series to see if the Cardinals’ hero is getting lucky or if he simply has Ogando’s number.
Contact Jeric Griffin at or on Twitter @JericGriffin
Buy Texas Rangers Tickets | Buy Texas Rangers Apparel[...] Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig got the best of Ogando in Game 1, the Rangers made sure that didn’t put St. Louis up 2…. Craig’s go-ahead hit off Ogando in Game 1 gave the Cardinals an early lead in this series and he [...]
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