Redemption is not promised.

For the second consecutive year, the Texas Rangers couldn’t win on baseball’s biggest stage. The loss was a bitter ending for a Rangers team looking to make amends for losing to the San Francisco Giants in last year’s Fall Classic. After winning two in a row and taking a commanding 3-2 lead in the Series, the Rangers were twice within a strike of securing the franchise’s first World Series title. Game 6 collapse not only cost Texas their first back-to-back loss in over two months -they hadn’t lost consecutive games since August- but that elusive title. The Rangers’ became the first team to lose the Fall Classic two straight years since Atlanta in 1991-1992 and the third team in Division Era to lose consecutive World Series.

Texas struck first scoring two runs in the opening inning off of Josh Hamilton and Michael Young’s consecutive RBI doubles. St. Louis answered back in the bottom of the inning against Rangers’ starter Matt Harrison. In his first at-bat after his game-ending homer Thursday night, Freese lined a double into left-field, scoring Pujols and Lance Berkman, who both walked ahead of him. The score remained tied until the third inning, when Cardinal’s outfielder Allen Craig, who replaced the injured Matt Holliday, on a full count from Harrison, smacked his third home run of the Series- joining Pujols in World Series history.

Texas’ hopes of winning their first title began to dwindle in the fifth inning, once Scott Feldman provided relief for Harrison. The Rangers bullpen faltered as Feldman started off walking Craig, then followed up hitting Pujols with a pitch. Berkman grounded out next but advanced Craig to third and Pujols to second. Learning from their mistake the night before, manager Ron Washington signaled for Feldman to intentionally walk Freese to load the bases and pitch to Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina for the final out of the inning. In a throw that seemed to catch the corner-of-the-left-side of the plate, was ruled Feldman’s third ball, as Molina was sent to first and Craig scored on the walk, pushing St. Louis lead 4-2. That was the beleaguered pitchers last attempt. Texas starter C.J. Wilson relieved Feldman, but he was unable to fare any better. On his first pitch, Wilson drilled Cardinals’ shortstop Rafael Furcal in the hip, walking him and scoring Pujols for a 5-2 St. Louis lead. By the time Wilson struck out the next batter, Skip Schumaker, to end the Cards two-run inning without a hit, the Busch Stadium crowd began to sense their championship was near.

Mike Adams relieved Wilson in the seventh. He first struck out Pujols, but then gave up an infield single to Berkman, before walking Freese to pitch to Molina. The Cardinals’ catcher made the Rangers pay with a single to center scoring Berkman for St. Louis clinching run 6-2. Craig, who produced on both ends of the field, robbed Nelson “Boomstick” Cruz of his ninth postseason home run in the ninth inning. The final out came when Rangers’ outfielder David Murphy hit a fly ball to left field off Cardinals’ closer Jason Motte that was caught by Craig, igniting a celebration that was felt throughout St. Louis. As fireworks and confetti rang out, the Cardinals jumped on the field, and the coaches, led by La Russa, waited in front of the dugout and hugged one another. Pujols was the first player to join the coaching staff as he lifted La Russa off the ground for a grizzly embrace.

Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, who out pitched Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay three weeks ago in the deciding Game 5 of the NLDS, once again provided a stellar performance. The 6’6″,  36-year-old veteran started the game a little rough, pitching seven of the first ten batters with balls. Carpenter finished strong throwing well into the seventh, having pitched six grueling innings to only give up two runs on six hits, while striking out five to win the clincher.

As the Cardinals continue to pop champagne, the Rangers are left to ponder their World Series record of 41 walks. History shows that it will be extremely difficult for the Rangers to make another World Series next year, much less win one. The last team to get to three consecutive World Series was the New York Yankees, who did it four straight years from 1998 through 2001.Who was the last team to lose twice in the Series and come back the next year to win a title? Babe Ruth’s Yankees. They fell short in 1921 and ’22, and returned to beat the New York Giants in six games in 1923. Texas now hopes destiny is on their side.

Cardinals’ Photo Rangers’ Photo