On this date in franchise history, the Texas Rangers won Game 2 of the World Series to even their series with the St. Louis Cardinals at one game apiece.
On Oct. 20, 2011, the Rangers needed the win to avoid going back home to Arlington down 2-0, and the Rangers sent Colby Lewis out to the hill. The Cardinals countered with Jaime Garcia, and the two put on a pitchers’ duel for the first six innings of the game. Neither team scored and it was clear it was going to come down to a key hit and one team’s bullpen.
In the seventh inning, it looked like the Cardinals would be that team. A one-out single by David Freese led to St. Louis’ only run of the game. Freese would later score on a pinch-hit single by Allen Craig off Rangers reliever Alexi Ogando. If that sounds familiar, the exact same thing happened in Game 1.
Up 1-0, the Rangers had one final shot in the ninth against Cardinals reliever Jason Motte. They didn’t waste it. Kinsler reached on a bloop single, then stole second base. Andrus followed with a single to center field, moving Kinsler to third base. Andrus moved to second on an error. The Rangers had two runners in scoring position and no one out. Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa went to the bullpen to bring in Arthur Rhodes.
The Rangers took the lead in that old-fashioned baseball way: consecutive sacrifice flies by Josh Hamilton and Michael Young. The Rangers took a 2-1 lead, and Neftalí Feliz escaped a leadoff walk and slammed the door for Texas.
The Rangers won, 2-1, and the series was even.
Also on this date …
Oct. 20, 2010: The New York Yankees avoided elimination in the 2010 American League Championship Series, defeating the Rangers, 7-2, in Game 5. Nick Swisher, Robinson Canó and Curtis Granderson all homered for New York, and started the game with a 5-0 lead.
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