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Rangers rally to win Game 2, tie Series

Oct 21, 2011 - 12:05 PM St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers woke up their bats just in time to tie the World Series and deny Allen Craig the role of hero for the second night in a row.

Josh Hamilton and Michael Young hit back-to-back sacrifice flies in the top of the ninth inning Thursday, lifting the Rangers to a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 and tying the Fall Classic at one game apiece.

Craig delivered a go-ahead pinch-hit single off Alexi Ogando for the second game in a row, slicing a ball to right field in the seventh inning to spoil what had been a pitching duel until then.

But Jason Motte and the St. Louis bullpen couldn't hold the 1-0 lead in the ninth.

Ian Kinsler's bloop single off Motte started the rally for Texas and he stole second base, saying his hand "just barely got in" ahead of the throw.

Elvis Andrus followed with a base hit to center field, sending Kinsler to third. Andrus took second base when Jon Jay's throw wasn't cut off by Albert Pujols.

The Cardinals first baseman tipped the ball in the infield and it rolled all the way to the third base line, allowing an alert Andrus to reach second base. An error was later charged to Pujols.

Hamilton, who is playing through a left groin strain, then lined Arthur Rhodes' first pitch to right field, tying the game, and Young drove Lance Lynn's 3-2 pitch to center field to score Andrus and make it 2-1.

Neftali Feliz worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning to save the win for Texas.

"We played nine innings and tonight was proof of the type of team we are," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "We've got a lot of character in that clubhouse."

The Rangers, who were silenced by seven shutout innings from Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia, rallied to avoid a historically tough hole.

Only 11 of 52 teams have ever come back from an 0-2 deficit to win the World Series, including none of the last eight and just one of the last 15, but that's not something Texas has to worry about anymore.

"We needed to get one here," said Washington.

Garcia didn't allow a baserunner until the fourth inning and he gave up just three hits and a walk, striking out seven. Texas starter Colby Lewis was also tough, but was charged with a run on four hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings.

Mike Adams (1-0) stranded runners at first and second base in the eighth inning to earn the win, while Motte (0-1) took the loss.

Earlier, Lewis came out after David Freese and Nick Punto hit singles in the seventh inning. Craig came in as a pinch-hitter for Garcia, and Washington countered with Ogando for the second night in a row.

Craig went the other way with an 0-1 fastball, driving in Freese for the second time with a go-ahead run to make it 1-0.

The Cardinals won Game 1, 3-2, behind Craig's go-ahead single with two outs in the sixth inning on Wednesday.

But while the last three innings of that game were scoreless, all of the runs in Game 2 were scored in the final three innings.

"You tip your cap. We did the best we could and they did it better," said St. Louis manager Tony La Russa. "The only time you have regrets is when you don't compete, and we did."

A spectacular defensive play by Andrus in the fifth inning potentially saved a run.

With Punto on second base and Garcia at first, the Rangers shortstop dove to stop Rafael Furcal's sharp grounder up the middle, then used his glove to scoop a throw to Kinsler covering second base for the final out.

Andrus and Kinsler also turned a double play to end the fourth inning.

Before that, Garcia was perfect through three innings, getting two strikeouts and five ground outs among the first nine batters he retired. Lewis dealt through three innings, too, giving up a walk and one hit on Furcal's two-out double in the third.

The game's first real threat came in the top of the fourth, when Kinsler drew a leadoff walk for Texas' first baserunner and then went to third on Young's two-out single.

But Garcia battled back from a 3-1 count against Adrian Beltre, getting him to swing at the next two pitches to escape the inning.

Game Notes

Game 3 is Saturday in Arlington...It marks the 55th time the World Series has been tied 1-1 after two games, including the third time in the last four seasons. The Cardinals have won the World Series 10 of the 12 times they have been tied 1-1...St. Louis stranded nine runners on base.