By R.B. FALLSTROM
updated 11:42 p.m. ET Oct. 19, 2011
ST. LOUIS - Over and over, Chris Carpenter insisted his elbow was fine. Sure, he got treatment, but who isn't sore this time of the year?
There was no let up from the Cardinals ace, who gave his all on defense and kept it close for six innings in St. Louis' 3-2 victory in the opener of the World Series on Wednesday night.
He gave the bullpen a bit of a break, too, becoming the first Cardinals pitcher to go six innings since his three-hit shutout over close friend Roy Halladay and the favored Phillies in the deciding Game 5 of the division series.
Guess he wasn't hiding anything after all.
The 36-year-old Carpenter is 3-0 this postseason, 8-2 for his career and 2-0 lifetime in the World Series. Counting the postseason, he's 36-14 at 6-year-old Busch Stadium.
The 2005 NL Cy Young winner has always been a big-game pitcher for Cardinals, setting the tone for the rest of the rotation with a combativeness that can rub some opponents the wrong way. His willingness to sacrifice his body to make a play on the second batter he faced had to impress his teammates in Game 1.
With one out in the first, first baseman Albert Pujols ranged so far to his right to field Elvis Andrus' grounder he might as well have been playing second base, and Carpenter had to dive to snare a low, long-distance toss. While sliding, Carpenter tagged the base with the glove and then slapped it again with his right hand to make sure, then pulling it back just in time to avoid Andrus' foot.
Both Carpenter and Pujols made nice plays on Michael Young's grounder down the first-base line to end the sixth. Pujols made the play several feet past the bag and timed the throw perfectly for a sprinting Carpenter.
Carpenter lasted only one inning longer than his Game 3 victory in the NLCS against the Brewers, when he gave up three runs and received treatment on his elbow afterward.
When manager Tony La Russa opted for a pinch hitter on Wednesday, it was more about tactics than a pitcher running on fumes given the Cardinals had two men on with two outs in the bottom of the sixth in a game tied at 2. The move paid off with Allen Craig's go-ahead single off Alexi Ogando.
The lone damage against Carpenter was Mike Napoli's two-run homer in the fifth.
Carpenter was quick enough to the plate that Yadier Molina had enough time to throw out Ian Kinsler attempting to steal after leading off the game with a hit. Baserunners were just 5 for 11 against him in the regular season.
The 36-year-old Carpenter was a deceptive 11-9 this year, very much the leader of the staff after 20-game winner Adam Wainwright was lost to reconstructive elbow surgery in spring training.
Craig was strong down the finishing stretch of the Cardinals' improbable drive to overtake flagging Atlanta on the final day of the season for the NL wild card, keeping the offense hot while Matt Holliday was out with a finger injury.
He's been their most dangerous pinch hitter in the postseason, going 2 for 5 with three RBIs, and foiled the Rangers' move to a right-handed reliever.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsCardinals play winning hand in Game 1
Pinch-hitter Allen Craig singled in the go-ahead run off reliever Alexi Ogando in the sixth inning with a sinking line drive that dropped just in front of right fielder Nelson Cruz, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers 3-2 on Wednesday night in a chilly World Series opener.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44969580/ns/sports-baseball/
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