2011 World Series

The 2011 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Texas Rangers and the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals; the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games to win their 11th World Series championship and their second in six seasons.

The Series was noted for its back-and-forth Game 6, in which the Cardinals erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the 9th inning, then did it again in the 10th. In both innings, the Rangers were one strike away from their first World Series championship. The Cardinals won the game in the 11th inning on a walk-off home run by David Freese, who was named World Series MVP. The Series was also known for the blowout Game 3, in which Cardinals player Albert Pujols hit three home runs, a World Series feat previously accomplished only by Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth, and subsequently by Pablo Sandoval in 2012. In 2020, ESPN named the 2011 World Series the fifth greatest of all-time.

The Series began on October 19, earlier than the previous season, so that no games would be played in November. The Cardinals enjoyed home-field advantage for the series because the NL won the 2011 All-Star Game 5–1 on July 12. The 2011 World Series was the first World Series to go all seven games since the 2002 Series.

Background

The Rangers were appearing in their second consecutive World Series; they lost the 2010 Series to the San Francisco Giants in five games. They were the first American League team to play in consecutive World Series since the New York Yankees did it from to . They earned their postseason berth by winning the American League West division, then defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series and the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series to earn their World Series berth.

The Cardinals were appearing in their 18th World Series, and third in eight years. They lost to the Boston Red Sox in , but won in against the Detroit Tigers. The Cardinals earned their postseason berth by winning the National League Wild Card on the last day of the regular season, then defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series and the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series to earn their World Series berth.

This Series was only the second time the Rangers and the Cardinals played each other; they met in regular-season interleague play in 2004, when the Cardinals won two of a three-game series in Texas. This was the first World Series assignment for umpires Greg Gibson and Ron Kulpa. Each of the other umpires had previously worked one World Series.

The Cardinals were supported by fans brandishing Rally Squirrel memorabilia that alluded to a squirrel that ran across the field during a playoff game.

National anthem singers featured
Game one: Scotty McCreery,
Game two: Trace Adkins,
Game three: Ronnie Dunn,
Game four: Zooey Deschanel,
Game five: Demi Lovato,
Game six: Joe (singer), and
Game seven: Chris Daughtry (from Daughtry (band))

Texas Rangers

This was the Rangers' second appearance in the World Series. Heading into 2010, their 50th season as a franchise (counting its time as the Washington Senators), the team was the only one in Major League Baseball to never win a postseason series, and was among of three teams (along with the Seattle Mariners and the Washington Nationals) to never appear in the World Series. However, that season, the Rangers won their first postseason series and made their first appearance in the World Series, only to lose to the San Francisco Giants in five games.

During the offseason, Chuck Greenberg, who purchased the Rangers from Tom Hicks during the 2010 season along with Nolan Ryan, sold his interest in the team to Ryan, making him the Rangers' principal owner. Notable player departures during the offseason included pitcher Cliff Lee and outfielder/designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero (both to free agency) and catcher Bengie Molina, who retired. Notable free agent additions during the offseason included pitchers Yoshinori Tateyama and Brandon Webb, catcher Yorvit Torrealba, and third-baseman Adrián Beltré. In January 2011, as part of a three-way trade with the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Rangers acquired catcher Mike Napoli in exchange for pitcher Frank Francisco. During the season, the team acquired pitcher Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for infielder Chris Davis, and Mike Adams from the San Diego Padres in exchange for two minor-league pitchers. Pitcher Arthur Rhodes was released and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals days later; as a result, Rhodes would have been entitled to receive a World Series ring regardless of which team won.

With the exception of one day in late April and a brief stretch in early May, the Rangers led the American League West for most of the season. They finished the season with a franchise record 96–66 ( winning percentage) and won their second consecutive and 5th overall division title, 10 games ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They also set a franchise record for home attendance of 2,946,949. Texas also earned the most shutouts in the American League. All 5 members of the opening day starting rotation stayed in the rotation for the entire year. C. J. Wilson tied for the league lead in starts with 34 while Derek Holland tied for second in shutouts with 4 (tied for first in the American League), with each pitcher racking up at least 13 wins. The offense also had another good year with 3 players getting 30-plus home runs for the first time in team history, and Ian Kinsler completing his second 30–30 season.

In the postseason, the Rangers were the #2 seed in the AL. They defeated the wild-card Tampa Bay Rays in four games in the American League Division Series. They then defeated the third-seeded Detroit Tigers in six games in the American League Championship Series to reach their second consecutive appearance in the World Series.

The Rangers lost home-field advantage in the World Series as a result of the AL team, managed by Rangers manager Ron Washington, losing the 2011 All-Star Game, when Ranger ace C. J. Wilson surrendered the game-winning three-run homer to Prince Fielder.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals made their first World Series appearance since , when they defeated the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 1 to win their National League-leading 10th World Series title. This was manager Tony La Russa's 6th World Series appearance as manager and his third with the Cardinals. The Cardinals' last postseason appearance was in 2009, where they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series. They finished the 2010 season with a record of 86–76 (), finishing in second place in the National League Central standings, 5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.

During the 2010 offseason, the team signed new contracts with manager Tony La Russa and picked up All-Star slugger Albert Pujols' club option. Notable offseason departures included shortstop Brendan Ryan (traded to the Seattle Mariners) and relief pitcher Blake Hawksworth (traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers). Additionally, during the offseason the team announced that ace pitcher Adam Wainwright would miss the entire season due to Tommy John surgery. Notable offseason additions included shortstop Ryan Theriot, outfielder Lance Berkman, catcher Gerald Laird, and infielder Nick Punto. In late April, after a number of blown saves, the Cardinals removed pitcher Ryan Franklin from the closer role, and released him on June 29. On July 27, the Cardinals sent outfielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P. J. Walters to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for pitchers Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski, and Octavio Dotel, and outfielder Corey Patterson. They then acquired Rafael Furcal from the Dodgers in exchange for Alex Castellanos, a minor-league outfielder. On August 11, the team signed free agent pitcher Arthur Rhodes, who had been released by the Texas Rangers days earlier.

The Cardinals spent much of the early part of the 2011 season in first place in the NL Central standings but dropped to second place for good on July 27. On August 25, the team trailed the Atlanta Braves in the NL wild card standings by games. The Cardinals amassed a 21–9 record from August 26 to September 27, while the Braves were 10–19 over that same interval. Meanwhile, on September 23, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched the NL Central division title. On September 28, with the Cardinals and Braves tied atop the Wild Card standings on the last day of the regular season, the Cardinals routed the Houston Astros 8–0 in Houston, while the Braves lost at home to the Philadelphia Phillies 4–3 in 13 innings, securing the Cardinals' second wild card postseason berth in franchise history. St. Louis finished with a record of 90–72, 6 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central but one ahead of the Braves in the Wild Card. They defeated the overall #1 seed Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series 3 games to 2, and then defeated the second-seeded Milwaukee Brewers (who were the first team in history to reach both NLCS and ALCS and the team the Cardinals faced in the 1982 World Series) in six games in the National League Championship Series.

Summary

†: Postponed from October 26 due to rain

Game summaries

Game 1

Aces were on the mound for Game 1 as C. J. Wilson faced Chris Carpenter. Both starters kept the game scoreless through the first three innings. In the fourth, Albert Pujols was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. After a double by Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman hit a single to drive both runners in. The lead wouldn't last long. Mike Napoli hit a two-run home run to tie the game in the very next inning. David Freese doubled in the sixth with one out, and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Yadier Molina struck out, and Nick Punto walked, Allen Craig entered the game, pinch-hitting for Carpenter. Alexi Ogando relieved Wilson, and tried to finish off the inning. Craig hit a 1–2 pitch down the right field line that was just out of reach of a sliding Nelson Cruz. Freese scored to give St. Louis the lead. In the seventh, the Cardinals ran into trouble as Cruz singled and Napoli walked to put two on with one out. Marc Rzepczynski came on to face pinch-hitter Craig Gentry and struck him out. Pinch-hitter Esteban Germán was the next batter. Rzepczynski struck him out as well. In the ninth, closer Jason Motte pitched an easy 1–2–3 inning to give St. Louis the win. Controversy surrounded the inning, as Adrián Beltré was the victim of a blown call. Beltré grounded a ball to third, and Descalso threw the ball to first for the out, but replays showed he fouled the ball off his foot.

Game 2

Game 2 saw a pitchers' duel between Jaime García and Colby Lewis. Both starters kept the game scoreless through the first six innings. A pair of excellent defensive plays by Elvis Andrus stopped a couple of Cardinals rallies. In the seventh, David Freese again started a rally for St. Louis, much like in Game 1. He singled with one out, and moved to third on a single by Nick Punto with two outs. Allen Craig pinch-hit for García to face Alexi Ogando, setting up almost the same exact situation from the previous night. Again, Craig beat Ogando with a single to right field to drive in Freese. Jason Motte was brought in to save the game in the ninth. Ian Kinsler led off with a bloop single, and stole second with Andrus batting. Andrus singled into center field, and moved to second on the throw home, which got by Albert Pujols for an error. With runners on second and third, and none out, Tony La Russa switched in Arthur Rhodes for Motte. Consecutive sacrifice flies from Josh Hamilton and Michael Young gave Texas the lead. Neftalí Feliz came on in the ninth, and allowed a leadoff walk to Yadier Molina, but retired the next three batters in order to end the game and tie the Series at one game apiece.

Game 3

After a total of just eight runs scored in the first two games in St. Louis, the offense of the two lineups scored a combined 23 runs on a historic night in Arlington in which Albert Pujols had what was described as "the greatest individual hitting performance in World Series history".

Allen Craig hit a home run in the first to put the Cardinals up 1–0. In the fourth after a controversial call at first base by umpire Ron Kulpa on a force play and subsequent single put runners on first and second with one out, David Freese's RBI double made it 2–0 Cardinals. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, two runs scored on a throwing error by Mike Napoli before Ryan Theriot's RBI single made it 5–0 Cardinals. Starter Matt Harrison was pulled from the game after the inning's second out. In the bottom of the inning, a lead-off home run by Michael Young and, two batters later, a two-run home run by Nelson Cruz, made it 5–3 Cardinals. Napoli then singled to knock starter Kyle Lohse out of the game. Napoli moved to third on a groundout and single, but was tagged out at home trying to score on Ian Kinsler's fly out to end the inning.

In the fifth, the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs on a single and two walks off of Scott Feldman before Freese's groundout scored a run, then a two-run double by Yadier Molina made the score 8–3 Cardinals. In the bottom of the inning, Texas got two leadoff singles off of Fernando Salas before Young drove in a run with a double. Lance Lynn relieved Salas and allowed an RBI single to Adrian Beltre, then, one out later, a sacrifice fly to Napoli to make it 8–6 Cardinals.

Albert Pujols, who had been hitless through the first two games, then hit a home run off Alexi Ogando in the sixth inning after a leadoff single and walk to make it 11–6 Cardinals. An error, single and walk loaded the bases before Mike Gonzalez relieved Ogando and allowed a sacrifice fly to Molina. Next inning, Pujols's two-run home run after a two-out walk off of Gonzalez made it 14–6 Cardinals. The Rangers scored their last run of the game in the bottom of the inning when Beltre hit a leadoff double off of Lynn, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Napoli's sacrifice fly off of Octavio Dotel.

The Cardinals added to their lead in the eighth when Freese singled with one out off of Mark Lowe and pinch-runner Daniel Descalso scored on Molina's double. Then in the ninth, Pujols hit his third home run of the game, giving him six RBIs, off of Darren Oliver. Mitchell Boggs retired Texas in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Cardinals won 16–7, leading the Series by 2–1.

Albert Pujols joined Babe Ruth ( 1926, 1928) and Reggie Jackson (1977) as the only players in baseball history up to that time to hit three home runs in a World Series game. ( Pablo Sandoval would also accomplish the feat the following year.) Pujols was 5-for-6 with two singles, three HRs, four runs scored, and six RBIs. Yadier Molina added two doubles, driving in four runs. David Freese continued his postseason 13-game hitting streak getting two hits (one double), driving in two runs. Pujols became the first player in World Series history to get hits in four consecutive

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