 
10/24/2004 1:39 AM ET
Cardinals short hops
St. Louis offense meets its American League match
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By John Schlegel / MLB.com |
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BOSTON -- The Cardinals tried to be rude guests in the first World Series game at Fenway Park in 18 years, they really tried. But they accommodated the only offense better than their own a little too much to come out winners.
Though the two top offensive teams in the Majors this season didn't disappoint with the highest-scoring World Series opener in history, the outcome of Game 1 in frigid Fenway wasn't something to warm the cockles of the Cardinals' hearts.
Here's a breakdown of Game 1 from the Cardinals' perspective:
Vitals check
A look at key statistics through Game 1 of the World Series.
Team stats
| Digits |
Trend |
The Deal |
| ERA |
11.25 |
 |
starting with Woody Williams, Boston's bats
battered |
| BA |
.314 |
 |
no complaints overall, but where was the
heart of the order? |
| Runs |
9 |
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they scored big and little, as usual |
| Errors |
1 |
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one error, but that's as many as in entire NLCS |
Who's hot?
| Player |
Digits |
Trend |
The Deal |
| Larry Walker |
4-for-5, HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI |
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that Canadian sure knows how to club |
| Danny Haren |
3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 K |
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he allowed the Cards' comeback to happen |
Who's not?
| Player |
Digits |
Trend |
The Deal |
| Woody Williams |
2 1/3 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 K |
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bad location and a World Series debut to
forget |
| Scott Rolen |
0-for-5, GIDP |
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had one huge hit in NLCS but not much else
this postseason. Not a good start here |
Behind the numbers
The Cardinals' 3-4-5 hitters went a combined 1-for-12, with the only hit coming
on a bunt by Jim Edmonds, who managed to score twice. They may have been pitched
well as opposed to missing good pitches, but that won't matter much for the
Cardinals' chances if they can't get going.
Frozen moment
Julian Tavarez showed so much heart pitching despite a broken left hand in the
last two games of the NLCS, but the pitch that came out of his right hand in the
bottom of the eighth inning Saturday was a heartbreaker. It didn't help that
Edgar Renteria had a rare error one batter before, of course.
Second guess
Jason Marquis might have been the best athlete available, but putting a young
pitcher in a crucial World Series pinch-running situation was a bit shaky, as
was Marquis. He stumbled into second when he might have turned for third, and he
nearly was out at the plate when he scored.
Nice game, eh?
Walker's monster game was historic on any level, but he did one thing no one
else on the field possibly could have done Saturday night. Walker became the
first native of Canada to hit a homer in the World Series since George Selkirk
of Huntsville, Ontario, went deep for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1936 Series
against the Giants. Selkirk also homered in Game 1 of that World Series.
Two-sac'er
Mike Matheny drove in the Cardinals' first and third runs via sacrifice flies,
tying a single-game World Series record for sac flies in his first two at-bats
in the Series.
Last word
"I think it's real clear that both of the clubs (are) used to playing nine
innings and you know you send danger up there every inning, so you never feel
like you're out of the game. I mean, that's a pretty big deficit to come back
from today but that's how we play it." -- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa
John Schlegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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