PART 5: Rangers go against the Cardinals
Down in the series 2-1, the Texas Rangers overhauled their game strategy; coming in the ballpark with an approach which was conspicuously different from the one adopted earlier. They came up with a bullpen which was difficult to overcome. The Cardinals,
which had won the previous game with a 16-7 score, failed to score even a run, losing the Game 4 by 4-0.
The player who ruled the roost this time was none other than ace pitcher, Derek Holland. A masterly starter, Holland had a shutout in the game to win Game 4 for the Texas Rangers, levelling the series at a crucial moment. Faced by Edward Jackson of the St.
Louis Cardinals who gave up 3 runs in his 5.1 inning spell, Holland barely allowed 2 hits to wrap up the game.
He was backed by timely homer of Mike Napoli who stunned the crowd which was on the edges of their seats due to a thrilling encounter. Napoli’s hit came in the 6th inning that literally sealed the victory for the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland would
not give with the magical spell that he was having, securing the win for the Rangers.
Albert Pujols, who had made a new world record in the previous game with his 3 homers and the six runs that he drove in, could not put into effect anything special for the Cardinals this time around. Thanks largely to Derek Holland, who proved far bigger
a challenge for the Cardinals offence than it might have thought.
“I was very focused. I knew this was a big game for us,” said Holland, who was 16-5 with 3.95 ERA and four shutouts in the regular season. “I had to step up and make sure I was prepared. I was begging to stay out there. I said, 'I'll give it everything I've
got. I can get the double play.”
Interestingly, while he was hurling the best of his pitches against the struggling St. Louis Cardinals offence, there came a stage in the 9th inning when team manager, Ron Washington, decided to switch the pitcher, bringing in the relief. That
prompted Holland to request for a complete 9 innings to pitch; a permission that he failed to get from the team manager.
“He was begging,” Washington said. Or, as Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler described it, “A lot of profanity, we sounded like sailors out there.”
Nonetheless, with his 8 1/3 innings, Holland made history that the team could well have capitalised upon throughout the series. This victory, among other things enabled the team to level the series at a crucial juncture, allowing the team to go ever more
aggressively against the Cardinals.
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