Cardinals Take Lead in World Series, Defeat Red Sox, 5-4, On Obstruction Call
The St. Louis Cardinals scored an unearned run on an obstruction call in the bottom of the ninth inning, to win game three of the 2013 Major League Baseball World Series, defeating the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday night.
The win gives the Cardinals a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven game series.
St. Louis jumped on top early, scoring two runs off of Boston starter Jake Peavy in the bottom half of the first inning.
With one out, Matt Holliday singled, scoring Matt Carpenter, before Yadier Molina, two batters later, brought home Holliday with a an RBI single of his own, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
The Red Sox were able to get on the scoreboard in the top half of the fifth inning, when pinch hitter Matt Carp grounded into a fielder's choice off Cardinals starter Joe Kelly, scoring Xander Bogaerts, who had tripled earlier in the frame, cutting the St. Louis lead to 2-1.
Boston tied it up in the top of the sixth, when Daniel Nava brought home Shane Victorino with a one-out single, making the score 2-2.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the bottom half of the seventh inning, courtesy of a Holliday double that scored Carpenter and Beltran, giving the home team a 4-2 advantage.
The Red Sox answered right back, with two runs of their own in the top half of the eighth inning, loading the bases with one out against St. Louis reliever Carlos Martinez. Nava then drove home Jacoby Ellsbury with a fielder's choice grounder to second, cutting the lead to 4-3, before Bogaerts delivered a clutch, two-out single up the middle, just out the reach of Cardinals' shortstop Pete Kozma, scoring Victorino, and knotting up the game, 4-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Boston reliever Brandon Workman struck out Matt Adams, before Molina singled to right.
The Red Sox then turned to closer Koji Uehara, who gave up a double to pinch-hitter Allen Craig, giving St. Louis runners at second and third with only one out.
John Jay then came to the plate and grounded a ball to Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who threw home to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the tag out on Molina, for the second out.
Saltalamacchia then tried to throw out the trail runner, Craig, who was trying to reach third, but threw the ball wide of third baseman Will Middlebrooks, and off of Craig, into foul territory, toward left-field.
Craig got up, trying to score the winning run, but fell over Middlebrooks, who was called for obstruction, allowing Craig to score, amd giving the Cardinals the win in the third game of the series.
View the final play, and the obstruction call, courtesy of mlb.com.
Molina led the way at the plate for St. Louis, collecting three hits, while Holliday drove in three runs.
In a losing cause for Boston, Ellsbury and Bogaerts each had two hits.
Rosenthal was credited with the win for the Cardinals, while Workman suffered the loss for the Red Sox.
Game four of the series will be Sunday evening, at 7:15 (cdt), at Busch Stadium.
Right-hander Clay Buchholz will get the start for the Red Sox, while the Cardinals will counter with right-hander Lance Lynn.
Game five will be Monday evening in St. Louis.
Game six, as well as game seven, if necessary, would be held in Boston.
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