Pop the champagne and set-off the fireworks. Against all odds, the St. Louis Cardinals are the champions of baseball.
The Redbirds earned their tenth World Series title and first since 1982 by defeating the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 4-2 Friday. David Eckstein, one of just a few Cardinal players who had already owned a ring, took home the Series MVP thanks to a .364 batting average.
Jeff Weaver threw eight strong innings, allowing just two runs while striking out nine. Adam Wainright, the team’s rookie pitcher who had practically no experience as a closer prior to this year, worked the ninth inning for his second save of the series, finally finishing off Detroit by striking out Brandon Inge to clinch it.
The Cardinals took advantage of numerous Tiger errors throughout the Series, and last night was no exception. In the second inning, Inge made a great diving stop on Eckstein’s hit down the third base line, but threw wildly to first, allowing Yadier Molina to score. And after Sean Casey’s two-run homer in the fourth made it 2-1 Detroit, Tiger pitcher Justin Verlander made the eighth Detroit error of the Series, leading to two more St. Louis runs.
Scott Rolen drove in an insurance run in the seventh inning. Rolen led the team with a .421 average in the Fall Classic.
Related web sites:
Cardinals’ Official Website
