Double-Dipping

Napoli, much like his teammate Nelson Cruz did
in the ALCS, is carrying the Texas offense.

A night after the Texas Rangers evened the World Series at two games apiece thanks in large part to catcher Mike Napoli's three-run home run in the sixth inning, he continued to add to his postseason legend Monday night in Arlington.

In a 2-2 game with the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols at the plate and Alan Craig running at first, Texas reliever Alexi Ogando sailed a 0-1 fastball into Napoli's glove. The former Angels backstop promptly threw a dart down to second to nab the would-be base stealer for the second out of the inning.

Then in the ninth with the potential tying run at the plate in the person of Pujols, manager Tony La Russa sent Craig on the 3-2 count with nobody out only to have Pujols strike out and Napoli nail Craig for the second time in three innings for a strike-'em-out-throw-'em out double play.

Sandwiched in between Napoli's two magnificent defensive throws came his third extra-base hit of the Fall Classic.

With the bases loaded in the eight inning. Napoli drove in the eventual game-winning runs with a two-run double into the right-center field gap and showing his range of emotions when reaching second base like he has all postseason long.

The six-foot catcher is batting .308 in his first five World Series games with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs. Compare that to the 10 RBIs the rest of the Texas squad has combined for during that time. What makes his nine runs batted in even more impressive is, Napoli has yet to record a multi-hit game in those five games, but he has walked three times.

In the 1997 postseason, Cleveland Indians backstop Sandy Alomar Jr. drove in 17 runs en route to their Game 7 World Series loss to the Florida Marlins, setting the single postseason record for a catcher, Napoli has driven in 12 thus far.

Once considered a defensive liability and traded twice in a five-day span, Napoli turned into the best hitter in baseball since this year's All-Star break, batting .378 since Independence Day and becoming a postseason hero this October.

On the mound, it was a battle of aces and a rematch of Game 1. Both C.J. Wilson and Chris Carpenter were brilliant, but reach receiving a no decision.

While Wilson has yet to record a win in this year's postseason, 18-year veteran Darren Oliver recorded his first career World Series win.

As for Wilson, he allowed only one earned run in this 5 and 1/3 innings of work, the fewest since his first postseason start in 2010 against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. Although, Wilson was another Texas player to draw comparisons to a member of the '97 Indians team. The left-handed matched Jaret Wright's record for the most walks in a single postseason with 19 and both coming in five starts.

Wilson handed out five of nine walks the Cardinals received in Game 5, but only saw two of those cross the plate.

La Russa, right, struggled to get his bullpen
through the eighth inning Monday.

St. Louis were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on bases, squandering numerous opportunities to break the game wide open. La Russa and Co. find themselves facing a 3-2 series deficit, but head home for the potential final two games of the series.

41 for the 61 teams that have held a 3-2 series lead go on to win the series. However, this will be the fifth time the Cardinals have faced this deficit in the World Series and the four previous times they have comeback to win games six and seven to win the series.

The Redbirds call on left-hander Jaime Garica in Game 6 to fin off elimination as he will be opposed by Colby Lewis, who is 4-1 in his seven career postseason starts with a 2.22.