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.

Mariano is a Cut Above

Rivera has arguably the greatest entrance
in sports.

Sunday night New York Yankee closer Mariano Rivera recorded his seventh save of the season in as many chances.

It was his 566th save of his career, leaving him trailing the recently retired Trevor Hoffman by only 35 for the all-time mark at 601. With Rivera signing a two-year deal in the offseason with the Yankees, you can almost ensure he will leave the game as the all-time saves leader.

A record that once it's set might be unbreakable.

In June of 2009, Rivera became only the second player in Major League history to reach 500-save plateau, joining obviously only Hoffman. He will soon be the second member to join the elusive 600 club. But it's not Rivera's regular season numbers, but his postseason numbers that set him apart from any other reliever to toe the rubber.

Rivera's breakout season was in 1996 as the setup man to closer John Wetteland, when he pitched in still a career-high 107.2 innings with a 130 strike outs. With that formula, the Yankees would go on to win their first World Series title since 1978, beginning the start of what could have been baseball's last dynasty.

In 1997, Rivera was named the closer as Wetteland signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent. Rivera would have another great season, recording 43 saves in his first season as a closer.

However, that year Rivera suffered one of his only scars in the postseason, surrendering a game-tying home run to Sandy Alomar Jr. in Game 4 of the American League Division Series. New York would go on to lose the series in five games. With Rivera looking discouraged after the defeat, then-Yankee manager Joe Torre said something that might have alter the course of Rivera's career. "You're my closer as long as I am here," Torre said.

Since that time, Rivera has been the most dominant reliever the game has ever seen. In 94 career postseason games, Rivera has posted an 8-1 record with a 0.71 earned run average and a Major League record 42 saves, matching the number on his back. Rivera has seemingly done it with one devastating pitch, his cut fastball.

With his impeccable control and late life, Rivera has broken countless big league bats.

Rivera has always carried himself as a true professional and constantly crediting the Lord with the gift he was given.

Now, at age 41, Rivera continues to lose a little giddy-up on his fastball. Once throwing in the mid-to-upper 90s, Rivera consistently throws in the upper 80s to low 90s, but the results are much in the same.

In nine games this season, the ageless right-hander has not allowed a run, giving up only four hits, not walking a batter and holding opponents to a .143 average. Rivera's consistency over his 17-year career is what has made this run so unbelievable.

It's hard to believe that Rivera, who is thought to be the most valuable player to any team the past decade and a half, has never won the AL Cy Young Award, finishing as high as second back in 2005.

The eleven-time All-Star is the last player to wear the No. 42 after being able to continue to wear it when it was retired throughout Major League Baseball back in '97 to honor the late Jackie Robinson. It's only fitting that Rivera will be the last to wear a number that means so much to baseball after he has left such an imprint on the game.

Rivera seemingly looks timeless and will be coming out of the Yankee bullpen forever. That will not be the case, father time catches up to everyone eventually. Lets hope the Panama native is long since retired before that occurs.

When Rivera makes his final appearance for the Yankees he will enter to the opening strains of "Enter Sandman" and it will a be a sad, yet grand exit.