Texas @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2011 ) Texas 9, St. Louis 10

THE STORY: The St. Louis Cardinals staged one of the top World Series comebacks of all-time in Game 6 to set up a winner-take-all finale against the Texas Rangers on Friday. Texas was one strike away from winning in both the ninth and 10th innings but the Cardinals rallied both times and won 10-9 on David Freese’s dramatic 11th-inning homer. The St. Louis comebacks – and Texas collapses – prompt the first World Series Game 7 since the Anaheim Angels defeated the San Francisco Giants in 2002.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Fox.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Matt Harrison (0-1, 7.36 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Chris Carpenter (1-0, 2.77 ERA)

Harrison lasted just 3 2/3 innings in Game 3, won 16-7 by the Cardinals. Harrison gave up five runs (three earned) and six hits. He hasn’t gone longer than five innings in any of his three postseason starts.

Carpenter allowed two runs in each of his World Series starts, pitching six innings to win Game 1 and hurling seven innings while taking a no-decision in Game 5. All the runs off him have come on homers – Mike Napoli’s two-run shot in the opener and solo shots by Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland in Game 5.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Freese etched his name into St. Louis lore in Game 6 by smacking a game-tying two-run triple with two out in the ninth in addition to his game-winning homer. Lance Berkman delivered the game-tying single in the 10th as part of 3-for-5 game in which he homered, scored four times and had three RBIs. Albert Pujols had a double in Game 6 for his first hit since going 5-for-6 with three homers in Game 3. Matt Holliday left Thursday’s game with a bruised right pinkie but expects to play Friday. Allen Craig also homered in Game 6.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Napoli reached base five times in Game 6 and had his 10th RBI of the season but also sprained his left ankle. Postgame X-rays were negative. Nelson Cruz (strained groin) also is ailing and left the game a few innings after belting his record-tying eighth homer of the postseason. Josh Hamilton hit a two-run homer in the 10th for his first blast of the postseason and had three hits and three RBIs. Beltre also homered. Neftali Feliz (ninth) and Scott Feldman (10th) were the relievers who blew late leads and Mark Lowe served up Freese’s game-winning shot.

FINAL PITCH: The home team has won the last eight times the World Series has featured a Game 7. The last road team to win a Game 7 was the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.