Rhodes gets his moment as Cardinals hold on for thrilling Game 1 victory

Arthur Rhodes celebrates getting the final out of the eighth inning in what was his first World Series appearance. (Photo: Reuters/Jeff Haynes)

The postseason journey to the World Series has often been more exciting than the series itself. There is a history between teams on the quest for the ring, They face each other multiple times during the season, know tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, and have an idea of what is necessary to outplay a certain opponent. Unsurprisingly, this postseason’s Divisional and Championship series were exhilarating, with close games, gripping action, and many impressive individual performances.

Considering all that took place heading into the St. Louis Cardinals battle with the Texas Rangers, the World Series letdown was bound to continue, right? Instead, Game 1 lived up to the preceding games played by its participants, with a moving story at its heart.

Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter took on Rangers’ C.J. Wilson in a battle of the aces, but though neither were on the top of their game they kept the offensive production to a minimum. They didn’t disappoint entertainment-wise. Carpenter cussed about missing his location and dove head-first into first base to get an out, while Wilson continuously uncorked 58-footers and allowed his fair share of baserunners.

Wilson’s major hiccup came in the fourth, when he allowed the first three to reach and two runs to score on a Lance Berkman double. Busch Stadium, blanketed in red, came alive, but their joy was short-lived, as Mike Napoli quickly erased the Cardinals lead by crushing a two-run blast off Carpenter in the top of the fifth. It was evident that this game would come down to the bullpens, two relief cores that have been extraordinary this season.

Both bullpens had ERAs under 2.00 in the Championship Series’ while logging an uncanny amount of innings. The opposition hit under .200 against them, too, so it was only right that Game 1 of the World Series would pit the them against each other and put the game in their hands.

The first reliever, Alexei Ogando, surprisingly served up the big hit. Upon entering with two on and two outs in the sixth, he allowed a jam-shot by Carpenter’s pinch-hitter, Allen Craig, that barely evaded right-fielder Nelson Cruz’s grasp. A 3-2 lead was St. Louis’s, as former Eugene Emerald David Freese cruised in to score. The advantage was still one in the eighth when Cardinals’ Arthur Rhodes entered as the team’s fourth reliever.

There is often at least one great individual story attached to the World Series. This year, it is Rhodes’. The man is 41 years old, born the same year we landed on the moon. He started playing minor league baseball in 1998 in the Baltimore Orioles organization, two years before I was born. He first graced a major league mound when I was one. He didn’t make his first All-Star team until 2010 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. His only other individual accolade is a Player of the Week award he earned in August of 1994 with the Orioles. And, in his 20th season on his ninth team, he is playing in his first World Series.

A career-long journey doesn’t get much better than this. The guy who was cut by the Rangers earlier this season was in to face slugger and former teammate Josh Hamilton with two outs in the eighth, trying to preserve the slim lead a blast could erase. Before taking on Hamilton, he drew his late son’s initials in the dirt on the backside of the mound. He said he was playing for him. Rhodes’ story just kept growing and growing. It was impossible not to root for the veteran.

He fell behind Hamilton 3-1, unfortunately finding himself in the ultimate hitter’s count. Rhodes then showed why he hadn’t relinquished a run, let alone a hit, in his previous five appearances this postseason. He got Hamilton to foul a fifth-straight fastball off, evening the count, then changed speeds on him, twirling a changeup that resulted in a weak flyout.

The crowd roared. Rhodes pumped his fist. He had done something he is used to doing, but something he had never done on the biggest of stages. In his 900th career game he was finally pitching in the World Series, making an impact even at 41, facing a team that released him three months ago. This couldn’t have been scripted any better.

No matter who wins the World Series, Rhodes will get a ring due to how long he remained with the Rangers. All that is on his mind, though, is making the most of his first chance and helping his current team get what he has been after for two decades. Having a hand in creating a 1-0 series lead is a good start.