Rangers vs. Cardinals: Hometown Hero David Freese Will Lift Cards to Title

From Minnesota Twin Kirby Puckett sending the Twins to a Game 7 against the Braves, to Toronto Blue Jay Joe Carter winning it all versus the Philadelphia Phillies, Game 6 of the World Series has seen some dramatic homers. 

But last night’s home run from the hometown kid in St. Louis, David Freese, was better than both of those home runs. 

Not only did the home run send this epic series into a Game 7, but it did so after this Cardinals’ team came back not once, but twice. 

In case you missed it, the Cardinals were one strike away from their season ending in the ninth inning, and then in the 10th inning they were one out away from a crushing defeat.

David Freese stepped up to the plate with no one on base in the 11th and crushed a Rangers pitch into the cold St. Louis night, a ball that landed in the grass beyond the center field wall. 

It was a cherry on a Game 6 sundae that still has people talking. 

The home run from the home town kid will push this Cardinals team over the edge and give them the momentum to win huge in Game 7. 

Just take a look at what Cardinals’ veterans in Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman said.

"In the 31 years I've been alive and the 11 years I've been in the big leagues, this was pretty special, man," said Pujols. "This is what baseball is all about."

“The greatest game I've ever played in," said right fielder Lance Berkman about last night's Game 6.

But, when you think about great walk-off plays for the home team in Game 6 of the World Series, two come to mind that resulted in their team using their epic momentum to win Game 7 of the series. 

Think back to that Kirby Puckett walk-off home run against the Braves. Kirby led his team with a big play before that home run and then his Twins team used Kirby’s big plays to beat the Braves in Game 7.

Then there was the Mets’ World Series win in 1986.

Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball through Bill Buckner’s legs, the Mets won Game 6 and as you probably have seen thousands of times, the Mets went on to win Game 7 two nights later. 

David Freese has made himself a hero for this Cardinal franchise. Now, he has to go on to finish this storybook ending by winning Game 7 and the World Series. 

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