Major League Baseball

Ringolsby: Five keys to Game 3

Published Oct. 22, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Texas has a recent history on its side in the World Series.

The Rangers split the first two games in St. Louis, winning Game 2 on Thursday night, 2-1, with a ninth-inning rally.

The winner of each of the six previous postseason series this October won Game 2. Of those six, three won Game 2 on the road and were rebounding from losing Game 1:  St. Louis against Philadelphia in the NL Division Series and Milwaukee in the NLCS; and Detroit in the AL Division Series against the Yankees.

Texas’ next step in trying to make it 7-for-7 comes tonight when Game 3 of the World Series will be played in Texas, and the storylines to follow include:

INSIDER TRADING

The designated hitter has become a major World Series debate. First introduced to baseball in 1973, the DH was incorporated into World Series play in 1976 to be used in even years only. It was in 1986 that baseball decided to include the DH in the World Series annually, but only for games played in American League parks.

The World Series moves to Rangers Ballpark at Arlington for Game 3 tonight. Does that mean the St. Louis Cardinals, who play in the National League where pitchers hit, will be at a disadvantage?

Not really.

Tony La Russa has spent the last 16 years managing the Cardinals in the NL, but he had 17 years of experience in the AL with the Chicago White Sox and Oakland A’s prior to that. So to act like he doesn’t have a feel for the DH because he only uses it nine games a year in interleague play is misleading.

This is the 15th time in the 25 World Series with the DH rule (there was no World Series in 1994) that the manager of the National League team had previous experience in the American League, including La Russa, who also took the Cardinals to the World Series in 2004 when they lost to Boston, and 2006 when they beat Detroit.

The National League has won 10 of the last 24 World Series. Five of those NL teams were managed by men who previously worked in the AL: La Russa in 2006; Charlie Manuel of Philadelphia against Tampa Bay in 2008; Jack McKeon of Florida against the New York Yankees in 2003; Bobby Cox of Atlanta against Cleveland in 1995; Lou Piniella of Cincinnati against Oakland in 1990.

The five exceptions were Bruce Bochy of San Francisco against Texas last year; Bob Brenly of Arizona against the Yankees in 2001, Jim Leyland of Florida against Cleveland in 1997, Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers against the A's in 1988 and Davey Johnson of the New York Mets against the Red Sox in 1986. Leyland and Johnson subsequently managed in the American League.

WIN, WIN

St. Louis reliever Arthur Rhodes gets a World Series ring, regardless of who wins. Rhodes opened the season with Texas, but was released by them in August, and was signed by St. Louis. The Rangers, in fact, are paying the bulk of the $1 million that remained on Rhodes' contract at the time of his release. Teams traditionally give a World Series ring to any player who was on their roster the year of the championship.

Seem odd that a player gets a World Series ring even if he is an active member of the team that loses in the World Series?

It shouldn't. A year ago, Texas dealt right-hander Chris Ray to San Francisco for catcher Bengie Molina in July. The Giants won the World Series. Molina was given a ring.

Lance Berkman could have been in a win-win situation, too, but after declining to sign with the Rangers as a free agent last winter, he balked at a late-July trade by St. Louis that would have sent him to Texas. At the time, the Cardinals did not feel they were in the pennant race. Berkman told the Cardinals that if they wanted to trade him, OK, but he would not re-sign with them in the offseason.

The Cardinals decided to keep Berkman, not only for this year, but also next year, signing him to a $12 million deal on Sept. 22.

HE CAME FROM WHERE?

Matt Harrison was the extra body among the five players that Atlanta sent to Texas on July 31, 2007 for first baseman Mark Teixeira and left-handed journeyman reliever Ron Mahay.

The big name at the time was catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who never met expectations in Texas and was shipped to Boston in a minor-league deal in July, 2010. The two big names on the Rangers roster from that trade are shortstop Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz.

Harrison wasn’t even the most prominent left-handed pitcher. The other player in the deal was lefty Beau Jones, a first-round pick of the Braves in 2003. That’s the same year Harrison was a third-round pick.

Now look at Harrison. He starts Game 3 of the World Series tonight against St. Louis in Arlington, Texas, after a 14-9 season in which he had a 3.39 ERA. The Rangers have won both of his postseason starts. In fact, Harrison is 5-0 in his last seven starts, dating back to September.

And it might be wise to reaffirm he is left-handed. St. Louis is 22-22 in games left-handers have started against them this season, including 2-2 in the postseason.

IN A FUNK

Kyle Lohse draws the Game 3 start for St. Louis. He was a godsend down the stretch, going 6-1 in his last 10 regular-season starts. The Cardinals were 8-2 in those games. Things haven’t gone so well in the postseason.

Lohse lost his starts against Philadelphia in the NL Division Series and Milwaukee in the NLCS, giving up nine runs (eight earned) in 9 2/3 innings.

He did, however, pitch better on the road (8-3, 3.13) than at home (6-5, 3.67) during the regular season.

The question is whether he has worn out. Troubled by injuries the last two years, when he was a combined 10-18, Lohse worked 209 2/3 innings total in those two seasons. Healthy this year, he already has pitched 198 innings.

He has gotten decent results in his career against Texas. He is 3-3 overall and 3-2 in Texas. But they haven’t been works of art. He has a 6.75 ERA in Texas, and his 6.60 ERA overall against Texas is the second highest he has against any major-league team. He has a 6.89 ERA against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. And it’s not a limited sample. Lohse has appeared in 12 games, nine starts, against the Rangers.

Michael Young is only 7-for-30 against Lohse, but three of the seven hits were home runs. Adrian Beltre is only 1-for-9 against Lohse, but the hit was a home run.

BETTER TO BE LUCKY THAN GOOD

Scott Feldman, who was Texas’ Opening Day starter in 2010, underwent micro-fracture surgery of his right knee last winter. He wasn’t ready when the season started, and wound up on the disabled list. His comeback was uncertain enough that in July the Rangers placed Feldman on waivers, and no teams claimed him.

Texas’ plans to outright Feldman to the minors hit a roadblock. Feldman refused to accept the assignment, which meant he would either become a free agent or the Rangers had to activate him to the big-league roster. The Rangers decided to keep Feldman.

Nobody is complaining now.

This is the postseason of the reliever, but somehow Feldman has been pushed into a corner. He has worked 10 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the Rangers this fall, four shy of the postseason record for a reliever that Goose Gossage set with the Yankees in 1981.

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