On the brink
ARLINGTON, Texas — Mike Napoli was dialed in, no matter who he was going to face.
A charmed season for Napoli and the Texas Rangers got even better Monday night, thanks to a most unlikely twist — a bullpen telephone mix-up.
After a dropped ball and a dropped call, of sorts, loaded the bases in the eighth inning, Napoli delivered a tiebreaking two-run double that beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 and gave Texas a 3-2 edge in the World Series.
The Rangers moved within one win of capturing their first crown, which they can do Wednesday night in St. Louis.
“We certainly won’t be out there thinking about we’ve just got to win one game,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “I’ve been there before, and that doesn’t work.”
And the Cardinals’ approach? Maybe get a smartphone, or perhaps next time they should try texting the bullpen.
Napoli’s go-ahead stroke came off Marc Rzepczynski, right after a potential double-play ball slipped away from the St. Louis reliever, causing manager Tony La Russa to put his hands to his head in exasperation.
More bruising, at least to the Cardinals: Rzepczynski wasn’t even supposed to face Napoli.
La Russa said he called down to the bullpen earlier in the eighth and wanted Rzepczynski and closer Jason Motte to get ready. Instead, bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist heard only Rzepczynski at first. La Russa called again to ask for Motte and this time Lilliquist heard “Lynn,” as in reliever Lance Lynn.
“I was more frustrated the double-play ball went off the glove and the fact we had numerous chances to add runs. That’s probably more frustrating,” La Russa said.
“The other part just happens. I mean, it’s loud down there, and sometimes you call down there and you have to wait until the crowd and a guy gets up late. I mean, this is not unusual,” he said.
Said Lilliquist: “You get a bunch of people, and it’s loud.”
“He wanted Motte going easy to back Zep up and I thought I heard Lynn. It transpired from there,” he said. “It’s basically miscommunication. It was loud. A lot of places are like that. The phone is as good as any phone anywhere.”
The right-handed Napoli, meanwhile, was set to face the left-handed Rzepczynski with the one out and the score 2-all.
“I didn’t really see anybody warming up in the bullpen, so I kind of figured I was going to face him,” Napoli said.
“Just trying to get something to the outfield, you know, get a sac fly, get that run across the board,” he said. “I was trying to stay short and I got a pitch I could handle over the middle of the plate and put it in the gap.”
After Napoli put Texas ahead, the slugging catcher capped off his night of double duty by throwing out a would-be base stealer in the ninth as Albert Pujols struck out.
“Pujols is going to put it in play, he’s a good contact hitter,” Napoli said, “and they were just starting the runner, 3-2. As soon as I got it, I just got rid of it and put it on the bag.”
