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ST. LOUIS (AP) #8212;Having forced the World Series to a Game 7 for the firsttime in nine years, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa must decidewhether to send ace Chris Carpenter to the mound on short rest Friday night orstart Kyle Lohse(notes) or Edwin Jackson(notes). #8220;We are not going beyond this game. This is too important, #8221; Cardinalsmanager Tony La Russa said before Thursday football game night #8217;s thrilling 10-9 win. #8220;I hopeto have the problem. #8221;Now he does, thanks to a pair of improbable rallies in Game 6 and DavidFreese #8217;s(notes) decisive homer in the 11th inning that capped one of the most excitingfinishes in baseball history. Texas Rangers catcher Mike Nap- AP - Oct 28, 12:58 am EDTSt. Louis Cardinals #39; Davi- AP - Oct 28, 12:57 am EDTSt. Louis C football game ardinals greet Davi- AP - Oct 28, 12:55 am EDTSt. Louis Cardinals #39; Davi- AP - Oct 28, 12:52 am EDTSt. Louis Cardinals #39; Davi- AP - Oct 28, 12:50 am EDT1 of 5MLB Gallery Twice down to their final strike, the Cardinals tied it each time. Once inthe ninth inning on Freese #8217;s two-run triple off Neftali Feliz(notes), then again in the10th on Lance Berkman #8217;s(notes) RBI single off football game Scott Feldman(notes).Afterward, La Russa still would not commit to a Game 7 starter.Texas manager Ron Washington made his decision days ago, announcing he wouldstay in rotation and start Matt Harrison(notes), the Game 3 loser.The eight-year absence of baseball #8217;s ultimate game is the longest since theWorld Series began in 1903. The Cardinals hold the record for most World SeriesGame 7s, goin football game g 7-3.When a seventh game was last played in 2002, John Lackey(notes) pitched fiveinnings of one-hit ball to lead the Anaheim Angels over the San Francisco Giants4-1, completing a comeback from a 3-2 Series deficit. Lackey joined Babe Adamsof the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates as the only rookie starters to win a seventhgame, and the Angels became the eighth straight home team to triumph in Game 7since t football game he victory by Pittsburgh #8217;s #8220;We Are Family #8221; team at Baltimore in 1979.In 2001, Randy Johnson(notes) came out of the bullpen on no days #8217; rest and theDiamondbacks rallied for two runs in the ninth inning against Mariano Rivera(notes),beating the Yankees 3-2 on Luis Gonzalez #8217;s broken-bat single. #8220;When you #8217;re a little kid, you think about the seventh game of the football game WorldSeries, #8221; Gonzalez said. #8220;It didn #8217;t matter how the hit came. #8221;While the Cardinals are seeking their 11th title, the Rangers are going forthe first in the 51-year history of the franchise, which began as the expansionWashington Senators in 1961. The team moved to Texas for the 1972 season. #8220;We #8217;ve been backed into a corner for the last two months, #8221; the Ca football game rdinals #8217;Skip Schumaker(notes) said, #8220;so we know what it feels like. #8221;Carpenter won the opener, then allowed two runs in seven innings in Game 5Monday, giving up solo homers to Mitch Moreland(notes) and Adrian Beltre(notes). He didn #8217;t geta decision in the Cardinals 4-2 loss.He would be just the second pitcher since 1991 to make three Series starts,following Arizona #8217;s Cu football game rt Schilling a decade ago. But it would be just his secondcareer start on three days #8217; rest for the 36-year-old, who has come back fromseveral arm injuries. After pitching a two-hit shutout at Houston on the lastnight of the regular season to help clinch the NL wild card, Carpenter gave upfour runs over three innings in Game 2 of the division series at Philadelphia.He didn #8217;t get a decis football game ion as the Cardinals rallied to win 5-4.During the last two decades, starters on short rest are 9-8 with a 2.78 ERAin the World Series, with their teams going 12-15, according to STATS LLC.Lohse, who would be pitching on five days #8217; rest, was pulled after threeinnings in Game 3, and the Cardinals went on to win 16-7 against Harrison, whowas let down by his defense and allowed five runs #8212; football game two unearned #8212;in 3 2-3innings. Jackson struggled with his control and walked seven in 5 1-3 innings asSt. Louis lost 4-0 in Game 4.Hall of Famer Bob Gibson started three Game 7s for the Cardinals, winning in1964 and 1967 and losing in 1968 #8212;all with complete games.In 1926, Babe Ruth was thrown out trying to steal second base for the finalout as the Cardinals beat the Yankees 3-2. And in football game 1946, the score was tied at 3in the eighth when the Cardinals #8217; Enos Slaughter scored from first on HarryWalker #8217;s hit as Boston Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky hesitated with his relayafter receiving the throw from outfielder Leon Culberson.Other great moments include Edgar Renteria #8217;s(notes) 11th-inning single that won the1997 title for Florida against Cleveland, Gene Larkin #8217; football game s 10th-inning single thatgave Minnesota a 1-0 win over Atlanta in 1991 behind Jack Morris #8217; seven-hitter,and Bill Mazeroski #8217;s Series-ending home run in 1960 that lifted Pittsburgh overthe Yankees 10-9. #8220;Every day of my life, I think about that home run, #8221; Mazeroski said. #8220;Wouldn #8217;t you? #8221;Forty years before losing to the Angels, the Giants lost 1-0 in Game 7 toth football game e Yankees when Bobby Richardson gloved Willie McCovey #8217;s line drive to end thegame with Willie Mays stranded at second.While in New York, the Giants lost two especially painful seventh games.In 1912 against the Boston Red Sox, which actually was the eighth gamebecause of a 6-6 tie in Game 2, the Giants took a 2-1 lead in the top of the10th inning. They were one out from winning when Fred Snod football game grass dropped aroutine fly ball in center field. Tris Speaker #8217;s single tied the score and LarryGardner #8217;s sacrifice fly won it 3-2.In 1924, Earl McNeely #8217;s grounder bounced over rookie third baseman FreddieLindstrom #8217;s head to bring home Muddy Ruel with the winning run in the 12thinning, giving the original Washington Senators a 4-3 victory.Brooklyn fans treasure Johnny Podres football game #8217; 2-0 win in 1955 over the Yankees, whobeat the Dodgers in the Series five times previously. Sandy Koufax pitched ashutout on two days #8217; rest in 1965 as Los Angeles beat Minnesota #8217;s Jim Kaat 2-0,and Lew Burdette pitched a shutout on two days #8217; rest in 1957 to lead theMilwaukee Braves over the Yankees #8217; Don Larsen 5-0.In 1975, Cincinnati #8217;s Joe Morgan got the go-ahea football game d hit off Boston #8217;s JimBurton #8212;who never pitched in the major leagues again #8212;to give the Reds a 4-3victory at Fenway Park. The Mets overcame a 3-0 deficit against the Red Sox inGame 7 in 1986 as Ray Knight and Darryl Strawberry homered in an 8-5 victory. Follow Yahoo! Sports' MLB coverage on Twitter. Updated 29 minutes ago football game
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