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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) #8212;Tony La Russa has won a lot of games over a lot ofyears by deploying relief pitchers differently than most managers. Hisreputation may have worked against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of theWorld Series.Well, that and baseball #8217;s reliance on the 1900s technology of wall phones inbullpens even though they #8217;re apparently easily drowned out by raucous fans. football games Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist misunderstood La Russa twice with the game onthe line, forcing the Cardinals into an unfavorable matchup between left-handedreliever Mark Rzepczynski and Texas #8217; right-handed slugger Mike Napoli(notes) with oneout and the bases loaded. The Rangers #8217; catcher took advantage by nailing atwo-run double that gave Texas a 4-2 victory Monday night and put them one football games winfrom the franchise #8217;s first championship. #8220;That phone in a loud ballpark, it #8217;s not an unusual problem, #8221; La Russasaid. #8220;I mean, it doesn #8217;t make it right, but #8230; #8220;The bottom of the eighth inning was a comedy of errors for St. Louis. Itplayed out like something from the #8220;Can you hear me now? #8221; cell phonecommercials.It started with Lill football games iquist only having Rzepczynski warm up, when La Russareally wanted both him and right-handed closer Jason Motte(notes) to get loose.La Russa realized the problem once he put in Rzepczynski and saw no one elsewarming up, so he called back and ask for Motte again. This time, Lilliquisttold Lance Lynn(notes) to start throwing, even though he was only supposed to be usedin an emergency.La Russa also s football games aid the noise problem is not unusual with bullpens #8220;that areright amidst the fans and excitement. #8221; The visitors #8217; bullpen at RangersBallpark is in left-center field, with fans on either side. #8220;Maybe we need to come up with some ear mikes or something, #8221; La Russasaid.Considering all the technology available these days, there #8217;s got to be abetter way to do this #8212; football games right? #8220;Yeah, smoke signals from the dugout, #8221; La Russa said. #8220;There are times,like what happened in Philadelphia (during the first round of the playoffs). Thephone went out, and so we used cell phones. And then the Phillies brought downwalkie talkies, and they fixed the phone. #8221;The eighth inning began falling apart for St. Louis when Octavio Dotel(notes) tookover for starter football games Chris Carpenter and gave up a leadoff double.An intentional walk followed, then with one out, Rzepczynski came in for alefty-lefty matchup with David Murphy(notes). Texas could #8217;ve gone to a right-handedhitter, but stuck with Murphy. He hit a comebacker that could #8217;ve started adouble play. Instead, it ricocheted off Rzepczynski #8217;s leg to second baseman NickPunto(notes), loading the football games bases. #8220;He made a great pitch, but it happens, #8221; La Russa said. #8220;Sometimes ithappens for us, today it happened against us. #8221;Rzepczynski said he wasn #8217;t surprised to remain in to face Napoli becausethere was a lefty on deck, Mitch Moreland(notes). #8220;I #8217;ve done that all year, where if there #8217;s a righty in between, I #8217;m goingto go out there and get the cha football games nce to get the righty out, #8221; Rzepczynski said.La Russa added that he didn #8217;t think it was a matchup doomed to fail. #8220;We had a chance with Rzepczynski #8217;s stuff to get Napoli on the firstpitch, #8221; La Russa said. #8220;And then he put a nice swing on a breaking ball. #8221;Napoli drove a pitch into the wall in right-center field on one hop.Rzepczynski struck out Moreland, the football games n La Russa went to the mound and triedbringing in Motte. Only he hadn #8217;t warmed up yet. So when he called for therighty, in came Lynn. #8220;I said, #8216;Why are you here? #8221; #8217; La Russa said.With first base open, Lynn was told to intentionally walk Ian Kinsler(notes). LaRussa then returned to the mound and finally got the reliever he #8217;d wantedseveral batters earlier, Motte. On football games ly now St. Louis was down by two runs and thebases were loaded.The bearded closer struck out Elvis Andrus(notes) on three pitches, which only madethe regrets of what might #8217;ve been tougher for Cardinals fans to swallow oncethey learned of the wacky breakdown.Rzepczynski and Motte didn #8217;t even know there was a mix-up until after thegame. #8220;I go out there, the phone rings and we get go football games ing when we #8217;re told, #8221; Mottesaid. #8220;I started throwing when I was told to start throwing. #8221;And when was that? #8220;When Lance Lynn walked out, #8221; Motte said. #8220;I don #8217;t need a whole lot oftime anywhere. #8221;Lilliquist said the problems were caused by noise from the fans. #8220;It was loud, #8221; he said. #8220;A lot of places are like that. The phone is asgo football games od as any phone anywhere. #8221;La Russa #8217;s constant mixing and matching of pitchers was celebrated as a bigreason the Cardinals overcame a 10 1/2 game deficit down the stretch to make thepostseason, and his deft handling of the bullpen helped them get pastPhiladelphia and Milwaukee in the first two rounds. But things haven #8217;t been thesame since Motte closed out a victory in Game 1.Relie football games vers have given up eight runs over their last 11 innings. Motte lostGame 2, Mitchell Boggs(notes) allowed a game-breaking three-run homer #8212;to Napoli #8212;inGame 4 and Dotel was the loser in Game 5.Now the Rangers head to St. Louis with a 3-2 lead in the series. TheCardinals are facing elimination, something no one needs to explain more thanonce. Follow Yahoo! Sports' MLB coverage on Twitt football games er. Updated Oct 25, 4:00 am EDT football games
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