Cardinals fall off the tightrope this time

From St. Louis — Sooner or later, it had to happen.

If you have watched the St. Louis Cardinals play this season, as Tony La Russa juggled closers and late-inning leads got away, you knew they were living on borrowed time in October.

Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, three Rangers who can remember when the goal was to make the Angels play hard in September, made sure the bill was paid Thursday night in Game 2 of the World Series.

With the Cardinals three outs away from the first 1-0 victory in a Series game since Freddy Garcia pitched the White Sox to the clinching victory in 2005, Kinsler blooped a soft single into right field off Jason Motte. He stole second — a nanosecond ahead of Yadier Molina’s throw — and Elvis Andrus shot a single to center.

From the moment the ball left Andrus’ bat, the Rangers played textbook situational baseball. Andrus did almost as much with his feet as he had earlier in the game with a pair of diving plays at shortstop, and before the music stopped the Rangers had a 2-1 victory to even the Series.

“It all worked out,” Rangers Manager Ron Washington said.

And suddenly his players seem to have a feeling their second trip to the World Series might work out better than last year, when the Giants’ pitching ground them down.

If Molina’s throw to second had arrived any quicker, Kinsler would have been out and the Cardinals would be up two games to none. But the baseball gods that have given the Cardinals such a remarkable season — one in which they came from 101/2 games behind in the wild-card race to make the playoffs — gave Kinsler the millimeters that made the difference.

By how much did he beat the throw? “Enough,” Kinsler said.

While sacrifice flies from Hamilton and Young would drive in the tying and go-ahead runs, an equally significant moment came when Albert Pujols couldn’t cut off the throw home from Jon Jay on Andrus’ hit. Andrus alertly took second to get into position to advance one base on Hamilton’s fly to right fielder Skip Schumaker and another on Young’s to Jay.

“They played a classic ninth inning,” La Russa said. “They stole a base. Not many people would try to run on Yadi, and they barely, barely made it. But it took guts and they executed it. I tip my cap to them.”

How big was this rally?

“It wasn’t a Series-saving rally, but it was huge,” Kinsler said. “All these games are huge. To be able to come back against a guy like that, it’s big for us.”

Motte, 29, is a late-blooming Lee Smith in the same way that some compare Jaime Garcia to Fernando Valenzuela.

Garcia had been money through seven innings, battling Colby Lewis in a duel that stood 1-0 in the Cardinals’ favor thanks to Allen Craig’s second straight pinch-hit single off Alexi Ogando. They reprised their Game 1 meeting in the seventh inning this time, and the single off a 96-mph fastball gave the Cardinals their lead.

Motte, one of eight Cardinals with saves in 2011, had worked a perfect ninth in Game 1. His career save total (12) should tell you it’s asking a lot to hand him one-run leads in consecutive World Series games.

Blown leads are inevitable in baseball. They’re also always hard on those responsible for them. And there could be more before a champion is crowned.

“Tonight was one of those great ballgames you will continue to see [by] the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers,” Washington said. “That’s what you’re in for. I have to say those of you who have bad hearts, watch yourself.”

La Russa says Motte will be back on the mound Saturday if the Cardinals have a lead to protect. This time around, Cardinals fans won’t need to be reminded to hold their breath.

progers@tribune.com