Game 3 - An Obstruction of Justice?

Boston's Jake Peavy struggled in the first inning. Everything he threw seemed to be over the plate. He may have been fortunate to get out of the inning only giving up two runs. Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina grabbed the two RBIs that inning.

In the fourth, Peavy had loaded the bases with no one out. Pete Kozma, who has been having a nightmarish World Series came to the plate in hope of redeeming himself. Instead, he struck out looking. The pitcher Joe Kelly popped out next and then so did Matt Carpenter.

After Xander Bogaerts tripled off of Kelly in the fifth, he scored on a ground out. In the top of the sixth, Daniel Nava knocked in Shane Victorino to tie the game at two.

Craig Breslow let two men on in the seventh, even though one reached on a dribbler and the other reached on a dubious hit by pitch. Junichi Tazawa gave up the go-ahead single to Matt Holliday which plated two Cards.

Red Sox Manager John Farrell can be questioned for pinch hitting for Felix Doubrant in the seventh with none on and two out. Doubrant had pitched two dominating innings and the Sox didn't have much going offensively in the inning. The top of the order was due up in the top of the eighth and perhaps it would have made more sense to save Gomes for later. That became especially true when relief pitcher Brandon Workman made his major league debut at the plate in the ninth.

Carlos Martinez gave up two runs in the eighth when Nava hit into a ground out and when Bogaerts singled. The game was tied at four heading into the ninth.

With runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth, Workman faced John Jay. Jay grounded to second when Dustin Pedroia snatched the ball and fired home. Yadier Molina was out. Then, catcher Jared Saltalamacchia fired down to the third. Will Middlebrooks couldn't get the ball. He was positioned about a foot away from third place in fair territory. When the runner, Allen Craig tried to scamper home, Middlebrooks lifted his legs. Though Craig was gunned out at home, obstruction was called.

The Cardinals won 5-4 in walk off fashion in one of the most bizarre endings to a World Series game. St. Louis is now up 2-1 in the series.