ST. LOUIS -- Texas Rangers starter C.J. Wilson didn't pitch his best in Game 1 of the World Series Wednesday night, but lefty did leave a 2-2 game having danced his way out of trouble at times and receiving little help from friends.
All that matters, however is the 'L' by his name and the fact that he continues to struggle with pitch count, falling behind batters and issuing free passes. He provided six Wednesday night, plus hitting Albert Pujols on a ball in the dirt that started off St. Louis' two-run fourth inning.
Wilson threw 94 pitches in 5 2/3 innings. His final four pitches to Nick Punto were all balls, although Wilson intentionally stayed low and away with the hope of getting him to chase. He allowed just three hits, all in the fourth when Lance Berkman's grounder skidded by Michael Young and down the right-field line. And, Wilson left a runner on third in the sixth inning for Alexi Ogando, who couldn't keep the game tied.
"I felt like I was throwing the ball pretty well tonight," Wilson said. "You give up a ground ball right there [to Berkman] that scores two runs, that's kind of unfortunate. Other than that, I minimized the damage and pitched pretty strategically to the guys that I wanted to."
He got a double play in the first after a lead-off walk and and got Matt Holliday to double up in the fifth with one out and runners at first and second. He didn't get a break when Pujols gobbled up Young's sixth-inning grounder down the line with Ian Kinsler on first, and he got an 0-for-12 night from his 2-3-4 hitters.
Still, Wilson couldn't complete the sixth inning after getting two outs. David Freese doubled to the gap with one out and then Wilson struck out catcher Yadier Molina. That brought up eight-hole hitter Nick Punto, who was batting just .143 in the postseason.
Does Wilson go right after Punto with pitcher Chris Carpenter on deck or pitch around him to get to Carpenter?
He pitched around Punto, failing to get him to lunge at two curveballs down and away, and walked him on four pitches. Carpenter then gets pulled for pinch-hitter Allen Craig and Wilson's night ends right there.
"The plan was not to give in," Wilson said. "I knew that they have either Carpenter coming up or a pinch-hitter and with Alexi Ogando warming up behind me I have confidence that he's going to come in and get that guy out if I get pulled."
Ogando, though, gave a line shot and Craig drove in the winning run for Carpenter. The Cardinals have won Carpenter's last four starts.
Wilson's trend is the other way.
The Rangers are now 2-6 in his eight career postseason starts and Wilson is winless in his last seven.
"I thought C.J. did a good job tonight," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Yep, he may have walked some guys and he hit Albert, but he was in a 2-2 ballgame and was battling Carpenter. As far as I'm concerned, it was a pretty good ballgame, and C.J. did his job."
If Wilson is to turn his postseason around before hitting free agency, he'll need a Game 5 on his home field.
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