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Wild win gives Cardinals lead in World Series

ST. LOUIS — Fireworks erupted literally and figuratively as Allen Craig came crashing into home plate with the winning run for the Cardinals on Saturday.

Craig was tagged out and yet he wasn’t. And as much as the Red Sox protested, it wasn’t going to change anything.

“I didn’t know if I was safe or out or what was going on,” Craig said after he was awarded home plate on an obstruction call in the ninth inning, giving the Cardinals a 5-4 victory in Game 3 of the World Series at Busch Stadium.

Third-base umpire Jim Joyce ruled Will Middlebrooks impeded Craig after the third baseman lunged to try and catch Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s throw that sailed into left field.

In a wild chain of events, Jon Jay hit a sharp grounder that drawn-in diving Dustin Pedroia turned into a play at the plate to nail potential winning run Yadier Molina. Craig broke from second on the play and Saltalamacchia tried to throw him out at third. The throw sailed, and Middlebrooks hit the ground in Craig’s path. Daniel Nava’s throw home nailed Craig, but the point was moot by then.

“I don’t know what I would do different there,” Middlebrooks said.

According to the rule, intent isn’t necessary for a fielder to be guilty of obstruction.

“Allen had slid into third and stood up to attempt to go to home plate, everything was off right there,” Joyce said. “And when he tried to advance to home plate [Middlebrooks’] feet were up in the air and he tripped over Middlebrooks right there and immediately and instinctually I called obstruction.”

Crew chief John Hirschbeck said there is no question Joyce ruled the play correctly.

“I could see it all in front of me as it happened,” said Hirschbeck, who worked the left-field foul line. “We’re trained to look for these things. It’s out of the ordinary, but when it happens, and it’s the World Series, you expect to get it right.”

In other words, just a normal ending to give the Cardinals a 2-1 edge in the series heading into Sunday’s Game 4.

Craig had entered as a pinch-hitter in the ninth against Koji Uehara and stroked a double to put runners on second and third with one out before Jay hit the grounder and all hell broke loose.

“It wasn’t the prettiest way to finish, but we won the game and we’re happy about that,” Craig said.

Not so happy was Red Sox manager John Farrell, whose team lost a second straight game in which a wild play at third base was a factor. On Thursday, reliever Craig Breslow made an errant throw to third base that allowed the Cardinals to score the go-ahead run in their 4-2 victory at Fenway Park.

Farrell was stunned by the latest development.

“Tough way to have a game end, particularly of this significance,” he said. “When Craig trips over [Middlebrooks] I guess by the letter of the rule you could say obstruction. That’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Carlos Martinez had pitched brilliantly in Game 2 for the Cardinals, but the rookie reliever couldn’t protect a two-run lead in the eighth inning on Saturday. After drilling Shane Victorino — the right-hander had allowed a Jacoby Ellsbury single to begin the inning — David Ortiz was walked to load the bases with one out. Trevor Rosenthal entered and got Nava to hit into an RBI fielder’s choice before Xander Bogaerts’ chopper off Pete Kozma’s glove tied the game.

Matt Holliday’s two-run double in the seventh staked the Cardinals to a 4-2 lead, after Breslow allowed a check-swing infield single to Matt Carpenter and then ticked Carlos Beltran’s left arm with a pitch. Junichi Tazawa replaced Breslow and allowed the double to Holliday.

Joe Kelly lasted 5 ¹/₃ innings for the Cardinals and surrendered two earned runs on two hits with three walks and six strikeouts. The fireballing righty retired the first nine batters he faced before Ellsbury singled leading off the fourth — the beginning of a laborious stretch for Kelly.

Nava’s RBI single in the sixth tied the game at 2-2, after lefty reliever Randy Choate failed in his mission to retire Ortiz, whose single gave the Red Sox runners on the corners with one out. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny yanked Choate and summoned righty Seth Maness, allowing Nava to hit left-handed (the side of the plate from which he is far superior).

Jake Peavy went four innings for the Red Sox and allowed two earned runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He was removed for a pinch-hitter in the fifth, with the Red Sox trailing 2-0 and runners on the corners. Pinch-hitter Mike Carp hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to give the Red Sox their first run.

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