ST LOUIS (Reuters) ? The St. Louis Cardinals faced a do-or-die World Series game against the Texas Rangers on Thursday but the National League champions are accustomed to the pressure.
"That's one plus we have going for us, we've played this game," said St. Louis manager Tony La Russa, whose team trailed the Rangers 3-2 in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
"Literally, we've played it three times," he added. "So guys have responded. We'll respond today. They may be good enough to beat us, but we'll be ready."
Rain washed out Game Six Wednesday, but the weather cleared and the teams were ready to tangle at Busch Stadium Thursday with St. Louis facing possible elimination.
It has been a season of comebacks for the Cardinals.
They lost a top starting pitcher in Adam Wainwright to elbow surgery before the season and battled back from a 10 and one-half game deficit with a month to go to reach the playoffs as the wildcard on the last day of the campaign.
The Cardinals came back to beat the National League-leading Philadelphia Phillies by winning the final two games of their best-of-five divisional playoff series on the road, taking the clincher in a 1-0 nailbiter.
"We had face to "Doc" (Roy Halladay) and Roy Oswalt to win the Phillies series when we were down, so I think that was as tough as anything for us, and we pulled through with that one," said Skip Schumaker, starting in centerfield Thursday.
"We've been backed into a corner for the last two months, so we know what it feels like."
"I don't think anybody is feeling any added pressure because of Game Six, and a chance to go home because of the situation we're in, because we've been in this must win situation before."
Game Six was scrubbed Wednesday because of the threat of steady rain that did not materialize in St. Louis.
La Russa said he believed Major League Baseball made the right move.
"It was a perfect decision," La Russa said. "When you consider the fans, the quality of the baseball, we could have endured it and they could have endured it, but that's the beauty of playing the last series, isn't it?
"You're not trying to worry about what's happening in the other league, and it was by far the best decision.
"It may not have stormed here, but there was enough ugly weather that it would have been very messy and uncomfortable."
La Russa was asked if he had been told on the February night he learned that 20-game winner Wainwright was lost, that the Cardinals would be in Game Six of the World Series needing to win two, would he have believed it and would he have signed up for that scenario.
"I would have kissed your butt at home plate Opening Day if I would have believed you," La Russa said to a burst of laughter in the interview room. "That's easy, man. Being here, two wins away from the world championship.
"We've had a lot of fun. We've popped champagne three times, and we're going to try our best to get the fourth one."
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