There's no rule or law of physics that says that the Rangers and Cardinals will lose if they keep going to their bullpen in the sixth or seventh inning of every game, which they've done throughout the LDS and LCS. But it'd be weird to play that many games and not deploy a single reliever having an off night. A good bullpen can do a lot of things, but they usually aren't perfect.

In the seventh inning, Tony La Russa put in once-closer Fernando Salas, but the right-hander could only get one out. Salas allowed a single to Nelson Cruz and a walk to Mike Napoli. There were two on with one out, and it looked like La Russa's Midas touch was going to end the same way it did for King Midas, who I believe choked on a LOOGY made of gold.

Not yet. La Russa's touch is still golden, and in the good way. He replaced Salas with Marc Rzepczynski, who struck out Craig Gentry and Esteban German to end the threat.

Yeah, I didn't know he was still around, either. He did hit .301 this year in the Pacific Coast League, but as the old saying goes, when your best pinch-hitter is Esteban German, your best pinch-hitter is Esteban German. There had to have been a better option on the bench ... Yorvit Torrealba, maybe, especially against a lefty?