ShareThisARLINGTON, Texas - Looks like Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was right.
This really is "The Year of the Napoli."
If you weren't convinced when Mike Napoli hit that three-run homer in the sixth inning on Sunday night to make sure this World Series was all tied up, then you had to be converted to Napolism after watching what he did in the final two innings of Game 5 here Monday.
Let's start with his two-run double in the eighth that put the Texas Rangers on top 4-2.
Then we can finish with the Texas catcher completing a strike 'em out-throw 'em out double play in the ninth.
Napoli fired a strike to second baseman Ian Kinsler to gun down Allen Craig after Albert Pujols swung and came up empty on strike three against Rangers closer Neftali Feliz.
That was the highlight of the Rangers' 4-2 win over the Cardinals that sends this thing back to St. Louis for the final two games, with Texas needing to win just one to claim its first ever World Series championship.
What do you want to bet that Napoli doesn't have the game-winning hit in that one, too?
Don't bet too much.
The guy is amazing!
Go find that anointing oil and pour it all over his head.
Napoli was an unusual 0-for-3 when he stepped to the plate to face reliever Marc Rzepczynski with the bases loaded in the ninth.
He hadn't had much luck against starter Chris Carpenter but came close in the sixth.
Real close.
With two buddies on base, Napoli hit a shot to the deepest part of the park. Center-fielder Skip Schumaker had one foot on the warning track when the ball popped into his glove.
Next time, Napoli aimed a little more right.
His bases-loaded double hit the base of the wall near the 407-foot sign in right-center.
Nah-po-lee.
Nah-po-lee.
St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said the left-handed Rzepczynski wasn't supposed to pitch to Napoli.
He wanted to go to righty Jason Motte, but because of noise and a communication mixup with the bullpen, Motte wasn't up throwing.
Tony, it didn't matter.
You could have put Cy Young out there, and Napoli would have still hit him.
It's his year, man.
The 4-2 lead that Napoli gave the Rangers seemed safe until, Feliz hit Allen Craig with a pitch to lead off the ninth.
That brought the big bopper Pujols to the plate as the potential tying run.
The Rangers had intentionally walked Pujols three straight times. No way they could do it four it a row. Not with Craig standing over on first.
Feliz did his job. He struck out Pujols.
Napoli did his job. He threw out Craig.
"I want to be a complete player," Napoli said. "You know, I'm not just here trying to be an offensive player. My job is to get pitchers through innings, give them a quality start, try to get us a win.
"I'm trying hard on the defensive side. That's my main goal. And then when I come up to hit, I go to hit."
Contact Nick Gholson at gholsonn(at)timesrecordnews.com
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