Baseball: St Louis Cardinals Take 2-1 Lead in Best-of-seven World Series

Jim Edmonds broke a scoreless tie with a crucial two-run double in the fourth inning of the St Louis Cardinals' 5-0 win over the Detroit Tigers and help his side take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven World Series.

The veteran slugger's hot bat is one reason the Cardinals find themselves two victories away from overall victory, two years after being humiliated by the Boston Red Sox in the Fall Classic. Edmonds' heroics in front of 47,000 ecstatic fans at the Busch Stadium came as redemption of sorts for the horrendous Series he and his team-mates endured against the Sox in 2004, when he managed just one hit in 15 trips to the plate.

"This is the World Series and I'm having a good time. This is what it's all about," said Edmonds, who is rebounding from a tough year where various ailments, including a lingering concussion, caused him to have a less than stellar season.

Chris Carpenter also contributed with an excellent pitching performance, tossing a three-hitter over eight innings, but he was quick to tip his cap to Edmonds. "He always seems to step up when the time is needed," said Carpenter. "He obviously had a big hit tonight. It's fun to have him on my team."

St Louis third baseman Scott Rolen also paid tribute to the home fans, who greeted their team with a deafening roar during the announcements of the starting line-ups and remained raucous throughout. "The fans here are incredible," he told reporters. "This is a real baseball city and it's a great place to play because of that."

The Cardinals are making the most of their new ballpark, which is hosting its first World Series after opening in April. "Everybody talked about how important it was for us to split the first two games of the series in Detroit," said manager Tony LaRussa. "There was a reason for that. We wanted to get the series home tied because we knew how much a factor these fans can be at this time of year."

Loyal Cardinals fans have been waiting since 1982 to win a World Series, but it seems that neither the 24-year drought nor the four-game championship sweep in 2004 has dampened their enthusiasm.