World Series Game 6: Garcia a homebody

The phone lines from the dugouts to the bullpens at Busch Stadium have been checked out. They are working.

Now the World Series focus, after a slight pause, can return to the field.

ABOUT TIME

Championship especially sweet for Cardinals veterans, FOX Sports Midwest says.

The Texas Rangers take a 3-games-to-2 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals into Game 6 of the World Series at Busch Stadium on Thursday night, weather permitting.

Here are five storylines to follow Thursday night in Texas’ bid for its first world championship:

Equal opportunity

Texas is poised to add another chapter to the growing parity in baseball.

The Rangers are one win away from becoming the 10th different team to win a World Series in the past 11 years. If the Rangers win, Arlington, Texas, would become the fourth city in the those 11 years to celebrate its first world championship, joining Phoenix (2001), Anaheim (2002) and San Francisco (2010).

Home on road

The Rangers are going to have to get the job done on the road if they are going to win a World Series for the first time. They have two shots at that fourth win, but both those shots will come at Busch Stadium.

This is the 59th time in a best-of-seven format that the World Series has advanced to a Game 6. In 40 of the previous 58 series, the team with a 3-2 series lead has become the world champion. In 35 occasions, however, it has gone to seven games. The visitor has been the team with a 3-2 lead 32 times. In 20 of those series, the visiting team has won the world championship, with 22 of those 32 going to seven games.

The Rangers certainly aren’t intimidated. They were 44-37 on the road during the regular season. Impressive? Well, St. Louis was only 45-36 at Busch Stadium.

NO EXCUSE

Hamilton not leaning on injury as excuse for World Series loss, FOX Sports Southwest says.

This postseason, the home team has won 21 of 36 games, a .583 winning percentage. The home team is 3-2 in the World Series, and was 8-4 in the LCS, and 10-9 in the four Division Series.

Road warrior

Colby Lewis, the Game 6 starter for the Rangers, has been a road warrior. He will be making his fourth postseason start, all on the road. He is 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA so far, and the Rangers rallied in the ninth for a 2-1 win in Game 2 of the World Series, in which Lewis had a no-decision.

Don’t think he’s going to get caught up in the emotions of the moment. Between this year and last, he is 4-1 with a 2.22 ERA in seven postseason starts. He allowed only four hits in 6-2/3 innings of Game 2, two by Nick Punto.

The fact he is working on the road is by design. During the regular season, Lewis, a fly-ball pitcher, was 9-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 17 road starts, compared with 5-5, 5.54 in 15 home starts.

Nothing to show

Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia has pitched well at home, but in the postseason he has nothing to show for it. Garcia was 9-4 with a 2.55 ERA in 13 regular-season starts at Busch Stadium. He has a 1.93 ERA in three home starts this postseason, but he is 0-1.

WORLD SERIES COVERAGE

• Rosenthal and Morosi's top 5 moments
• Cards accept commissioner's trophy
• David Freese reflects on MVP honor
• Craig, Motte postgame with Rosenthal
• Playoff central: Complete coverage

He departed Game 2 of the World Series after seven innings with a 1-0 lead, but Jason Motte wasn’t able to close out the game. Garcia allowed three singles — to Mike Young, Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre.

Rebound

The Rangers are the 11th team since World War II to return to the World Series after losing the previous year.

They are seeking to become the seventh of those 11 teams to bounce back and win it the next year, the first since Oakland rebounded from a 1988 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers to sweep San Francisco in 1989.

Baltimore lost to the New York Mets in 1969 but returned to beat Cincinnati in 1970.

The New York Yankees have rebounded four times since World War II. The Yankees lost to Cincinnati in 1976 but beat the Dodgers in 1977, lost to Pittsburgh in 1960 but beat Cincinnati in 1961, lost to Milwaukee in 1957 and beat the Braves in 1958 and lost to Brooklyn in 1955 but returned to knock off Brooklyn in 1956.

Atlanta is the most recent team to lose back-to-back World Series, to Minnesota in 1991 and Toronto in 1992. The Dodgers lost back to back to the Yankees in 1977 and '78. The Yankees lost back-to-back World Series to the Dodgers in 1963 and St. Louis in 1964. Brooklyn lost to the Yankees in both 1952 and '53.