Mr. Holland’s Opus

Written by: Drew Sarver on 23rd October 2011

Mr. Holland's Opus | read this item

It’s one thing to be told or to know that you need to pitch the game of your life, it’s another to actually go out and do it. The Texas Rangers entered Sunday night’s Game 4 contest with the St. Louis Cardinals down two games to one and were relying on Derek Holland to have his big moment in the spotlight.

Holland had shown glimpses of star potential in his three year Major League career- he threw three complete game shutouts in July- but had come up small in the playoffs thus far. His last two starts came in the ALCS vs. Detroit and lasted only a combined 7.1 innings with seven earned runs allowed. So there was no reason for Texas fans, or Ron Washington for that matter, to have a lot of confidence in their 25-yr old left-hander.

But after a couple of pep talks from Washington, Holland went out and threw the game of his life. Eight and one-third innings of shutout baseball to enable the Rangers to even the series at two games apiece. It was only fitting that Holland’s battery mate, Mike Napoli, provided the big blow on offense with a 3-run home run.

Texas had plenty of opportunities off of Cardinals starter Edwin Jackson, who walked seven hitters in 5.1 innings, but could only manage one run through the first five innings. You had the feeling that at any moment the Cardinals would break through with a run or two and the Rangers would be in trouble. But just the opposite happened. Holland allowed just two hits on the night, and after Lance Berkman’s double in the 2nd inning, didn’t allow another Cardinals’ base runner to reach second base.

Jackson’s walks eventually caught up to him when his final free passes put two aboard in the 6th and Napoli smashed reliever Mitchell Boggs’ first pitch into the left field seats for a back breaking home run. The Cardinals mounted a minor threat in the 9th with walks off Holland and closer Neftali Feliz, but the hard throwing right-hander struck out Matt Holliday on a 3-2 fastball to end the game.

If Derek Holland were 13 and Jewish, he would be told, “Today you are a man.” Well, at least he has the mustache of a 13-yr old and a game he’ll never forget. Should a Game 7 occur in this World Series, Holland will be the man on the mound in St. Louis and the Texas faithful will have a renewed faith in him.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer for BaseballDigest.com. You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

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Topics: Alcs, Boggs, Complete Game, Confidence, Derek Holland, Edwin Jackson, Fastball, Game Of His Life, Glimpses, Lance Berkman, League Career, Left Hander, Major League, Mate, Matt Holliday, Mike Napoli, Minor Threat, Mr Holland, Neftali Feliz, Opus, Pep Talks, Right Hander, Spotlight, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Two Games