"Heading into the bottom of the 11th inning with a tie score and a World Series game in the balance, Chris Carpenter nudged lefty Jaime Garcia in the dugout and made a prediction as David Freese stepped to the plate.

"One hundred percent, I swear," Carpenter said. "I told him, 'He's going to hit a homer and we're going to go home.'"

Now it's everyone else's turn to make a prediction.

In the clubhouse after Freese did indeed send the Cardinals to a Game 7 with a walk-off homer, Carpenter again said he would be ready to serve as the Game 7 starter on short rest, an offer he has made to both pitching coach Dave Duncan and manager Tony La Russa. The official starter was not announced by the club. Duncan said that La Russa would have three choices: Edwin Jackson or Kyle Lohse on normal rest or Carpenter on short rest.

A club official said the leaning within the coaching staff is to have Carpenter make the Game 7 start.

"I've got to think about it," La Russa said shortly after his team's improbable Game 6 victory. "We're going to put it all together and see what makes the most sense."

The Cardinals forced a winner-take-all Game 7 tonight at Busch Stadium by rallying from two-run deficits in both the ninth and 10th innings before Freese clubbed the homer that Carpenter called. Down to their final strike in the ninth and 10th innings, the Cardinals received game-tying hits from Freese (a triple in the ninth) and Lance Berkman (a single in the 10th)."