BOSTON — Larry Walker waited a long time for this chance. Playing in the World Series for the first time in his 16-year major league career, he made it count.
It just wasn't enough.
Walker homered, doubled twice and singled in his first four at-bats in the St. Louis Cardinals' 11-9 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the World Series on Saturday night.
The 38-year-old right fielder also made a nice catch in the first inning, running down Manny Ramirez's drive to the warning track before banging into the wall.
The Cardinals had the NL Central well in hand when they acquired Walker from the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 6. But he's filled out what already was the National League's best offense, giving them a dangerous No. 2 hitter. Walker went 4-for-5 and has 10 RBIs this postseason, second on the Cardinals to Albert Pujols' 14.
Walker's third-inning homer off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, a drive that curled just inside the right-field foul pole, was his fifth of the postseason. It also was only the second in World Series history by a Canadian-born player.
Walker doubled in the first, singled in the fourth to put runners at the corners with two outs and hit an RBI double in the sixth to tie it at 7. He also played a part in a two-run eighth-inning rally that tied it at 9, although he didn't get much wood on the ball.
Ramirez tried an ill-advised catch on a ball to shallow left that he could have caught without sliding, and ended up dropping it for an error that allowed Roger Cedeno to score from second.
Walker missed becoming the first player in major league history to hit for the cycle in the postseason, falling a triple shy. It was reminiscent of Game 1 of the NLCS, when he singled, doubled and tripled in his first four at-bats before striking out in his final at-bat.
He got the home run in his first at-bat of Game 2 of the NLCS, helping the Cardinals win the first two games against the Astros in a series they would win in seven.
Walker's big game helped the Cardinals overcome a shaky start by Woody Williams, who had his shortest outing of the season. Williams, pitching in short sleeves despite a 49-degree temperature at game time, lasted 2 1-3 innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits.
The only other Canadian-born player to homer in the World Series was George Selkirk of the Yankees, who connected in Games 1 and 5 in 1936 against the Giants.