Pinch hitter Allen Craig delivered the go-ahead single and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the visiting Texas Rangers 3-2 in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

Craig's sixth-inning single off Alexi Ogando fell in front of a sliding Nelson Cruz to drive home David Freese and snap a 2-2 tie.

Chris Carpenter (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, and five St. Louis relievers - including former New Hampshire Fisher Cat Marc Rzepczynski, who had two key strikeouts to kill a Rangers' seventh-inning rally - combined for three innings of one-hit relief. Jason Motte worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save of the postseason.

► For more on Carpenter, visit Union Leader sportswriter Kevin Gray's blog, graymatter123.blogspot.com.

Lance Berkman added a two-run single for St. Louis, which will host Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Thursday.

Freese hit a one-out double off C.J. Wilson (0-1) in the sixth and moved to third on a wild pitch. Wilson walked Nick Punto with two outs and was replaced by Ogando.

Craig was called on to hit for Carpenter (1-0) and smacked the line single to right to put the Cardinals ahead.

St. Louis took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Albert Pujols was hit by a pitch, Matt Holliday doubled to right and Berkman drove them both in with a chopping single down the right-field line.

Texas tied the contest in the fifth when Adrian Beltre singled and Mike Napoli hit a two-run blast to right field.

Wilson gave up three runs and four hits and walked six in 5 2/3 innings.