BOSTON -- Michael Wacha had a funny way of preparing for his World Series start thats supposed to save the season for the St. St.Louis Blues Store . Louis Cardinals. The 22-year-old October ace spent Tuesday afternoon on the tarmac at the St. Louis airport when the team plane got grounded by mechanical problems. It took all day before the Cardinals finally arrived in Boston, trailing the Red Sox 3-2 going into Game 6 on Wednesday night. Their flight took off about 9:10 p.m. EDT after a delay that appeared to last around 6 hours and landed shortly after 11 p.m. "Everyone is just watching movies," Wacha said from the plane, a couple of hours into the delay. "Theyve got dinner on here for us and stuff. Everyone is just walking around. Nobody is in a bad mood or anything like that. The attitude is pretty good." His teammates were probably confident, too, considering what the rookie has done this post-season. Hes 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA in four starts, including a win over John Lackey and the Red Sox in Game 2. Lackey will again oppose the tall right-hander. "I dont think anything will be much different," Wacha said. "I just try to approach every game the same. I dont think its going to be too much different. We know the next two games are must-wins. It all starts with me tomorrow night." Heady stuff for a guy who was pitching at Texas A&M less than a year and a half ago, a guy who began this season in Triple-A. Then again, look at what hes done. He came within an out of a no-hitter against Washington in his final start of the regular season, only to give up an infield single. With the Cardinals facing a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-five division series, he took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning to win at Pittsburgh. He twice outpitched Cy Young Award favourite Clayton Kershaw to win MVP honours in the NL championship series, then beat Boston with his family in the seats at Fenway Park. Quite a run, by any standards. "I think its been one of those thats been fun for us to watch," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said from the idle plane. "Taking everything into consideration, how this kid was in school, in college 18 months or so ago, and watch the maturity, and watch the progress, too." "Not just Michael, but a group of other young players that have been able to do something very similar. But Michaels done a nice job. We just want him to really not focus on the big picture of what exactly is going on. What we want him to do is go out, make one pitch at a time. Theres time for summations later." Lackey said he could appreciate what Wacha is going through. The Red Sox righty was a rookie with the Angels in 2002 when he started Game 7 of the World Series and beat the San Francisco Giants. "Probably similar to the way I was feeling. I think I was 23 or whatever that year," Lackey said. "I dont know what kind of guy he is. But personally, I was more excited about it than anything else as far as nerves." The Red Sox are trying to clinch a World Series title on their own field for the first time since 1918. Anticipation is high in Boston, and prices on the secondary market for even a standing-room ticket were approaching $1,000. "I imagine its going to be crazy, but Im not going to pay any attention to it," Wacha said. "Ill keep going about my business the way I have been in all my starts this year. And not worry about the crowd, and just get locked in with Yadi behind the plate and just make my pitches." Star catcher Yadier Molina helped settle down Wacha in Game 2. Wacha matched a season high with four walks, but allowed only three hits in six innings. David Ortiz did the most damage against him, sending a two-run homer over the Green Monster. The big-hitting Ortiz was ready for a rematch with Wacha, provided the plane problems got resolved. "I thought I saw them leaving last night. Thats crazy. Everything happens for a reason," Ortiz said. "Me, normally, when I have a delay on a flight, I dont get mad. You dont play around with that stuff. Hopefully they get here safe." Blues Jerseys China . After missing 20 games as a rookie a year ago, Valanciunas - like the Raptors as a whole - has been fortunate to be in good health this season. As he spoke about it, the Raptors sophomore centre scanned the room for wood to knock on. "It is disappointing because we lost today so thats the worst part of the day," said Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays game with a lower-back sprain in the third quarter, missing the rest of Torontos 118-113 overtime defeat at the hands of the Hawks. St.Louis Blues Pro Shop . Jim Leyland, in his eighth playoffs, has never had a starting rotation he trusts as much as the grouping of Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. https://www.cheapblues.com/ . New Zealand brushed aside England 26-7 to win the event and reclaim top spot in the overall standings. The All Blacks, the defending World Series champions, won their third tournament this season in style, running four tries past England to claim their 11th Cup championship in Hong Kong and first since 2011. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- David Garrard slipped on a black T-shirt before he walked over to his new spot in the New York Jets locker room, and the words printed in green on front said it all. "SOME THINGS JUST WONT RETIRE" The veteran quarterback tried it for a few months, and retirement didnt suit him. Especially with his balky left knee feeling healthy again for the first time in a while. "I didnt want to turn 50, look back, and be that guy that said, What if I just called somebody?" Garrard said Thursday after his first practice back with the Jets. "Im glad I did." The 35-year-old Garrard was removed from the reserve-retired list and placed on the exempt list, meaning he is eligible to practice and attend meetings. With Mark Sanchez out for the season with a shoulder injury, Garrard gives the Jets a veteran backup for rookie Geno Smith. Garrard, who signed with New York in March before leaving because of knee trouble in May, will be on the exempt list for two games. The team will need to make a decision whether to activate him by Oct. 21. If the knee proves to be healthy, Garrard could be on the sideline backing up Smith for the teams game at Cincinnati on Oct. 27. "My knees been feeling great," he said. "Ive been going out just about every other morning and running three miles on concrete and I really thought that would be the real test on if my knee would swell back up and get sore again and it hasnt. "So for the last three weeks, Ive been doing that." Last weekend, Garrard called Jets general manager John Idzik and asked for another opportunity. He told Idzik that he planned to put his name out there, and wanted to make sure the GM heard it from him first. And, if the Jets werent interested, he would have asked to be released from the reserve-retirement list so he could explore other options. "I started to get some really good feedback while talking to him," Garrard said. "I told him, Hey, if theres anything I can do to help you guys out in any kind of way, I know my veteran leadership in the meeting rrooms, the practice fields and really helping Geno continue to grow, I would love to come back and help you guys. Cheap Blues Jerseys. quot; On Thursday, Garrard was back on the field, working with Smith and the rest of the quarterbacks. "Geno has the job," he said. "And if my numbers ever called, I need to be ready for that." Garrard was signed during the winter to provide veteran competition for Sanchez, and then was expected to be in the teams quarterback mix along with Smith. But in May, Garrard said that his surgically repaired knee kept swelling up on him after workouts, and that forced him to walk away from the game and consider retirement. He took the whole summer off and just relaxed. Garrard and his family went to their lake house in North Carolina, and then headed back to their home Jacksonville toward the end of summer. During those days, Garrard felt, well, officially retired from football. "I was still having some aches and pains, and my knee was still swollen," he said. "I just continued to relax and rest and not do too much." After gaining some weight from the inactivity, Garrard decided to try to get active again. Garrards wife Mary was part of a flag football team, and he was constantly running and making cuts while catching passes from her -- and the knee felt fine. Thats when the comeback plan kicked in. "Im 35, so Im not so old that it doesnt make any sense," he said. "I know I have some years left in me." He hasnt played in a regular-season game in the NFL since 2010 because of injuries. But his signing leaves the status of Brady Quinn uncertain. Quinn is currently listed as the teams No. 3 quarterback, and he has been unable to surpass the inexperienced Matt Simms on the depth chart. He has been inactive for four games this season. Garrard has thrown for 16,003 yards in his career, with 89 touchdowns and 54 interceptions. "We have a plan," offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "Were going to see exactly where he is physically. Its good to have him back." ' ' '