In the ninth inning Friday as the Cardinals tried to conjure, magically, a rally against the Washington Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the scoreboard did its best to wake the spirits by playing highlights from Game 6 of the 2011 World Series.

David Freese's triple and then his walk-off homer to force a Game 7 the Cardinals would win has become more than a moment for the organization.

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Freese, 36, announced his retirement Saturday on Twitter, thanking the teams he played for and the fans who cheered him.