BOSTON - The chess match began yesterday after Brendan Ryan’s leadoff double in the sixth with the game tied at 0-0.

Ryan’s hit brought up leadoff batter Brian Barton. He leads the Cardinals’ everyday players with four sacrifice bunts. Would St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa have Barton drop down a bunt to move Ryan to third in the scoreless game?

No, he didn’t. Barton never showed bunt, though the Sox were drawn in a little at the corners. And on a 3-and-1 pitch, he did a great job of hitting, going with an outside pitch and drilling inside the first-base bag for an RBI double that put the Cards on top, 1-0.

So there was Barton, perched on second with none out. Would LaRussa have Aaron Miles bunt? That was the plan on the first two pitches. Miles took a ball and fouled off a bunt try.

Then LaRussa had him try to hit the ball to the right side to move Barton up. Miles, though, flied to shallow right, leaving Barton at second.

On the first pitch to Ryan Ludwick, however, Barton took off and stole third. That forced the Sox to bring in their infield. Ludwick foiled that strategy by lining an RBI single to left for a 2-0 St. Louis lead.

LaRussa was faced with a defensive decision in the eighth after Ankiel misplayed Coco Crisp’s leadoff fly ball into a triple to the triangle in a 2-1 game. Bring the infield in? Or stay back, conceding the tying run?

LaRussa elected to keep his middle infielders back, moving in his corner infielders. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Julio Lugo lofted a fly ball to right that brought home Crisp, tying the game at 2-2.

skrasne@projo.com