Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington said Wednesday's weather postponement would not affect his plans to start Matt Harrison should there be a Game Seven decider in the World Series.

The Rangers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 but if they do not clinch it Thursday, the one-day delay to Game Six would enable Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter to pitch the decider, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa told reporters on Wednesday.

Texas skipper Washington said he was sticking to his guns and would go with Harrison should the Rangers fail to win the series Thursday, resisting any temptation to use Derek Holland, who shut the Cardinals down in brilliant fashion on Sunday.

Nothing changed from what I said earlier, so I'm just going to leave it at that, said Washington.

Harrison is my Game Seven pitcher. Harrison has been a big part of this team all year. I am not changing the things that I've been doing all year.

That's why we are where we are, and that's why I'm saying Harrison.

Harrison, who was 14-9 in the regular season with a 3.39 earned run average, yielded five runs (three earned) in three and two-thirds innings in his Game Three start, which ended up in 16-7 romp for St. Louis.

Holland, 16-5 with a 3.95 ERA this season, pitched eight and one-third innings in the Rangers' 4-0 win in Game Four. With the washout, Holland could have been on regular rest for a Game Seven.

Each and every one of our starters are the reason that we are here, said Washington. We are here because of our starting pitching, and Harrison has been a big part of that starting pitching.

It just hasn't been one guy. It's been every single one of those guys that takes the ball every fifth day, and every single one of those guys that comes out of that bullpen on a daily basis.

We all have been in this together, and we're going to all stay in it together.

Washington said Holland would be available to pitch in relief if needed.

I know I wasn't going to start. We count on all of our starters, Holland told reporters in the clubhouse Wednesday. So my role now is bullpen.

I'm going to give everything I've got, so whatever we need I'm going to provide.

The Texas manager said the fact that Holland has pitched out of the bullpen before could help his effectiveness if called upon.

It won't be anything that he has to search for. He knows what he has to do to get loose, and he won't come in and be in awe of what's going on, Washington said. So he certainly gives us a lift if a situation arises that we think his repertoire can be good for us at that moment on the mound.

Major league baseball