I’m not a hardcore baseball fan that watches every single game, but last night I had the privilege of watching a series of unlikely events unfold that I feel compelled to share. (Although I'm just recapping if you're a fan of baseball, or I'm boring those that are not.) Last night was the final night of regular season baseball which is normally not very interesting - this year it was important because the wildcard winner was still in the air. (Both leagues, but I don’t watch very much NL – I'm only recapping the AL.)
Let me paint the picture: The Rays only had one chance at winning the wildcard last night. Boston had to lose against a team that was 27th out of 30 teams in wins (The Orioles). The Rays had to win against the #2 team in baseball wins this season (Yankees).
The night started off very disappointing for the Rays. They were down 7-0 at the end of the 5th inning. Some fans decided the season was over and were headed to the exits. Here’s a tip: NEVER leave a baseball game until it is over. Why? Because the Rays managed to storm back in the 8th and plated six runs. Going into the 9th they were still down 7-6. Things were winding down for the Rays – they were down to their last out and they brought in a pinch hitter – Dan Johnson. This guy was in the minors for a bit this year and had only played 39 MLB games this season. His last major league hit was back in APRIL. Almost as expected the Rays come one strike away from losing the game and possibly the season. (Boston was winning but in a rain delay at the time) Then out of nowhere, Dan Johnson blasts a ball over the right field wall to tie the game and force extra innings!
Back in Boston, the rain had stopped. It was still 3-2 in favor of Boston. Going into the 9th inning and down a run, The O’s had to come up big if they wanted to rally. They were facing Papelbon – Boston’s premier closer. Papelbon promptly struck out the first two batters he faced. The next batter hit the first ball he saw to right field for two bases. Next came Nolan Reimold. Reimold saw two balls and swung at the next two pitches. Boston only needed one more strike to win. But Reimold hit that next pitch to deep center for a ground rule double and just like that, it was a tie game.
Fans from over 900 miles away in Tampa Bay went wild. Over in Florida, it was the bottom of the 12th inning – there had been some close calls for the Rays in the last 3 innings, but still no one scored. Midnight was right around the corner and the improbable happened.
In Boston, the next batter stepped to the plate; Andino. You could feel the tension in the game. O’s fans wanted nothing more than to deny the Red Sox victory tonight. Andino hit a shallow line drive to left. The runner at second took off at contact. Carl Crawford raced down the field and slid to try and make a basket catch. He failed to catch it on the fly and the runner from second slid into home safely. The field looked like the O’s had just won the World Series – players ran onto the field and the fans cheered wildly. Boston loses the game. 12:02 AM.
Back in Florida it was still the bottom of the 12th. Upton had just struck out and Longoria was up again. (Longoria hit a home run in the 8th and was key to forcing the game into extra innings) There was a buzzing in the crowd. They knew that if their team won, they would be going to the post season. And Longoria gave the fans what they wanted. On a 2-2 count, he lines one to left field – just fair and over the wall. The announcers cannot believe it. Longoria’s second home run propels the Rays into the post season. 12:05 AM.
Many people complain about the slow pace, about how the players don’t really play as a team… But seeing these events unfold and watching the tension mount is what the game is all about. There are moments where every pitch counts. Admittedly, these don’t happen every day, but in a 160+ game season, there’s bound to be some exciting moments that stick out – no matter if your team made it to the post season or not. (I think I have one or two from the Mariner’s that I’ll have to dig out) This is one of the many reasons I watch baseball and will still watch in the coming years. (even after Ichiro retires *sob*) Congratulations to the Rays for having the mental fortitude to overcome such a large deficit. I’m still not a fan of yours, but hats off to you and for your play last night.
