Let's be honest, as baseball fan, it doesn't get any better than last night.
With four teams dead even after 161 games, the stage was set for some dramatic events. What we witnessed was unscripted, unbelievable, and unexpected.
Let's rewind to September 2. The Red Sox were cruising right along with a NINE game lead in the final month. They could have forfeited a week and still had enough room to win the wildcard. It was literally handed to them. But mind sore after mind sore happened, and they kept finding ways to lose.
The same could be said with the Atlanta Braves, an 8.5 game cushion had David Puder ready to purchase postseason tickets (true story). The month was over, the playoff matchups were set, and we were all ready for the postseason to start. You're supposed to roll over and die. Just like the San Fran Giants.
Except in St. Louis and Tampa. Everyone in America thought "oh it's cute. Look, they feel they have a shot."
Fast forward back to Game 162. It took that many games to set this stage. With four games to watch at once, the news started fast.
The Cardinals put up 5 runs in the first. The Yankees hit a grand slam. The Braves take a two run lead. The Red Sox lead Baltimore in a rain delay (which I wonder how close it was to be called). Yup, seen this all before. We're headed to the proverbial 163.
In three of the four games last night, the potential losing team came within ONE OUT of winning the game. The Yankees had never blown that big a lead that late in a game since the 1950s. The Red Sox had not lost a game all season with a lead entering the ninth inning.
But the unthinkable happened. Tampa kept bombing shots off Yankee relief, Braves bullpen kept being the Braves bullpen, and Robert Andino kept raping the Red Sox.
At 11:45, the Phillies knocked off the Braves in 13 innings to finalize the greatest September collapse in Baseball history. 25 minutes later, Evan Longoria's solo jack broke that record. The last time a walkoff homer to send a team to playoffs? Bobby Thompsons in 1951.
Unbelieveable. The past four seasons, Joe Maddon has a World Series appearance, 2 Division Titles, and last nights Wild Card Championship.
Meanwhile the Red Sox has thrown $340 Million into the pot and wound up with as many playoff games as the Kansas City Royals (no offense Pat).
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