A Miracle Night In Baseball
If you would have told me a month ago that my St. Louis Cardinals would be in the playoffs, I would have laughed. And yet here we are a month later, the day after they clinched a Wild Card berth. For this to happen, the Atlanta Braves had to completely implode. Up by 8.5 games on Sept. 5, the Braves lost their final five, 13 of the final 18 and 20 of their last 30 to finish 89-73, a game behind St. Louis for the wild card. All they needed to do was win one game of their series with Phillies to at least tie for the Wild Card. They were one out away from doing just this and they couldn't. They lost 4-3 in 13 innings.
The Cards, on the other hand, went from one of the more embarrassing teams to having a fantastic September, perhaps best illustrated by Chris Carpenter's 8-0 shutout of the (truly embarrassing) Astros, complete with 11 strikeouts. Because the team had figured they were out of it for months, they just enjoyed September and had fun winning every game they could, including 23 out of the last 31.
But last night, that was only half of the drama. The Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Rays were in the same situation -- tied for a Wild Card spot. All they had to do was win (or both lose). In a rain delayed game, the Red Sox were up over the Baltimore Orioles. It was the last out of the last inning. The O's had a man on second and all of a sudden it was tied. Then it was over. The Red Sox needed Tampa Bay to lose. And considering that they were playing against the mighty Yankees, this was a real possibility. They were tied at 7 in extra innings. Did I mention that Tampa had erased a seven run deficit to get to this point?
I'm leaving out all of the crazy plays at the base, the loopy homeruns, the brilliant pitching of the night.
But as the word came to the Devil Rays (I still call them the Devil Rays) that Boston had lost, the players got the boost they needed.
Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria had previously hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Dan Johnson got a solo home run with two outs -- and two strikes! -- in the bottom of the ninth.
Minutes after Boston's loss, it was back to Longoria in the 12th with a one-out homer that barely cleared the left-field foul pole.
This was the kind of night in baseball that you'll tell your kids about. The Devil Rays were one strike away from losing. The Sox were one out away from winning. And their fortunes changed just like that.
With nights like that, I don't even care how playoffs go. But because it's baseball, the playoffs might even be better than what we saw last night! Unlikely, but that's the beauty of the game.
- Comment (47)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
Comments :
Mar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
You failed to mention that the Rays were trailing the Yankees 7-0 in the 8th inning. Also, it's poetic justice that Carl Crawford, who bolted Tampa for the Red Sox dropped a catchable line drive in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Orioles the winning run.
I see a St. Louis/Detroit World Series, Cardinals in 6.
Edited on Sep 29, 2011 at 6:46amOct '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
It was an epic night. The 8th inning come back by the Rays was incredible, but the Dan Johnson home run in the 9th was my favorite.
Dec '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
It does feel like 2006 in reverse for the Cardinals. They very nearly blew a solid lead in the division, limped into the playoffs, and then won it all. I can't quite bring myself to hope that they would make another deep playoff run, but you never know. Cardinals vs. Rays?
Sep '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Illiniguy: You failed t mention that the Rays were trailing the Yankees 7-0 in the 8th inning. Also, it's poetic justice that Carl Crawford, who bolted Tampa for the Red Sox dropped a catchable line drive in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Orioles the winning run.
I see a St. Louis/Detroit World Series, Cardinals in 6. · Sep 29 at 6:26am
Easy now. They still have a largely mediocre staff behind Carp. Definitely not anywhere near the class of the Phillies rotation.
NLDS: Philly in 4; Brewers in 4
ALDS: Yanks in 5; Rangers in 3
CS: Philly in 5; Yanks in 7
WS: Philly in 6
Edited on Sep 29, 2011 at 6:46amMar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
I'd never bet against Tony LaRussa. As to the Rays, sorry, baseball is meant to be played outdoors. I'm satisfied that they broke ESPN's heart by edging out the Red Sox, but that's as far as it goes.
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
This write up from Dan Shaughnessy is fantastic:
Mar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Mark Belling Fan
Illiniguy: You failed t mention that the Rays were trailing the Yankees 7-0 in the 8th inning. Also, it's poetic justice that Carl Crawford, who bolted Tampa for the Red Sox dropped a catchable line drive in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Orioles the winning run.
I see a St. Louis/Detroit World Series, Cardinals in 6. · Sep 29 at 6:26am
Easy now. They still have a largely mediocre staff behind Carp. Definitely not anywhere near the class of the Phillies rotation.
NLDS: Philly in 4; Brewers in 4
ALDS: Yanks in 5; Rangers in 3
CS: Philly in 5; Yanks in 7
WS: Philly in 6 · Sep 29 at 6:42am
Edited on Sep 29 at 06:46 am
The Cardinals are 6-3 this year against that vaunted Philadelphia rotation.
Feb '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.: This write up from Dan Shaughnessy is fantastic:
Sep 29 at 6:46am
That also accurately describes how I felt the night in 2003 when Mark Pryor was transformed from a Cy Young quality pitcher to a broken shell of a ball player all in the course of one devastating inning. Will the hurt ever go away?
Jun '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
The way you can distinguish espn from Ricochet sports is that Mollie didn't lead with the Red Sox implosion or spend 70% of her article talking about the Yankees.
Phillies/Yanks in the WS - Phillies in 6.
I'm excited about the Cards but the Philies rotation won't be beat.
Did anyone else get the sense that the Yankees weren't playing... as hard as they could... against the Rays last night?.... I wonder why...
Sep '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Illiniguy
Mark Belling Fan
The Cardinals are 6-3 this year against that vaunted Philadelphia rotation. · Sep 29 at 6:47am
I'm aware. The Phillies also went 8-10 against the Nationals this year.
None of that matters starting on Saturday.
Mar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
I'm happy for my Cards, but after all these years the wildcard system still gets on my nerves. Makes it all bittersweet.
Mar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Samwise Gamgee: The way you can distinguish espn from Ricochet sports is that Mollie didn't lead with the Red Sox implosion or spend 70% of her article talking about the Yankees.
Phillies/Yanks in the WS - Phillies in 6.
I'm excited about the Cards but the Philies rotation won't be beat.
Did anyone else get the sense that the Yankees weren't playing... as hard as they could... against the Rays last night?.... I wonder why... · Sep 29 at 7:04am
I can't fault the Yankees; when you're up 7-0 with nothing to play for, you pull your regulars to avoid injury. Charlie Manuel did the right thing in a close game by keeping his guys in the game to force the Braves to earn a win. The Orioles did the same thing. Had there not been such a big lead, I think Girardi would've done the same.
Mar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Not as bad as the designated hitter, which I'm still convinced was a plot by the Soviet Politburo to undermine the fabric of American society.
May '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Remember, one man's "miracle" is another man's anguish. However, I have always believed that the worst thing about Boston is that it is filled with Red Sox fans who have talked themselves into a sense of entitlement.
Rays fans don't deserve it because they don't show up. Tampa Bay was 29th out of 30 in average attendance. And don't blame the stadium. Prior to the opening of Target Field, Twins fans packed one of the worst venue in sports.
While Cardinals fans love to call themselves "The Best Fans in Baseball," the 2011 title goes to Houston, whose attendance was 6th in the majors with a league worst 56 wins.
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Completely agree. Someone asked me last night, supposedly rhetorically, "You still have problems with the wild card system?" And I said, "Of course I do. My opposition to it wasn't based on the idea that it would never be an exciting race to the finish."
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
EJHill:
Rays fans don't deserve it because they don't show up. Tampa Bay was 29th out of 30 in average attendance. And don't blame the stadium. Prior to the opening of Target Field, Twins fans packed one of the worst venue in sports.
While Cardinals fans love to call themselves "The Best Fans in Baseball," the 2011 title goes to Houston, whose attendance was 6th in the majors with a league worst 56 wins. · Sep 29 at 7:22am
The situation with Rays fans is an abomination. I think only a few thousand people were there last night and many of them left! How does that happen?
Also, while Cards fans *are* the best in baseball, Houston fans are great. I greatly enjoyed my visit to their field last year -- knowledgeable and fun and nice. Had a great time.
Sep '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
What is wrong with 4 teams making the playoffs? Baseball would be measurably less popular and profitable if it still had the same set up as it did 60 years ago with no league playoffs.
Sep '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Last night was one of those moments that make baseball great; and I'm a Braves fan.
Dec '10
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Illiniguy
Not as bad as the designated hitter, which I'm still convinced was a plot by the Soviet Politburo to undermine the fabric of American society. · Sep 29 at 7:15am
Really? There's so much hate against the DH. I've commented about this before. It just strikes me as odd. I understand the complaints, but it's not a hill that I'm going to die on.
Last night--although an epic baseball story--was the perfect storm of misery for Boston fans. Speaking of storms, I watched the one from last night roll over my place in Arlington, before hitting Baltimore.. it was the harbinger of destruction for Boston..
Oh well, there's still the Patriots!
Good for the Devil Rays, they deserve it. Frankly, I'm surprised that the Yankees didn't try harder to keep the Rays out. They are clearly the better team.
I was further surprised that the O's were so excited. Yea, you knocked off the Sox. Good for you. But you're still going home just like them, only with an appalling record.
Edited on Sep 29, 2011 at 7:44amMar '11
Re: A Miracle Night In Baseball
Michael Horn
Illiniguy
Not as bad as the designated hitter, which I'm still convinced was a plot by the Soviet Politburo to undermine the fabric of American society. · Sep 29 at 7:15am
Really? There's so much hate against the DH. I've commented about this before. It just strikes me as odd. I understand the complaints, but it's not a hill that I'm going to die on.
It's taken so much strategy out of the game it isn't funny.