In the National League, the Cardinals beat the dis-Astros 8-0 to take a 1/2-game lead over the Braves, who now trail Philadelphia 4-3 in the bottom of the 13th. If the Braves cannot score here, they will lose the game and the Cardinals will get the NL Wild Card.
Over in the Junior Circuit, Boston and Tampa Bay are tied for the Wild Card. Boston leads Baltimore 3-2 in the top of the 9th, and the Red Sox have runners on 1st and 3d (there was a rain delay). The Yankees had a 7-0 lead in Tampa, but the Rays have tied the game 7-7, and the Rays have a runner on first and nobody out in the bottom of the 11th.
Oh, and the Nats beat Florida 3-1 today to finish with a record of 80-81 -- their best finish since 2005, their first year in DC.
Atlanta now has the tying run on first with 1 out.
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay has the winning run on first with 1 out.
Atlanta hits into a double play! The Braves are eliminated!
ReplyDeleteSt. Louis wins the Wild Card! Atlanta's record in the month of September was 9-18, and if Boston somehow survives, this will be remembered as a legendary collapse.
Meanwhile, Tampa has runners on 1st and 2d with 1 out. A hit here will win the game.
ReplyDeleteSo in the National League, the Phillies will play the Cardinals and the Diamondbacks will play the Brewers.
ReplyDeleteOn September 5, the Cardinals were 8 1/2 games out of the Wild Card.
ReplyDeleteBoston can't score, and they head to the bottom of the 9th with a 3-2 lead.
ReplyDeleteTampa can't score, and their game is going to the 12th inning.
ReplyDeleteThe Red Sox are sending in their closer, Jonathan Papelbon, hoping to shut down the O's in the 9th.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees will play Detroit in the playoffs, while the Rays or the Red Sox will be playing Texas. You will recall that last year, Texas beat the Rays 3-2.
ReplyDeleteTexas beat the Rays 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs, I mean.
ReplyDeleteI should point out that the Yankees have pulled their whole starting lineup, and are now playing with a team of scrubs.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankee Scrubs now have men on 1st and 3d with nobody out.
ReplyDeleteWith two outs in the bottom of the 9th, the O's have the tying run on 2d and the winning run at the plate.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankee Scrubs are retired, and Tampa comes up in the bottom of the 12th trailing 7-7.
ReplyDeleteWith two strikes and two outs, Nolan Reimold of the hapless Orioles laces a double to center field to tie the game! The Orioles now have the winning run on 2d.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Robert Andino, the Orioles lead-off hitter, laces a single to left! Reimold scores! The Orioles have come from behind with two runs in the 9th to beat Boston, 4-3!
ReplyDeleteNow Tampa can take the Wild Card by beating the Yankee Scrubs.
Evan Longoria, the Rays' big star, hammers a line drive over the left field wall! Tampa Bay wins the Wild Card!
ReplyDeleteThis is truly unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteLet's go over some facts. Boston had a stretch this year during which they went 80-41. They were clearly, along with the Yankees and the Phillies, one of the best teams in baseball. They had a 9-game lead over Tampa about a month ago. Tonight, Tampa was down 7-0 going into the bottom of the 8th. The Red Sox were winning 3-2 with two outs, nobody on base, and their closer on the hill against the Orioles -- one of the worst teams in baseball.
And it all went wrong. Boston blew their big lead over Tampa. They blew their lead over the Orioles tonight. The Yankees blew their 7-0 lead over Tampa. So the Team That Will Not Die goes to the playoffs, and we all get to see Dome-ball. For all of you who couldn't get enough of Tampa Bay vs. Texas last year -- you get a rematch.
ALDS matchups: Yankees v. Tigers; Rangers v. Rays.
I don't believe what I just saw.
ReplyDeleteThis is so, so crazy. Check out the time of your original post here and my comment to your previous MLB post.
ReplyDelete