These two series started off on a bland note, but they are getting better and better.
Yesterday, the Astros -- the Slytherin of American sports -- beat Tampa Bay for the third time in a row, this time by a score of 7 to 4. After dropping the first three games to the Devil Rays, Houston has now come all the way back to tie things up. The Astros are hard to beat in the playoffs. Look at this record:
2017: Won Game Seven of the ALCS, and Game Seven of the World Series.
2018: Lost the ALCS to Boston, who won the World Series
2019: Won the ALCS, Lost Game Seven of the World Series
In each of the last three years, Houston has either won the title or lost to the team that did. Now they are in yet another Game Seven after winning three elimination games in a row. Tampa Bay cannot wait for the law of averages to catch up with Houston. If the Devil Rays want their second pennant, they have to beat the Astros, because Houston will not beat itself.
The Braves and Dodgers both have a history of beating themselves in the playoffs. They are two of the strongest franchises in the majors, but the Dodgers haven't won the World Series since 1988, and Atlanta hasn't even won the pennant since 1999. Atlanta appeared to take control of this series after its victory in Game Four gave it a 3-1 lead. But yesterday, the Dodgers rallied for a 7-3 victory, thus setting up a huge Game Six in Arlington, Texas.
National League:
Atlanta leads Los Angeles, 3-2
American League:
Tampa Bay and Houston are tied, 3-3
The Dodgers opened the game with three runs in the bottom of the first, and they still lead 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth.
ReplyDeleteWith one on and two out in the top of the fifth, Mookie Betts -- who is probably the best player in the National League -- makes an amazing, leaping catch at the right field wall to save a run (or two) and end the inning. Dodgers lead 3-0 going into the bottom of the fifth.
ReplyDeleteAfter Walker Buehler pitched six innings of shutout ball, the Dodgers replaced him with Blake Treinen, a former National who always represented trouble for Nats fans. In Game One of this series, he entered in the 9th inning of a 1-1 game and immediately gave up a home run that led to Atlanta's victory. Now he comes in and Nick Markakis whacks his first pitch into the right field corner for a triple. One batter later, Ron Acuna doubles to left, and the Braves trail 3-1.
ReplyDeleteFreddie Freeman is coming to the plate, representing the tying run. I will be stunned if Treinen retires Freeman.
ReplyDeleteTreinen v. Freeman:
Pitch one: Swinging strike
Pitch two: Ball inside (1-1)
Pitch three: Swinging strike (1-2)
Pitch four: Foul (1-2)
Pitch five: Foul (1-2)
Pitch six: Swinging strike. Freeman is out! That is a surprise.
Now it's up to Marcell Ozuna, the Braves' DH:
ReplyDeleteTreinen v. Ozuna:
Pitch one: Swinging strike (0-1)
Pitch two: Swinging strike (0-2)
Pitch three: Ball low (1-2)
Pitch four: Ozuna flies out to right. The inning is over. It was like Treinen rebooted himself after Acuna's double. The ten pitches he threw to Freeman and Ozuna were excellent. I don't remember ever seeing him pitch that well.
Dodgers lead 3-1 going into the bottom of the 7th.
Pedro Baez shuts out the Braves in the 8th. L.A. still leads, 3-1.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the 8th, Mookie Betts comes up with two out and two on and a chance to drive in a big insurance run for the Dodgers. But after a seven-pitch at-bat, he pops up to second. Still 3-1 for L.A. going into the 9th.
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers go with Kenley Jensen to begin the 9th. He retires Austin Riley on a sinking line drive to left, thanks to a tremendous play by Joc Pederson.
ReplyDeleteOn the second pitch of the inning, Markakis pops out to center, and the Dodgers are one out away from forcing Game Seven.
ReplyDeletePablo Sandoval, pinch-hitting for the number-9 batter, flies out to left. The Braves leave Acuna on deck, the Dodgers win 3-1, and the NLCS will go to Game Seven tomorrow night. A courageous fightback over the last two days by Big Blue. I did not think that they had it in them.
ReplyDeleteGo, Dodgers.
DeleteMeanwhile, #breaking from the 1974 desk: The Dodgers on Thursday, Oct. 17, 1974, completed a National League-pennant-winning season.
I would really like to watch the Astros/Devil Rays game, but I'm not going to miss Alabama v. Georgia.
ReplyDeleteThe Alabama-Georgia game is fantastic. With 3:06 left in the second quarter, they are tied at 17.
ReplyDeleteOn the last play of the first half, Alabama kicks a 52-yard field goal to cut Georgia's lead to 24-20. A great game so far.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, the Devil Rays lead Houston 3-0 going into the top of the 5th.
ReplyDeleteWith two out in the top of the 6th, the Astros have men on 1st and 3d. They still trail 3-0, but Michael Brantley brings the tying run to the plate.
ReplyDeleteThe Rays pull Charlie Morton and replaced him with Nick Anderson to face Brantley.
ReplyDeleteAnderson gets Brantley to ground out, and the Devil Rays take their 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th.
ReplyDeleteWith four minutes left in the third quarter, Alabama hits a NINETY-YARD TD PASS, and the Tide now leads 27-24.
ReplyDeleteGoing into the top of the seventh, the Rays lead 4-0.
ReplyDeleteAlabama breaks up a promising UGA drive with a tipped-ball interception, and then drives the length of the field for another touchdown. The Tide leads 34-24 with less than a minute left in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteWith runners on the corners and one out, Yuri Gurriel grounds into a double play to end the top of the 7th. Houston still trails 4-0.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia starts the fourth quarter with another interception, and Bama can now really put the hammer down.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bama does put the hammer down. They score another touchdown. Alabama has now run off 24 consecutive points, and they lead Georgia 41-24 with 9 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 8th, the Astros have loaded the bases with two outs. Carlos Correa smacks a single, and the Devil Rays' lead is down to 4-2. The Rays had a shift on against Correa, and he just punched the ball to the opposite field, right where a second baseman would normally be.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly, Houston has the lead run at the plate in the form of Alex Bregman. He faces Pete Fairbanks, who has already allowed a walk and a single.
ReplyDeleteFairbanks v. Bregman:
Pitch one: called strike (0-1)
Pitch two: ball (1-1)
Pitch three: foul (1-2)
Pitch four: singing strike three.
Bregman is retired, the Astros are retired, and the Rays still lead 4 to 2. They are three outs away from winning the pennant.
Meanwhile, Alabama is running out the clock. Georgia will have to wait for the SEC Championship game in December for another chance.
ReplyDeleteAlabama beats Georgia 41-24. The Bulldogs were shut out in the second half.
ReplyDeleteNick Saban is now 22-0 against his former assistant coaches.
ReplyDeleteTampa Bay beats Houston 4-2, and the Cheating Astros have finally been beaten.
ReplyDeleteHURRAH! HURRAH! I was scared to death to check. HURRAH! Thank you posting this.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame (for me, anyway) that the Astros cheated. Patriots, too. If they had simply not cheated and tried their best, both teams probably would've still been really good--maybe great--and even Dolphins/A's fan me would've had to concede that point. However, as it is, both teams and their alleged accomplishments get zero credence from me. That's no skin off their nose, I understand--they're winners and don't care what losers like me think. But it's definitely a shame for me. The Astros and Patriots leave all kinds of eraser smudges and asterisks all over my personal history of sports.
ReplyDeleteThe good news for me now, though, is that I'll watch the World Series. I hope it's the Dodgers against the Rays, and, if it is, I'll pull for your Dodgers.