There is Magic in Boston

There is magic in October. 

It was an epic day in Boston, a thrill ride that seemed miraculous. When it looked like the Red Sox would get no-hit again, somehow, someway, they win it in the ninth.

First, I feel so bad for Max Scherzer. He pitched one of the best games in his career, and he was unhittable until the sixth inning. He ended up going seven innings on 108 pitches, giving up two hits and an earned run while walking two and striking out 13. He looked great, getting Boston hitters to swing over almost everything that he threw. On 3-2 counts that he sometimes got into, he would silence the crowd with a deadly changeup. 

He looked like a Cy Young pitcher.

Clay Buchholz for Boston looked strong at first, then just collapsed in the 6^th inning. It was 1-0 when Miguel Cabrera bombed one over the green monster. It would be his second homer in the postseason. Although hurt, Cabrera still shows that he is a dangerous hitter.

He almost hit a third one that night, but luckily for the Red Sox, it went right into the gap in centerfield that would be gone anywhere else but at Fenway. After that, Prince Fielder hit a double off the green monster that just barely missed a home run, and then Victor Martinez doubled into the gap. Three high pitches dealt by Buchholz that the Tigers took advantage of.

But they weren’t done there. The very next batter, Alex Avila, crushes one into right field for a two run homer, and suddenly it turns from a 1-0 game into a 5-0 game. 

I honestly thought that the Red Sox were done. But after they scored in the bottom half on a double by Dustin Pedroia, I had a gut feeling that they would come back and at least make it a game.

I was not expecting an Ortiz grand slam.

The 8^th inning in Championship Series’ is always mysterious. 

 

Today is the 10-year anniversary of Steve Bartman and the Chicago Cubs. Chicago was just five outs away from making it to their first World Series since 1945, when a fly ball that was arguably reachable to LF Moises Alou, but a fan named Steve Bartman reached out and grabbed the ball to prevent Alou from catching it (note, when you look back at replays, it looks like Alou would not have been able to catch that anyways). Instead, Luis Castillo walks, then all hell breaks loose.

 

The game was 3-0 in the 8^th, and it went to 8-3. A ground ball to Alex Gonzalez would have made an inning ending double play, but instead it went through his legs, and more runs scored. The Cubs would go on to lose Game 7 and their hopes of reaching the World Series. They have not made it back to the Championship Series yet.

The Tigers bullpen collapsed in the 8^th inning. They went through four pitchers, each giving up a run, but all were forced by Joaquim Benoit, who gave up the home run. 

The bases were loaded and there were two outs. David Ortiz steps up, and you knew that something had to have happened. Ortiz struggled big time against Scherzer, striking out twice, so he wanted revenge. He had never hit a home run against Benoit before, so it was time to change that.

On the very first pitch, Ortiz lines a fastball that just barely cleared, going into the Red Sox’s bullpen for a Grand Slam. 

It was suddenly tied up, and the place erupted. One of the most clutch hitters baseball has ever seen does it again. Torii Hunter, the right fielder, went over the bullpen wall and got a head injury, but he managed to stay in the game, and looked ok.

A 1-2-3 ninth by Koji Uehara brought forth the bottom of the 9^th. The place was still going crazy. I haven’t seen anything like it since the 2011 World Series. Johnny Gomes reached on a throwing error by Jose Iglesias (although Prince Fielder really misplayed the ball), and Gomes moved the second base. He moved on a passed ball to third with no outs, bringing up Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Saltalamacchia hit a ball that looked like it would reach the stands, but Fielder had a play on it. He reached up but was unable to make the catch, and he and the rest of the Tigers wanted fan interference. If you look at the replay, you can see that Fielder just missed the ball, and it went off his glove. It was a really tough play anyways, and I can see the argument on both sides. Notice the kid waving to Fielder too.

Instead of one out, there remained no outs, and Saltalamacchia hit a ground ball that just went passed the infield, who were playing in, and the Red Sox win it.

 

What a night in Boston, and what an amazing comeback. It honestly was the best game I’ve seen since the 2004 ALCS, where the miraculous Dave Roberts steal and David Ortiz home run would lead to the best comeback baseball has ever seen. Guess who threw out the ceremonial first pitch too? Dave Roberts.

There is magic in Boston, but don’t be too worried, Tigers fans. Remember that now the series shifts to Detroit, and Justin Verlander has yet to pitch. Also remember that Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer pitched two amazing games, and they would be still ready if there needs to be a Game 6 and 7. The series is still tied.

But they did have the perfect chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead. The night belongs to the Boston Red Sox, in one of the best games in the postseason. This one will be one to remember.

Now they get the day off, so the day belongs to Boston still. Now it’s time for Game 3 of the NLCS, in where the St. Louis Cardinals look to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the LA Dodgers. It’ll be ace Adam Wainwright (19-9, 2.94 ERA) against rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu (14-8, 3.00 ERA).

I can see the Cardinals taking Game 3 here. The way that their bullpen and pitching has been, and now with Adam Wainwright, it seems clear. Though the series shifts to LA, it looks like it will be another pitching duel that the Cardinals will prevail in.

The magic is here. The best part is: there's still more to come. Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any questions/comments/concerns, I love the feedback.

-Evan Boyd