Playoff Fever

If you missed the final day of the regular season, well… you missed one of the most exciting days in baseball history and I feel sorry for you.

• The Red Sox took a 3-2 lead over the Orioles into the 9th inning, but with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th the Orioles took advantage of a couple poorly placed pitches from Papelbon to secure the 4-3 walk-off win. A devastating loss to be sure, but the Red Sox postseason hopes could remain alive if the Rays lost to the Yankees. However…
• Just three minutes after Boston’s loss, Evan Longoria hit a home run in the bottom of the 12th that capped the Rays’ comeback from a 7-0 deficit, propelling the Rays into the Wild Card spot and sending the Red Sox packing to warmer weather for the winter.
• Over in the National League the Cardinals handled the Astros easily, winning 8-0…
• Which meant that the Braves were literally playing a “must win” game against the Phillies. And it looked like the Braves might win – until the Phillies tied the game in the top of the 9th and took the lead in the top of the 13th, stamping the Cardinals’ ticket to the playoffs and the Braves’ ticket home.

So there you have it: 4 important games, 2 epic collapses, and 1 amazing night of baseball.

The Division Series starts this weekend, so set your DVRs for Game 1:
Friday, Sept. 30 –  Rays at Rangers 5:07 PM EST; Tigers at Yankees 8:37 PM EST
Saturday, Oct. 1 –  Cardinals at Phillies TBA; Dbacks at Brewers TBA