In which the Blob will not point out that it took the Nationals and Cubs four hours and 37 minutes to decide the NLDS last night, which of course is insane on its face. But which of course was ultimately not as insane as what happened during those interminable four hours and 37 minutes.
Insane and wonderful, one might add. Yes, that, too.
What happened was the Nats choked on the big moment again, same as ever, but in the sort of wildly spectacular and head-grabbing ways only baseball in October seems to produce. They had a 4-1 lead at home! They had Max Scherzer on the hill with two out and nobody on in the fifth! The Cubs couldn't drive in a run if someone held a gun to Clark the Bear's head!
And so of course the Cubs won.
They won 9-8 even though their pitchers walked nine batters. They won, and scored nine runs, even though they were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They won even though they stranded nine baserunners, because the Nats stranded -- are you ready for this? -- 13.
They won, in the signature inning, by scoring four two-out runs off Scherzer in the fifth.
As Jack Buck famously said when ancient, crippled-up Kirk Gibson came out of the clubhouse to hit the most famous walk-off (actually limp-off) home run in history: "I don't believe what I just saw!"
If October baseball has a better epitaph, I can't imagine what it would be.
That game killed me, a comedy of errors, misplays, confusion, dead ball not called a dead ball...announcers all confused even postgame...different excuses for Werth's gaff depending on radio or TV. And King Bryce, about to make a half-billion dollar signing, Ks to end it...how fitting. But the NYY-HOU game was a joy to watch...Keuchel was fantastic. Onward.
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