First of all an introduction to the wildcard format. The 'Major League' is split into two divisions - the American League and the National League. There are 3 'divisions' in each league, and the top placed team in each division earns a spot in the postseason. However, in both leagues there is a 'wildcard' spot. This means that a team that finishes second in its division can still enter the postseason if it has the best record of all second placed teams.
So, on September 28th, the last day of the regular season, this is how things stood. The Atlanta Braves, who had been consistent all year had begun to choke at the beginning of September. A seemingly unassailable wildcard lead had been reeled in by the St Louis Cardinals, who had really heated up in September, and wanted to pip the Braves to the post. A similar story was unfolding in the American League, where the Boston Red Sox, who had dominated for most of the season, had begun to falter in September, and the Tampa Bay Rays, who had struggled all season had begun to really heat up. Going into the final day of the regular season, the Braves and Cardinals were tied in wins, as were the Red Sox and Rays. If both teams won or lost it would go down to a one game playoff.
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So, the night began at 7.05pm for 3 of the teams. The Red Sox began their game against the Orioles, the Rays kicked off their battle against the Yankees, and the Braves started their big tilt with the Phillies. The Rays immediately fell into a hole when a Mark Teixeira grand slam gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead after just 2 innings. They would later increase this lead to 7-0. Meanwhile, the Red Sox and Orioles exchanged runs in a cagey affair, and the Braves went out to an early 3-1 lead on Dan Uggla's 2 run home run.
The St Louis Cardinals began their match at 9pm, and after putting up 5 runs in the first inning, the result never looked in doubt as they clobbered the Astros 9-0 behind a complete-game shutout from ace Chris Carpenter. Meanwhile, the Red Sox had built up a 3-2 lead over the Orioles but it had been delayed by rain, and stopped in the middle of the seventh inning. In Tampa, the Rays were slowly chipping into the Yankees lead, and had reduced it to 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Step up Evan Longoria to plonk a three run homer into the left field seats and send the crowd crazy, sparking calls of an incredible comeback.
In Atlanta, rookie closing sensation Craig Kimbrel had been called in to close out the game 3-2 in the 9th inning, but gave up a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Locked at 3-3, the game went to extra innings.Meanwhile, a crazy scene of events was taking place in Tampa. Still behind 7-6, the Rays needed to manufacture a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to keep their playoff hopes alive. The first two batters were retired quickly, and it appeared that the Rays would fall devastatingly short. Manager of the Year Joe Maddon than called on pinch hitter Dan Johnson. With a season average of .121 and just one home run all season, he seemed an unlikely hero. But hero he was. On a 3-2 count, he hooked a fastball down the right field line, just inside the foul pole and just into the seats for a dramatic game-tying home run, sending the crowd into delirium.
Back in Atlanta, the Braves had gone behind in the bottom of the 13th through an RBI single from Hunter Pence, and in the bottom of the inning, their playoff hopes were shattered as rookie Freddie Freeman grounded into a double play to send the Braves home and the Cardinals into the playoffs. Heads then turned to Boston, where play was back under way, and in came Red Sox closer Johnathan Papelbon to close out their 3-2 game against the Orioles. He struck out the first two batters he faced, and the Sox looked like securing at least a play-off match against the Rays. However, the Orioles struck together three hits in a row, first tying, then winning the game on a walk off single by Robert Andino. The Red Sox had been one strike away from victory and were now on the brink of being out of the playoffs.
News quickly reached Tampa, where the game was still locked at 7-7 in the 11th inning after a couple of vital defensive plays from the Rays. The noise in the stadium grew to fever level when news of the Red Sox defeat came up on the board, and no more than 2 minutes later, at 12.15am, Rays hero Evan Longoria spanked a liner down the left field line for a walk-off home run, blowing the roof off the Tropicana stadium, and capping not only the most incredible comeback in wildcard history, but also the most incredible end to the regular season ever, propelling the Rays and Cardinals into the postseason, and consigning the Red Sox and the Braves to rue one of the biggest chokes in sporting history.
What. A. Night.
