Most amazing/exciting night of baseball in history

"In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened" - Vin Scully

What an amazing night for baseball. Within 20 minutes, we witnessed two of the most mindblowing collapses in baseball history.

Starting September, the Red Sox were 9 games ahead of the Rays in the Wild Card, while the Braves were 8 and a half games over the Cardinals. Over the course of an incredible, shocking, magical and devastating September, the Rays caught up with the Red Sox eliminating their 9 game defecit with a game to go for the AL Wild Card, while the Cardinals caught up with the Braves eliminating their own defecit for a tie in the NL Wild Card in the final game of the regular season. For the final game, a win by both contending teams meant they would play a one game elimination to decide who goes to the playoffs. Any team that loses goes home.

Tonight, the Cardinals finished early and defeated the Houston Astros. The Braves were one strike away from winning and forcing an elimination game with the Cardinals, but Craig Kimbrel, one of the best closers in Baseball blew the save. The Phillies went on to win and defeat the Braves in extra innings. Cardinals complete comeback and go to the playoffs while the devastated Braves stay home.

But the real shocker comes from Tampa Bay. The Rays, playing the Yankees who were already in the postseason, came back to score 6 runs in the eigth inning and a dramatic home run in the ninth to tie the game 7-7. At the same time, the Red Sox, playing the Orioles were on their way to a win. With two out in the ninth inning and down to their final strike, the Orioles shocked the Red Sox by scoring 2 runs off Jonathan Papelbon to win the game in walk-off. 3 minutes later in Tampa Bay, Evan Longoria hit his second home run of the game to win the game in extra innings, sending the Rays to the postseason and the Red Sox back to Boston. Wow.

This is the stuff sports movies are made of.

Glitchspot wont let me link, but here are some highlights:

Rays 6-run eight inning and Longori's first HR: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19789107&c_id=mlb

Dan Johnson's game tying home run in the ninth: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19782327

Andino's game winner against the Red Sox: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19787617

Longoria's walk-off home run: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=19788289

Here's a great video that showcases the entire night: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?&content_id=19789807&topic_id=24251878

That was SO AWESOME... Man I don't even care now if the yankees win or not.. I think I'd be more psyched if the rays won at this point lol... They shut down the Red Sox, something the yankees just could not do to save their lives all year. Oh well, thankfully won't have to deal with them in the post season... I wonder what their excuses will be now?

"YANKEES ONLY WIN CAUSE THEY HAVE MONEY"

*Red Soxs spend the most they ever have in an off season and more than any other team, get shut down by THE ORIOLES AND THE RAYS who don't even have half of the pay roll they have.

Money doesn't guarentee wins.

Worst night of baseball in decades.C-Lee

Go Cards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i was watching the Braves colapse to the 102 Win-Phillies, so i havent seen the Yankees-Rays game, did the Yankees blow it on purpose? :P

yankees should have lost on purpose. f boston.

edit: for such a hugh game for tb, why were the stands empty? people leaving early?

Worst night of baseball in decades.C-Lee

You're name obviously doesn't stand for Cliff Lee, huh? :D

Yankees are going to win it all anyways.

yankees should have lost on purpose. f boston.

edit: for such a hugh game for tb, why were the stands empty? people leaving early?

comp_atkins

[QUOTE="comp_atkins"]

yankees should have lost on purpose. f boston.

edit: for such a hugh game for tb, why were the stands empty? people leaving early?

CrimzonTide

Don't know what that's like. The Phillies have sold out over 130 home games in a row dating back to 2009.

Worst night of baseball in decades.C-Lee

[QUOTE="comp_atkins"]

yankees should have lost on purpose. f boston.

edit: for such a hugh game for tb, why were the stands empty? people leaving early?

CrimzonTide

Really disappointed in the Red Sox.

I LOL good. Watched Tampa Bay win last night and saw some of that hapless Braves game.

Really disappointed in the Red Sox.

The_Sand_Man

Darn it?

I really enjoyed their collapse :lol:, disappointed the braves went out too though :(

My own personal observations:

1. Phillies used their BENCH to beat the BRaves #1 Starters.

2. This current Red Sox Era is over. They need to rebuild.

3. The Yankees are going to regret letting the Rays into the playoffs.

4. The Phillies are going to DESTROY the Cardinals if Carpenter starts Game 1 (And probably even if he doesn't)

What a night of baseball indeed. I really thought Papelbon was was gonna put 'em down for the Sox, but it just wasn't meant to be. We went from a terrible season start, to dominating the division, to "we can't possibly lose the Wild Card," to, in point of fact, losing the Wild Card. What a ride. We have no excuses. We just blew it. Props to the Rays who dug hard and didn't give up. Us Sox fans will just keep a hopeful eye on next season.

Here's a great video that recaps and showcases all of the amazing games that happpened yesterday. http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?&content_id=19789807&topic_id=24251878

Today, some sports writers are even calling yesterday's games possibly the greatest night in baseball history.

It was exciting but I am very disappointed in my Red Sox

My own personal observations:

1. Phillies used their BENCH to beat the BRaves #1 Starters.

2. This current Red Sox Era is over. They need to rebuild.

3. The Yankees are going to regret letting the Rays into the playoffs.

4. The Phillies are going to DESTROY the Cardinals if Carpenter starts Game 1 (And probably even if he doesn't)

Netherscourge

but i have been disappointed in the Braves lately, along with a lot of other people in my area :/

by the way, TC, the last link in your original post is not a link to Evan Longoria's walk-off homerun, it is the game-tying homerun by Dan Johnson

Nate Silver (one of the math gurus behind sabermetrics) tried to figure the odds of what just happened.

Link

He estimates 1 in 278 million.

Kind of like saying it was the most exciting night of turtle racing ever. :)

Kind of like saying it was the most exciting night of turtle racing ever. :)

Jackc8

Kinda what I was going to say :lol:

Baseball and sports in general just don't get me excited anymore. Not sure if that makes me not a normal member of society but O well.

My own personal observations:

1. Phillies used their BENCH to beat the BRaves #1 Starters.

2. This current Red Sox Era is over. They need to rebuild.

3. The Yankees are going to regret letting the Rays into the playoffs.

4. The Phillies are going to DESTROY the Cardinals if Carpenter starts Game 1 (And probably even if he doesn't)

Netherscourge

Most Exciting night in Baseball indeed! Best games since that 2009 1 game playoff between the Tigers and Twins!