Red Sox and Braves Team Up for Regrettable History
By Tim Ryan
Last night was probably one of the most bizarre, surreal nights I can ever remember in baseball. The only item on the agenda that stayed loyal to the script were the Astros getting their bats and balls handed to them by the Cardinals. Everything else was an unsuspecting jailbreak that very well may have made Tim Kurkjian the happiest man alive. I’m pretty sure he cannot believe it and will continue to not be able to believe it for quite some time.
It would be impossible to pinpoint the most ridiculous sequence of events but a good place to start would be Tampa Bay, where the Rays were down 7-0 going into the eighth inning until being introduced to Boone Logan, Luis Ayala, Cory Wade, and a predictably horrendous reliever who needs no introduction, Scott Proctor. It was Wade who served up a game-tying solo shot to Dan Johnson — yes, Dan Johnson — with two outs in the ninth inning and Proctor who delivered the money ball to Evan Longoria in the bottom of the 12th. The question on everyone’s mind, of course, is… did Joe Girardi order the hit? We may never know.
Not to be forgotten in this scintillating September shitshow are the Atlanta Braves. What they managed to do is not much different from what happened to Boston. As you have heard countless times already, the Red Sox led Tampa by nine games on September 3 and on that same fateful Labor Day weekend, the Braves held a wildcard lead of 8.5 games. Sadly, last night rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew an opportunity for the Braves to survive another day, allowing a leadoff single and walking three. Ouch. The Phillies eventually took care of business in the 13th inning. The bright side? Does this unfortunate turn of events really bother anyone in Atlanta? The answer is most likely no, which is exactly why you aren’t cackling at them nearly as much.
So do these two “historic” meltdowns rank as the worst collapses of all time? I’ll let you create your own top ten list, but it’s fair to say the dizzying manner in which the final nail went into Boston’s coffin will prove to be the most memorable.
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A reader sent in this screengrab. “Pap can close out O’s”? Now that’s just cruel, ESPN.
[Photo via Getty]