It’s All On The Line And The Sox Are Rolling The Dice
Who would have thought that on game 162 the Red Sox would be playing for anything meaningful, especially after falling on their faces during a 4-3 loss in extra innings against the Yankees after blowing a 3-1 lead going into the ninth inning of Tuesday’s game two in the Bronx. If Boston had won, the Yanks and Orioles would have entered tonight’s final game of the regular season tied for first place. After the Sox meltdown the Birds are again looking for help tonight.
September 2, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher
Daisuke Matsuzaka(18) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE
"Standing between New York and a division title is Boston’s arguably most disappointing pitcher over the past two years. If the baseball world suddenly goes topsy-turvy tonight and Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Sox by a miracle somehow prevail, some other pieces will need to fall into place. Over the past month Matsuzaka is 0-2 with a 13.03 ERA."
As outlined in Earl Nash’s earlier post but still worth repeating, here are the possible outcomes after tonight’s games:
Both Yankees and Orioles win =
Yankees win the AL East title advance to the best-of-five division series while the runner-up Orioles gets a wild-card berth and have to play a one-game playoff to advance to the next round.
Both Yankees and Orioles lose =
Yankees win the AL East title advance to the best-of-five division series while the runner-up Orioles gets a wild-card berth and have to play a one-game playoff to advance to the next round.
Orioles beat Tampa and the Red Sox beat the Yankees =
One game playoff, Oct. 4 in Baltimore to determine the division winner and wild-card representative.
Knowing what I know, if I were an Orioles fan I would not be betting on a one-game playoff.
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
– Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me, Roy Clark and Buck Owens