Oh, What A Night!

By Frank Luna

Casually watching the last night of the baseball regular season I found myself swept up in an improbable drama with all the timing and pacing of a well honed Hollywood script. Not that I had a dog in this fight, seeing my team eliminated weeks ago. But to see Boston go up early on Baltimore and the Yankees jump all over the Rays, one might be tempted to look away and wait for the playoffs to begin. And don't forget the Cardinals finishing off the Astros and watching the Phillies and Braves do battle with their season on the line. You don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate what hung in the balance as the innings rolled by. Boston seemed unconcerned with a long rain delay and New York pummeling Tampa in the later innings. But as the Red Sox resumed play in Baltimore the Rays managed to score 6 runs in the eight inning and while Boston was squandering run opportunities, Tampa tied up their game in the bottom of the ninth.
Then the fun began. The Phillies ended the Braves season with a double-play followed by the Red Sox surrendering their lead to the Oriole's with two out in the bottom of the ninth. The eruption of the Baltimore players on the field rivaling any World Series celebration was closely followed by the coup d'etat for the evening. After three innings locked in battle with the Yankees, Evan Longoria sent a line drive over the short porch in left field to seal a historic night in baseball. Oh what a night!