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Posted 09/27/2007 at 11:05 AM
Today, we review my top five losses of the season (ten was too painful), and these were tough to script, but baseball turns out that way for the good, and sometimes for the bad. So here it is:
1. No Halladay in Motown When you take Roy Halladay, you usually feel pretty good. You feel better when you take the Jays righty as an underdog, which was the case for a makeup game against the Tigers on September 10th. Halladay had
a fantastic record in his career versus Detroit, but the last out is the toughest out sometimes. Toronto led Detroit 4-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th when Halladay gave up a leadoff single. Timo Perez grounded into a double-play, so one more out was needed to finish it off. That out would never come. Halladay gave up back-to-back singles to Sean Casey and Brandon Inge, ending the ace's night. Casey Janssen relieved Halladay, and allowed a cue shot off the bat of Curtis
Granderson that landed in shallow center, scoring both runs, making it a 4-3 game. Placido Polanco singled, then Gary Sheffield walked on a full count to load the bases with Magglio Ordonez on deck. I'll cite one game later on this list in which you should've turned the game off at this point, because you knew you would lose. When Sheffield walked, that mine as well of ended it. Ordonez came up and laced a single to right field that scored both runs, helping the Tigers rally past the Blue Jays 5-4.
2. Look out below That game you should've turned off after one unfortunate play happnened was this game. The Marlins came in as dogs of +180 at St. Louis on August 21st, when rookie Daniel Barone took the mound for the Fish, who had lost six straight heading into this one. Florida grabbed a 2-0 lead heading into the 6th, when Albert Pujols drilled a homer
to cut the deficit to 2-1, but the Cardinals offense was pedestrian all night...until the 8th. The Marlins brought in Armando Benitez to close out the 8th inning, facing the heart of the Cards order. Pujols flied out, Jim Edmonds flied out. Two gone. Juan Encarnacion took the plate with a 2-2 count, routine grounder to Hanley Ramirez at short, inning over. Not so fast. Ramirez airmails the throw into the Cardinals dugout, Encarnacion to second. Disaster strikes, turn off the game, because there is no way in the world we're winning. Yadier Molina slices a single to right, scoring Encarnacion, Molina advances to third on a throwing error. Aaron Miles hits the next pitch almost in the same location as Molina did, Cardinals
take the lead 3-2. Ryan Ludwick then homers, to put the Birds up 5-2. Hey, Hanley -- check out the Tom Emanski video, it could help.
3. Why, Jorge? The Jorge Julio era in Florida didn't last very long, as the embattled reliever was shipped out of town after one month as the Marlins closer (he actually didn't even record a save the entire season). But the major implosion happened just days into the season, against the Nationals. The Marlins had taken the first two games of the three-game set rather easily, and were cruising in the finale, taking a 6-1 lead. The Nats rallied for three off Anibal Sanchez in the 6th to make it a game at 6-4. That lead was held going into the bottom of the 9th, when Julio came into shut the door. Julio recorded one out, and that was on a sac bunt. The Nats put up two runs, then Julio loaded the bases for
Dmitri Young, who knocked a pitch right inside the left-field line for the game-winning hit and leading Washington to the 7-6 lead as the fire department tried to put out Julio's mess.
4. Tigers tamed in Tampa The Detroit Tigers were in the World Series last season, but if there's one thing they can point to this year to why they're sitting at home this postseason, is a losing record to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The most stinging loss came on May 28th at Tropicana Field, when the Tigers came in as a favorite of nearly -140 after getting swept by the Indians at home. Detroit grabbed a 5-2 lead in the 7th on Magglio Ordonez's RBI single. The Rays
brought home a pair of runs the next two innings on RBI groundouts to cut the lead down to 5-4. Todd Jones came in the 9th to finish it off. Delmon Young led off the 9th with a single, followed by a base hit from Aki Iwamura. Josh Wilson sacrificed the runners over, so now we may have a problem with runners on second and third. Greg Norton was intentionally walked, setting up Elijah Dukes. The only positive thing Dukes did on the field was chop a base hit over Brandon Inge's head
at third, bringing home two runs and leading the Rays to a 6-5 victory. Tough one. But rebounded the next night taking the Tigers again, who waxed the Rays 14-2.
5. Balk the Line Another tough Roy Halladay loss, this time in the Bronx. Halladay and the Jays led the Yankees 2-1 on July 17th heading to the bottom of the 9th. Jeremy Accardo came in to shut the door, and immediately allowed a single to Andy Phillips. After pinch-runner Miguel Cairo stole second, Melky Cabrera singled, but Cairo was thrown out at the plate, preserving the one-run lead. Game-saver, we're good. Not yet. Cabrera stole third, now putting the tying run 90
feet away. Johnny Damon walked, setting up a potential double-play with Derek Jeter up. Before Jeter has an opportunity to win it or lose it, Accardo balks, bringing Cabrera home to tie the game. Turns out, that Jeter grounds out into what would have been a game-ending double-play if the balk didn't occur. Extras. Blue Jays do nothing in the top of the 10th, while the Yankees have due up A-Rod, Matsui, and Posada. Shut off the game again. A-Rod gets hit with a pitch, then advances to second on a wild pitch. Matsui strikes out, Posada walks. Runners on first and second, one out, still a shot to get out of it. Nope. Robinson Cano slices a pitch down the left field line, Rodriguez scores. Yankees win 3-2, wasting another good effort from Roy Halladay.
What a season it has been, and I'm happy to end it with a winning season. I'm already looking forward to 2008 season, and of course, the playoffs. I know for a fact next year we'll have more crazy stories to exchange. Thanks for reading.
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