Baseball History Today: October 9th

Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Returning home after winning the first two games in San Francisco, the Cincinnati Reds needed only one more victory to seal the NLDS. One year ago, this didn’t quite happen.

In the bottom of the 1st, Cincy managed to push across a run against Ryan Vogelsong, but it could have been more. After stealing second base, Brandon Phillips was thrown out attempting to advance to third after the pitch got away from catcher Buster Posey. Posey fired the ball to third to easily nail Phillips.

It was the first out of the inning. After a Zack Cozart walk, and a Joey Votto flyout, back-to-back singles by Ryan Ludwick and Jay Bruce would produce the Reds run. They would not score for the rest of the game.

The Giants scored to tie the game in the top of the 3rd. Angel Pagan hit a sacrifice fly to score Gregor Blanco. The game stayed that way until the top of the 10th. Two normally sure-handed Reds accounted for the Giants run.

Reliever Jonathan Broxton had given up back-to-back singles to start the inning. He followed that with a pair of strikeouts. On Broxton’s first pitch to Joaquin Arias, a passed ball charged to Ryan Hanigan allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Four pitches later, a groundball to third baseman Scott Rolen would surely end the Giants threat.

Not…so…fast.

As the ball hopped up, third baseman Scott Rolen could not handle the ball and it bounced away from him. Rolen gathered the ball, but the speed of Arias allowed him to beat the throw to first, scoring the game’s winning run.

Lost in the Reds miscues was the effort of Homer Bailey, who went seven innings. He allowed only one run and one hit while striking out 10 Giants.

1999 – The New York Mets find another postseason hero in Todd Pratt. In the bottom of the 10th inning, Pratt takes a Matt Mantei offering and deposits over the left field wall at Shea Stadium. The walk-off earns the Mets a 4-3 win and win the NLDS.

1996 – All you can do is watch the video.

1977 – The Yankees creates another moment, but this time no fan is involved. In Game 7 of the ALCS, the Yankees enter the 9th inning down 3-2. In the three-run 9th, the Yankees only get two hits, but a walk, a sacrifice fly and an error aid the Bronx Bombers. Sparky Lyle enters the game in the bottom of the 9th to secure the game and the series.

1910 – The AL batting title is up for grabs with Ty Cobb and Nap Lajoie engaged in the fight. Lajoie’s Cleveland Naps are playing a doubleheader. He manages eight hits in the twinbill to edge Cobb, .384 to .383. This title comes with a little controversy though. St. Louis Browns third baseman Red Corriden was positioned deep, allowing Lajoie to have six of his eight hits to be bunt singles.

Notable Birthdays:

Felix Fermin (1963)
Brian Roberts (1977)
Derek Holland (1986)
Starling Marte (1988)