Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
As we hit the second week of October, many of our historic moments will be those that occurred during the postseason. Today is full of memorable moments for postseason’s past.
Two years ago, the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers square off in the first game of the ALCS. The Tigers have Justin Verlander on the hill while the Rangers counter with C.J. Wilson. There are two stories here. One was the weather as it rained. And then it rained. And it rained some more.
The Rangers had scored a couple of runs off Verlander in the 2nd and added a Nelson Cruz solo shot in the bottom of the 4th. A rain delay during the 5th will take Verlander out of the game. Meanwhile, the Tigers post a rally going against C.J. Wilson in the top of the 5th and manage to pull to within a single run, 3-2 Rangers, before he is pulled due to the weather.
Then the rain delay…and the Rangers turn to Michael Gonzalez to finish the 5th. Alex Avila at the plate with bases loaded and two outs. Only two pitches into the AB and Avila is retired 4-3 to end the inning. Rangers still lead, 3-2.
No more runs, but what stands out if you look at the boxscore is that the Rangers bullpen pitched 5.1 innings and allowed only a walk and on hit.
2000 – New York Mets pitcher Bobby J. Jones hurls the sixth complete game one-hitter in postseason history and the New York Mets eliminate the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the NLDS. The last complete game one-hitter came some 33 years earlier when Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox duplicated the feat against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 World Series.
1995 – The Seattle Mariners cap off an improbable comeback in taking Game 5 of the ALDS, 6-5 in 11 innings, and win the series. The M’s were down 2-0 to the New York Yankees as the series shifted to the Kingdome. In Game 5, the Yankees scored a run in the top of the 11th, but Seattle’s Edgar Martinez singled scoring Joey Cora and Ken Griffey, Jr.
1973 – In the NLCS, the Mets take care of the Big Red Machine, 9-2, in Game 3 and take a 2-1 lead in the series. But the game will be marred by a brawl between Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson and Reds left fielder Pete Rose. Lost in the fracas is that Rusty Staub cracks two home runs to provide Jerry Koosman all the run support he would need.
1908 – The replay game of due to Fred Merkle’s bonehead play. Mordecai Brown would beat Christy Mathewson and the New York Giants as the Chicago Cubs take the NL title.
Notable Birthdays:
Paul Splittorff (1946 – d. 2011)
Enos Cabell (1949)
Mike Morgan (1959)