Wednesday night/Thursday morning was like a rollercoaster. That’s not a cliche, it was literally like an old rickety roller coaster. It started off really sketchy and the ups and downs were dramatic and fierce.
The drama began right off the bat with a quick 2-run top of the first, but that’s not where the controversy begins. That came in the bottom half of the inning where Porcello blanked Houston…kinda.
Mookie Betts was about to rob José Altuve of a home run … until a fan's hand got in the way.
It was ruled an out on review. pic.twitter.com/NLzAnNJ1vj
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2018
Anyone who thinks or wants to argue that this isn’t interference should be cut out of your life entirely. Right now take the opportunity to delete any numbers and friends from your life of whom think this should’ve been a home run. I’ll wait.
Good, glad we got that out of the way. This was clear as day interference. I’m not saying it was guaranteed to be a robbed home run, but look at the facts. The ball hit the outside of Mookie’s glove which was closed by a fan. I’d say it’s pretty clear that if his glove is open he’s at least keeping the ball in the park. With his reputation I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he probably would’ve caught it.
Thank God the umps got it right. Sox 2-0 after 1.
This was only the beginning of the mess. The Sox spent the next 4 and a half hours trading blows with Houston. I mean this is a hell of a box score for a playoff game.
The one thing people always tend to do in the playoffs is forget what teams are capable of. Everyone tends to look at what they’ve done in the last month or so and decide that’s what the team is. Sometimes, a team gets hot like the Brewers and that is a fair assessment. Other times, we run into a case like Boston where they won 108 games and somehow, game in and game out, remain underdogs.
As a fan I love it, if you’re a gambler, it’s free money. Anyway you cut it, people are down on the Red Sox. Feed me those people. I need their hopes and happiness snatched from their body. This team isn’t the underwhelming bunch of the last couple years. I’ve been saying it forever, they’re different. They’re too resilient and too damn talented at the plate.
Speaking of hitting, the Sox did plenty of it to counteract an active Houston lineup Wednesday. JBJacks was back at it.
JBJ has done it AGAIN.
Can you believe it? #ALCS pic.twitter.com/U2uoYLdZr7
— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2018
Jackie ballgame can’t stop showing up in massive moments out of the clouds. It’s amazing how hot and cold the man can get throughout the year. I just couldn’t be happier now is when he decided to get hot.
Benitendi and Vazquez were both a combined six inches or so from going yard, but Benny made up for it later.
Kimbrel was handed the ball for a 6-out save knowing Thursday would be a bullpen battle for the Sox. Just typing that out makes me feel sick again.
To add a few more numbers to a previous tweet. Craig Kimbrel in the 2018 postseason:
4 games
5.1 IP
6 H
5 R
5 ER
5 BB
6 K
2 HBP
1 WP
101 pitches/56 strikes (55%)Of his 16 outs, 3 were on good-to-excellent defensive plays and two others produced runs.
Yet 4 for 4 on saves.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 18, 2018
Have no fear, though, Benny is here with the best game ending play you’ll see in a long time.
ANDREW BENINTENDI HAS THE RED SOX ONE WIN AWAY FROM THE WORLD SERIES #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/jiroz0r794
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 18, 2018
The fucking balls it takes to not only make this play, but attempt it, is something of fiction. If he pulls up he has a chance to hold the runner at second, but a slim chance. The game likely would’ve been tied. With that being said, if he misses the dive, the game isn’t tied, it’s over.
Not on Benny’s watch though.
Game 5 is going to be yet another heart attack of a game. At this point I’m becoming an adrenaline junky just by being a Red Sox fan. Bring it on bullpen, let’s see if you and Price are the ones that officially send me in to cardiac arrest.
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