[Jazzmosis]

Chapter 80: NLDS Game Three: October 9, 2010

We had the 8th off, as we packed our bags to head to Florida for the next two games. We were riding high from our improbable comeback win, and had got through the toughest pitchers the Marlins had. If we won on the 9th, I figured that we’d see English for game 4, but I tried not to get ahead of myself.

Interestingly enough, of the 4 playoff series happening, only Oakland had jumped out to a 2-0 lead - the rest were all locked up at 1 apiece.

When we boarded the plane in the morning, most of the players were hung over. However, they all piled on and the plane took off on schedule, which was all I cared about. The off-day went without fanfare - we flew to Miami, where it was considerably warmer, had an on-field practice, and then retired to our personal duties. I hung around in my hotel, figuring out matchups with my hitting coach, trying to prepare and put us in good position to dispose of Florida for the first time in three years. I predicted they’d throw Ronnie Rawls, while I would obviously be countering with Delaney.

The day rolled over quickly and I soon found myself on the field I was very familiar with. However, the fans in the packed house all screamed against me, and we didn’t have the comfort of having any noise behind our efforts. I didn’t care, though. I had the upper hand in pitching and I was determined that this game would fall in our favour.


Rawls took his warmups - and was introduced to the fans, while his stats glared on the scoreboard: 12-16, 4.72 ERA. The 25-year old had pitched in the playoffs last year, leading the club to the ring with a 2-1 record and a stellar 3.15 ERA. This was a different year, though.

As per usual, Hicky dug into the box as the first batter. The only real change I had made was putting McCree in behind the dish over Delgadillo; Delgadillo had struggled last game and McCree deserved some chance. Meanwhile, Gober reassumed his spot in rightfield.

Two pitches into the game, and Hicky roped a liner - right into the glove of Bennett 2 at third, who made a lunging stab. The crowd loved it; Hicky just shrugged his shoulders and jogged back to the dugout. Rawls got through the inning unscathed, bring Florida to the bats.

Delaney didn’t look worried at all, as he retired them in order - including the dangerous Bennett on a weak grounder.

After Rawls got two quick outs in the top 2, Kolo brought the first hit of the game in with a single up the middle. However, Gober struck out to end the inning. Florida responded in the bottom half when Bennett 2 hit a double with one out, in which the fans acted as if it was a homerun. But after a shallow flyout and yet another impressive play by Dekker on a high chopper, the threat was erased.

The two traded three-up, three-down innings in the third, but it was us who struck first in the fourth. Taylor led off the inning by rapping a ball into the gap in right, and then stretched it into a double on a tight call at second. Deguzman then struck out on three pitches, but it was Clough, hitting .143 up to this point, who took a 2-1 splitter back up the middle that plated a hurrying Taylor, and put Clough on second on the relay. It was all we got in that inning, but we were on the board. 1-0.

Delaney had to face the heart of the order in the bottom. Usually, Florida struck right back in games that we scored. However, David got White and Bennett to fly out to Gober, and after a walk to Carrillo, Bennett 2 grounded out. We had preserved our lead for now.

Rawls, angered by his previous inning, then came by and stuck out Gober, McCree, and Delaney in the 5th. That was what Florida needed to get their bats going - after a quick out, Molina singled and moved to third when Waterhouse blooped one in front of Gober. In a bizarre twist, Rawls came up to bat, and squared. I thought they were trying a squeeze, but Molina stayed put. The ball rolled hard up towards third, where Dekker gobbled it up and delivered a strike to Taylor at second. The bunt was a costly decision, as Manzo worked a 2-2 count before Delaney dropped a backdoor hook that Molina couldn’t hold up on. We erupted in the dugout as David jogged off the diamond - still 1-0.

Our celebration didn’t last long, as Rawls once again three-upped us, and White then led off the inning with a double. Bennett whiffed, but my choice to guard the lines didn’t pay off when Carrillo dropped a single past Clough that knotted the score at 1. Delaney retired the next two batters, but we were in for a fight now. 1-1.

After another shutout inning, Delaney opened up the bottom of the 7th with a walk to Molina, who was quickly pinch run for by Bagwell. I had Crumley and Perez warming in the pen, but decided to roll the dice with David. Bagwell took off on the first pitch to Waterhouse, McCree taking the strike and delivering one right back to Taylor. The call was tight, but it went in our favour - and the threat was erased before it could build. Of course, Waterhouse worked a 10 pitch at-bat and won the battle with a single, which prompted me to call on Crumley to face Fernandez, who was pinch-hitting for Rawls.

Crumley did exactly what I wanted - retired Fernandez on three pitches. With Manzo, a left-handed batter coming up, I brought in Perez. At the same time, I got Dominguez and Popper working in the pen.


No such luck this time - Perez fell behind 2-0, and then gave up a double down the line, one that scored even the slow moving Waterhouse. Things then quickly fell apart - White then doubled home Manzo, bringing up Bennett. From there, the damage was limited - Perez got Bennett looking, but Florida had jumped out in front, 3-1 after 7 innings.

Cicero started out the 8th - and despite his regular season numbers, he’d shut us out in game one and two. After McCree grounded out, I pinch in Johnny Clutch for Perez. He delivered, as he always did, with a looping single.
Sanson called time, and made the switch to Paul Howie. He would need 5 outs for this save, and I had the top of the order up. In some ways, it was a relief to see him, because Cicero had shut us down while Howie hadn’t.
I called a hit and run on the first pitch. Clutch took off, while Hicky had to reach for a fastball and chopped it high - Carrillo made a quick grab-and-throw and retired him at first. But Taylor came through for us with a bloop single, and Johnny C scored. 3-2 Florida. Deguzman then struck out for the third time in the game, and the threat was over.

I left Clutch in the game, taking over third, while Dekker shifted to short, and Popper slotted in Deguzman’s spot. Popper did exactly what I needed; a quick, three batter inning. I had Clough, Dekker, and Kolo coming up in the ninth.

Clough led off with a whiff, which got the crowd into a huge frenzy. Dekker then walked on 5 pitches, and Sanson surprisingly came out to pull Howie - I presumed he was taking no chances for another blown save, and Aaron Springer came into the game. He got Kolo to fly out, and we were down to our last out.

Who was coming up? Robert Gober. I was planning on leaving him in, despite his 0-3 with three K’s, but Sanson again switched pitchers, bringing in lefty Ricard. That prompted me to call on Martinez, who’s jaw was swollen to hell but hit lefties. I then began to cross my fingers. He delivered off Ricard, who up to this point hadn’t gave up a hit - a single past a diving Bennett, and Dekker was on third, with McCree coming up.

Ball one.
Foul.
Ball two.
Foul.
Ball three.

Martinez took off from first, and McCree swung at the changeup - plowing it down the third base line. Bennett 2 took one step and dove - the ball falling into his glove. McCree hustled up the line as Bennett 2 threw - and Bennett, in full stretch, caught the ball just before McCree hit the bag.

Game over.

Final score? 3-2. Florida now led 2-1, and somehow, Ronnie Rawls, a guy who couldn’t throw a strike in regular season, had given up all of one run in 7 innings. We were saddled with a tough-luck loss, and now we would have to win out to get into the NLCS.

Oh, how I was bitter that night.