NEW YORK – October ain’t over.
It takes a lot to stare down Yankee Stadium, but the Tigers just did it. It takes a lot to knock out CC Sabathia twice in a week, but the Tigers just did it. Doug Fister – not even with the team in late July – just did it. Delmon Young, who arrived even later than Fister, just did it. Don Kelly, who has seen more baseball stops than a Louisville Slugger shipping container, just did it.
Hey, I just landed!” my friend says breathlessly. “Been on the moon! Got back in time for Game 5!”
Welcome home, I say.
“I knew the series would go the distance! What did I miss? Can’t wait for tonight. Final game! Tigers-Yankees! Verlander on the mound-“
Nope.
“What do you mean? He’s our best pitcher.”
I agree.
“Didn’t he pitch Game 1?”
Sort of.
“So why can’t he pitch Game 5?”
Because he also pitched Game 3.
“What? Was Leyland crazy?”
No. But the weather was.
“Who’s pitching then?”
Doug Fister.
Yankees go home.
Tigers follow.
Back to the land of corned beef-on-rain. One more New York night to see who advances in this baseball season. Detroit fans were in party mode early in Tuesday’s Game 4. They saw the bases loaded in the bottom of the first and shook their fists and said, “Here we go.”
So now we know. The rain in New York contains kryptonite.
How else do you explain the early mortality of the best pitcher in baseball this year, Justin Verlander, and arguably the next best in the league, CC Sabathia, who were both all-everything during the regular season, then got doused by Bronx showers in Game 1 last Friday, and starting throwing like human beings in Game 3 Monday night?
No capes. No x-ray vision. No glowering, overpowering giants.
ARLINGTON, Texas – I know. I know.
Your best offense isn’t supposed to be the other team’s quarterback. Your wake-up call is not supposed to be “Twenty-four points down! Let’s rock!” Your star player isn’t supposed to sit on the sideline for 35 minutes, long enough to watch a sitcom, which is what the Lions’ offense had been to that point.
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