MLB: A Retrospective Of October 2014, NLWC
(originally written October 2014)
NLWC: SF/PIT ALWC: OAK/KC NLDS A: LA/STL NLDS B: SF/WAS ALDS A: KC/LAA ALDS B: DET/BAL NLCS: SF/STL ALCS: KC/BAL WS: SF/KC
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Crawford's grand slam will go down in history, but only those who watched the game will know/care about what set up the critical at-bat. Batting ahead of Crawford with a 2-2 count was Belt. Volquez threw a savage curveball just below the strike zone, easily his best one of the night. 9.5 out of 10 hitters would chase it. But not Belt—he laid off and wound up drawing a walk. The stage was set and the rest was history.
I don't use hyperbole, so when I say I've never been more interested in the MLB playoffs, I mean it. It helps to know no matter what, a long World Series drought will come to an end, that the likelihood of an egregiously blown call is practically nil, and that Tim McCarver will not be involved in the broadcasting. In an effort to take you on a detailed walkthrough, this slideshow was born. First, we'll revisit the American League Wild Card Game.
Though his Giants were up 7-0 in the 7th, 3B Pablo Sandoval didn't let up in the slightest. Bucs' catcher Russ Martin led off with a foul pop near the home dugout; Sandoval and snagged the pop while flipping over the rail—and landing on his feet! The beefy-but-nimble infielder made it look semi-routine.