Adorable Yet Endless
Garry retired to the bedroom after the 10th inning. Not that he was giving up on the game. He just wanted to watch it in bed. I’m more comfortable sitting up, so I stayed in the living room.
Sometime after midnight, the dogs got restless. I was sitting on their bed. Mind you, they have another entire sofa and right now, all three of them are in a coma on it. At night, though, they like to spread out. They give us the evil eye. Mental arrows: ” Pass the late night treats and go to your OWN beds!” Woof.
Game three of the World Series. A pitcher’s battle. It’s the ninth inning and the score is Angels – 1 and Red Sox – 0. Everyone has played brilliantly. I’m willing to give this one to the Dodgers, but in the top of the ninth, the Sox got a singleton homer and at the bottom of the inning, the score was 1-1. There are no”ties” in baseball (or for that matter, basketball or football either). Only hockey allows tied games. And in this case, this being the World Series, they were going to play forever if necessary.
They ran out of baseballs twice. Or was it three times? Four times? That actually meant hundreds of balls were all over the park.
“Game 3 was the longest postseason game in MLB history at seven hours, 20 minutes. It surpassed the previous record of six hours, 23 minutes, which was set in Game 2 of the 2014 NLDS between the Giants and Nationals in Washington (San Francisco won that game, 2-1, in 18 innings).
• Game 3 was only the eighth game of any kind (regular season or postseason) since at least 1908 to exceed seven hours in length. The last was on Aug. 24, 2013, between the Phillies and D-backs, which lasted seven hours, six minutes (Arizona won, 12-7, in 18 innings).
• In terms of longest World Series games, Game 3 eclipsed Game 3 of the 2005 World Series in total length — that game between the White Sox and Astros was five hours, 41 minutes, ending in a 7-5 Chicago victory in 14 innings at Minute Maid Park. The White Sox went on to sweep the Astros for their first World Series title in 88 years.
Friday’s Game 3 between the Red Sox and Dodgers also set a new record for longest World Series game in terms of innings, at 18. The aforementioned Game 3 in 2005, as well as Game 1 in 2015 (Royals 5, Mets 4) and Game 2 in 1916 between the same two franchises that are playing in this year’s Fall Classic (Dodgers 2, Red Sox 1) held the previous mark at 14 innings.
• To put the time it took to play Game 3 in perspective, consider this note from STATS: The entire 1939 World Series finished in less time, wrapping up in a tidy seven hours, five minutes. The Yankees swept the Reds in that one, with none of the four games lasting longer than two hours, four minutes.”
2018 World Series Game 3 Statistics – MLB NEWS
We started watching around 8:30 in the evening. At three in the morning, I came out of the bathroom and the game was still tied at 2 to 2. I asked Garry what would happen if the game went on so long it bumped into the next day’s game?
“Interesting question,” he said. I had a mental image of the game that never ended. Thousands of baseballs later, the exhausted teams, no longer able to throw, run, or bat would just lay in their places on the field and sleep on the grass.
Regardless, both teams used everybody. Every player, every pitcher. Everyone looked tired and beat up. How will they play today? No one can run. They will all limp from base to base.
It was an adorable game in a baseball kind of way. When somewhere around the 14th or 15th inning, Cora used his last batter — which meant there was no one else he could use who was actually a batter — you had to figure something was bound to happen.
I was coming back out of the bathroom (again) during which time the Dodgers had hit a homer.
The game was over. Finally. Garry flipped off the light and I murmured “I thought it would never end!” By then, I didn’t care who won. I was just glad it was finished. I’m sure the players, announcers, even the crew agreed.
Categories: #FOWC, Boston Red Sox, Daily Prompt, Fandango's One Word Challenge, Sports
I was at work and oblivious to the fact that the game was still going on during my 2 AM lunch hour. I wish I could up in a 7 hour and 20 minute workday and have that considered to be historically long….
Just a note on ties… football still allows them (There’ve been two ties in the NFL this year), and hockey eliminated them about 10 years ago with tie games now ending in a shootout to determine the winner. Baseball’s probably headed that way sometime in the future since the current Commissioner seems to be terribly allergic to games that last longer than 3 hours under ANY circumstance… even thrilling extra inning classics like this was.
LikeLike
Garry says that anything is possible in the regular season, but not in the world series. SOMEONE has to win because — well — you know. TV contracts and all that. There’s a schedule and a LOT of money on the line. So whatever they do in regular season, they aren’t going to change the playoffs. Contracts. BIG money.
They really WERE exhausted last night. Half of them looked like they needed an ambulance.
And we JUST took the lead. I just want this game to end normally. I can’t handle another game that never ends.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some of the guys still looked pretty sad tonight too!
LikeLike
They really WERE limping.
LikeLike
I heard it was a long one.
Leslie
LikeLike
It was crazy. Garry admitted that after a while, HE didn’t care who won, either. That’s just too long for a game. Any game.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree….
LikeLike
Even on the west coast, that was too long a game. I fell asleep at about the 12th inning, and woke up a couple of times to see that the score had (a) added another run for each side, and (b) not changed! By the end, the stadium was still about 3/4 full — but the cheers sounded a little sleepy on the reruns! I have to laugh each time your Kimbrel is pitching — he must try to intimidate the batters before each pitch, or something! I’m glad it was at least in Southern California, where it was still about 65 degrees when the game ended! And now, here we go again!
LikeLike
I’m amazed everyone can play. Some of them looked like they needed a gurney to roll them off to the nearest hospital. It should be a very interesting game tonight. VERY interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like your thought wondering what would happen if it didn’t end before the next one began!
LikeLike
Yeah. I figure just run one right into the next one and keep playing until everyone is dead or someone wins. Can’t mess with those big TV contracts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was like rolling the two games of a double header into one game — 18 innings = two games! I’m glad tonight’s was just 9 innings!
LikeLike
So were we. Garry said it somehow SEEMED longer. Now, a day off. We ALL need it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think there’s actually another game tonight before they all travel back to Boston! The guys must really be exhausted by now!
LikeLike
Garry says you are right. Those are some weary players!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And then just one day off!
LikeLike
What? And mess with the TV contracts? Are you insane? There’s a lot of MONEY on the line. And bets all lined up with whoever is taking bets. Good god, woman — give them a day off? We don’t DO that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you mean they have to play another game on the same day they fly across country? That flight day will feel like a day off of sorts!
LikeLike
Wow! Did they end up playing to an empty stadium? Baseball must be like tennis. It goes on till somebody cracks. In cricket, there is always a set number of overs and in the shortest form T20 where ties are not allowed, there is a “super over” to decide the winner.
It’s pretty rough having to play again the next day. I bet those guys will spend most of today asleep or in an ice bath. Glad they won for you though.
LikeLike
You know? I don’t think I even looked at the stadium. By the end, I wasn’t even wearing my glasses so I had to peer at the screen standing directly in front of it. And then, it was just to read the score.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw this online this morning and thought of you. One heckuva game!
LikeLike
Mostly, just incredibly LONG.
LikeLike
I’m on the west coast and even I couldn’t stay up for the game. And I, too, wonder how these tired players are going to cope in tonight’s game.
LikeLike
I kept thinking it was bound to end. I mean, they’d run through the entire team, so someone had to make a mistake, right? I couldn’t believe how long it went. Sheesh. Tonight’s game should be very interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it was, although when the Sox were down 4-0 after six, I was getting very worried!
LikeLike
So were we, but not as anxious as normally. We’ve seen them come back after bigger gaps than that. This has been a great year for the team. There’s one more game in L.A. tonight, then — IF the Dodgers win — it’s back to Fenway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like how it ended. Was nice to see that guy hit a Homer especially since he almost had one a few inning prior. Good talk
LikeLiked by 1 person
By the end, I really didn’t care who won. I just wanted SOMEONE to win.
LikeLike
Nathan Eovaldi, who pitched 8 innings, 90 something pitches in “relief” is now a folk hero in Red Sox Nation.
LikeLike
Thanks for the info didn’t know that. You should check out my blog Garry , hope to see you there big pappi
LikeLike
My eyes were glazing over by the last inning. I had to cancel plans for my “late show” movie viewing. I still got up twice around dawn to herd the fuzzies out into the pouring rain. They weren’t happy. Tough!
So, who starts tonight for the Bosox? Mebbe Pedro, eh?
LikeLike
I forget who it is, but it’s someone who didn’t do a lot yesterday. Whatever his name is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We were vindicated with a game 4 victory, underscored by more Sox magic. Game 5 tonight — maybe Roy Hobbs will be in the Sox outfield.
LikeLike