Belted into the Night

6 hours. 23 minutes. 18 innings. History.


Anthony Rendon and Jordan Zimmerman looked like the ultimate stars in the Nations capital tonight as they both put on a performance that was looking like a game for the ages. The next thing you know, Joe Panik takes a walk to end the 20 batters in row retired streak for Jordan Zimmerman who by the way in his last start threw a no-hitter! Matt Williams came out to the mound and decided to make the pitching change that ultimately was the right move in the scheme of things in a one run ball game bringing in Drew Storren who hadn't given up a run since August.


The gritty Giants then put together a 2 out rally with Buster Posey getting a 2 out hit, and then Pablo Sandoval continued his 13 game postseason hitting streak that tied the ballgame and initiated a review that could have given the Giants a 2-1 lead, but in the end was upheld as the third out of the top of the 9th. The next thing you know, this quick 9 inning game turned into the longest baseball game in the history of Postseason baseball.


The fireworks started in the 10th when Asdrubal Cabrera slammed his helmet and got ejected for a high fastball that clearly was a strike that he didn't agree with, getting him and his manager ejected for arguing balls and strikes. The crowd decided to become sarcastic the rest of the inning every high pitch that wasn't a strike. This would be the last time for the next 2-3 hours the crowd would get into the game for it was another 8 innings when that ultimate moment happened.


Brandon Belt. A 26 year old, baby faced guy from an average sized town in Texas, made history that may not see a breaking point in anytime soon. Top of the 18th inning, 6 hours in, he hits a solo blast into the upper deck in the Nation's capital to give the Giants a 2-1 lead ultimately handing them a 2-0 series lead heading back to the west coast to the most beautiful ballpark in the game. Funniest thing, Tim Hudson started this game tonight for the Giants, he also started in that game in 2005 for the Braves when they went 18 innings against the Astros. Adam LaRoche was also involved in that matchup as well. Crazy how both guys ended up in the same spot nearly 10 years later on a night in DC.


Then there was the game that was played in Los Angeles on this night.


The Dodgers have found this guy in A.J. Ellis who might become a new household name when I comes to success in the postseason. He got the double that started the run production in the 3rd inning of Game 2 of the NLDS against the Cardinals which ultimately got the Dodgers 2 runs giving them a 2-0 lead heading into the 4th. The crazy part is there was a phantom tag that scored the first run when it should have been the end of the inning. Zach Grienke (who also was the starting pitcher) was the one who received the phantom tag and ultimately scored on an Adrian Gonzalez 2 out RBI single. The Cardinals really couldn't do anything else till later on in the ballgame and shockingly enough, neither could the Dodgers.


Then comes Matt Carpenter, the new dagger in the back of the Dodgers, he hits a two run homerun on the first pitch that he sees in the 8th inning and ties the ballgame at 2-2 sucking the air out of Dodger stadium. Well, at this point, I was figuring we'll see another extra inning game and I'll be up late again writing my blog. Not the case, Matt Kemp hit a bomb to left field and the Dodgers took a 3-2 lead into the top of the 9th where Jansen shut the door on a Cardinals comeback. The coolest part (since I didn't watch the game on television) I heard Vin Scully call a game winning Home Run. How cool is it to know that I heard a living legend call a game winning homerun and he's been doing it for nearly 60 years. It truly is incredible how timeless the game can be.


Dodgers and Cardinals are now tied in their series 1-1 as they head to the Midwest in a best of 3 series with the Cardinals holding home field advantage for those last three games.


Should be an awesome Sunday worth of ALDS baseball along with NFL action included. Today, was the craziest college football day in the history of college football, and keeping up with everything was truly insane. What a great Saturday in sports!