Tampa Bay's Epic Fail

The Red Sox had only seven outs left to work with.

Tampa Bay were sweeping the Red Sox. The Rays were on the edge of sweeping Boston at Fenway Park. In fact, it wasn't sweeping. It was destruction. The Rays won by eight runs in back-to-back games all the way up north in Massachusetts. If the Rays won this, they were off to the World Series.

And they should've been. They kept piling on runs. In the sixth inning, the broadcasters mentioned that Boston had not been shut out at Fenway in the postseason since 1918 in the World Series against the Cubs, which was, ironically, still the last year they won it all until 2004. It was 7-0. To score seven runs in a single inning would mean every person on the team would bat at least once. There was no way the team could pull through, 2 outs already in the bottom of the seventh and utterly demoralized.

Two men somehow get on base after this and Dustin Pedroia is up. RBI single. At least it won't be a shutout. And nobody likes running up the score.

David Ortiz comes up to bat with men on first and third. He is having a horrible slump, with only one hit in the ALCS in five games now. Where was the Big Papi we thought we knew, the one who hit game-changing home runs when the Sox were down and out against all - wait, there he is. Three run-homer to right. Maybe there is hope. It's only 7-4 now.

Tampa Bay goes down without much resistance. Bay gets walked on four straight balls, but not intentionally. J.D. Drew hits a homer to right. It's 7-6!

Two outs, and Boston still needs to at least score a run now or in the bottom of the ninth. Better now. Kotsay hits a double. Speedy. I keep saying all Coco Crisp has to do is single to right. Just single to right. Full count. Foul ball. Foul ball. Foul ball. Foul ball. Foul ball. Single to right. Kotsay scores. It is 7-7.

Rays get men on first and second with only one out in the top of the ninth. Carlos Pena, the scariest guy in their lineup, is up. They show his clip of his game-winning 14th inning home run against Boston last month over the Green Monster. And he... grounds to second. Double play!

No pressure, guys. Wait, that doesn't mean give up! Two outs, so it's all down to Youk or we will have to endure extra innings. Looks like Coco's at bat again, with a full count and several fouls. And he grounds to third. Darn. He looks like he will be just short on beating the throw to first. And, what do you know... The first baseman misses? He tips the ball into the bleachers. Youk gets to second on an error. Certainly Tampa won't let this be the reason they lose. They intentionally walk Bay. Men on second and first. J.D. Drew is back up. Three straight balls. I don't think I could handle having to deal with bases loaded at this point in the game. Then a strike. 3-1. It still favors the batter.

He hits it. It's not gone, but it's got distance. And over the rightfielder it goes, and everyone knows it's over. Just for good measure, the ball bounces in front of the notoriously short rightfield wall and goes over. Ground-rule double with a man on second means a run scores. 8-7.

Turns out they only needed six.