There’s nothing quite like a walk-off win, is there? After running around all weekend (the rehearsal and wedding I was at were in Meadville, the reception was back in good ol’ Mercer County, my tux had to be returned to Boardman), I finally got into the house just in time for the seventh inning stretch of today’s game, just after the Pirates had rallied to tie the Cardinals at four. Seeing the score (and because my grandparents were over for dinner), I immediately began working on two “Pirates set record” posts, both for here and FanHouse. After Rick Ankiel homered off of Jesse Chavez in the eighth, I kicked things into overdrive to try and be prepared for what I assumed would be the biggest even in the history of this blog.
I looked up to see Jason Jaramillo single to lead off the ninth, but grumbled when JR elected to throw away another out with the lead-footed Jaramillo on first by having Andy LaRoche bunt into the most predictable force out of the game. Still, with ‘Cutch at the plate, I wasn’t about to take my eyes off the game. After he singled and Doumit singled LaRoche in, I suddenly got downright positive with Garrett Jones and Lastings Milledge due up. Sure enough, Jones delievered and my eulogies will have to be used another day.
Days like today, these are why I keep watching. We’re 81 losses into the seventeenth straight losing season, and I still can’t help but break into a grin when I see Garrett Jones single Andrew McCutchen home to win a game, while the other players pour out of the dugout to celebrate with them. Can you imagine how fun it would be if this happened 90 times a season instead of 65?
