BALTIMORE - Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was the first row of seats for one of the most exciting nights in baseball history.
"This is one for the ages, is not it, with what is happening with these two games," said Epstein, after his team blew up the lead 3-2 in the ninth inning at Camden Yards, then moments later watched the Tampa Bay Rays complete improbable comeback from 7-0 deficit to defeat the Americans and to reduce time in the first place Sox playoff outsiders.
As Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, presumably related to the play-8 ½ game lead wild cards in September, saw his dream crumble Matches in a 13-inning loss 4.3 Phillies. This first playoff tickets St. Louis Cardinals, who earlier in the night, empty the Astros 8-0
But nothing matches the drama that unfolded in the AL East, where the Red Sox, nine games on the rays at the beginning of the month, fell victim to pesky Orioles and the Rays refused to say "never" against the Yankees.
"You cannot sugarcoat it. It's horrible," said Epstein. "We did it for myself and put myself in position for a crazy night like this until the end of our season."
Everything went wrong for the Red Sox during the 86-minute delay for lightning and rain. Boston led by six strong 3.2 innings from Jon Lester (14-0 in his career against Baltimore) and the good Homer with Dustin Pedroia.
As rain, Red Sox players retreated to the club, watch in amazement as the Tampa Bay, and are limited to two hits through the first seven innings, rallied for six runs in the eighth in New York. Three run Homer Evan Longoria was the big blow.
With two outs in the ninth, Dan Johnson, a .108 hitter this season - and the player who stung by Boston in the past - are laid out two, tying the game to run home, just in the right field foul pole against Corey Wade, the 10th of the 11 Yankee pitchers .
In the 12th, game-winning hit points Robert Andino looked in glove with the Boston left fielder Carl Crawford, Longoria struck again, this time down the line homering in the left against Scott Proctor.
"I've heard (Orioles) tied the game, and then I hear that they are winning," said Longoria, recalling how he felt as he walked up to the plate for the final at-bat. "I could hardly breathe."
For all its weaknesses, in the last 7-20 September the Red Sox had been 77-0 this season when leading after nine innings. Jonathan Papelbon, who was 31-for-33 in save chances this season, struck out Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds to start the ninth, before Chris Davis doubled to right and Nolan Reimold tied the game with a ground-rule double to right-center.
Crawford can see it all coming. ... The ball hit him and returns him Andino former teammates in Tampa Bay.
"I was hoping (I could catch it)," said Crawford, who went into a slide as the ball approached. It was do or die right there. I had no choice but to (slide).
"I knew (rays) are going to run. They have a team that will come back."
Red Sox designated striker David Ortiz also saw coming.
"I must give credit to those guys in Tampa, man," said Ortiz. "We were watching the game during a rain delay and they did - they deserve to be in the playoffs, to be honest with you."
Orioles took two of three against the Red Sox, to seal the fate of Boston.
"By the end of the season like this - to make Boston home sad and crying - I'll take it all day," said Andino.
But the Red Sox did not have a monopoly on suffering.
Braves' late-game collapse microcosm of September. They blew up 8 ⅓ game lead in the wild card, going 9-18 down the stretch. In this, they were empty for the last 10 innings for the Philadelphia bullpen.
The collapse of Atlanta - which included five consecutive losses to end the season, the last three from the hands of the Phillies - was almost complete when the rookie closer Craig Kimbrel refused to play the binding, the ninth inning sacrifice fly to Chase Utley. Unplanned cords Michael Stutes, Michael and Justin DeFratus Schwimer combined for four scoreless innings.
Finally, weak, spinning grounder off the bat Hunter Pence to hire one to ride in good run for the Phillies, who got a scoreless inning another from Daniel Herndon to seal the victory.
Halfway across the country, prompting champagne celebration in Houston, where hours earlier the Cardinals got two victims, 11-out performance of Chris Carpenter.
The Cardinals, who trailed the Cardinals by 10 ½ games on August 25, but went down 8.18 on the site, took care of business, scoring five times on seven hits in the first inning.
NL playoffs begin on Saturday when the Cardinals and Phillies are in Milwaukee (07/03 winner against Pittsburgh, to enter into second seed) hosts Arizona.
In the AL, Texas Rangers secured second seed with a win over the Angels and the chance to host a steady light. Detroit opened the series of AL at Yankee Stadium.
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