And yet, somehow, the Tampa Bay Rays reached the playoffs.
Evan Longoria is limited to an amazing comeback, hitting his second home run game, connect the disk just inside the left field foul pole in the 12th inning Wednesday night and give the Rays AL wild card spot with 8-7 victory over the New York Yankees.
Pinch-forward Dan Johnson saved the rays with a two-out, two strike solo home runs in the ninth that made it 7-all.
Longoria due shortly after midnight, four minutes after, Boston blew ninth inning lead and lost to Baltimore 4-3. Red Sox, who seemed to be running away from the rays of a few weeks ago, and Tampa Bay began the day tied for the final playoff place AL.
"It's a good feeling, knowing that one put us in the playoffs, but not in the playoff game," says Longoria. "So I was just thinking about, 'Wow, did that just really?" ... Man, when I saw it clear the fence is not feasible. "
A crowd of 29,518 at Tropicana Field in mostly silent, as the Rays trailed 7-0 going into the eighth. But the three-term Homer Longoria finished six run burst in the eighth, and Johnson, hitting only .108, tied it with a shot off Cory Wade.
Fans roared when the Red Sox loss was posted on the scorecard. Moments later, they broke out again when Longoria homered.
"This is a collection of stories by the end of the" designated striker Johnny Damon said. "Definitely happy"
Boston led by nine games on Sept. 4. If the Red Sox had to win, the teams would meet in one playoff game in Tropicana Field on Thursday.
Instead, the Rays will open the first round of the playoffs in the AL on Friday in Texas.
"It was a crazy night," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "What happened out there, beyond imagination."
"I want to say this: Yankee true champions," he said. "They played us great. They made us work for every inch of it."
Longoria is associated with Scott Proctor (0-3) to put an end to it. Proctor was the Yankees 11-game pitcher - they did not use the entire time career saves leader Mariano Rivera.
AL East champion Yankees pulled their regulars throughout the game and finished with a line, like Triple-team.
"Emotion day there was something you cannot think when you look at the schedule," Yankees star Alex Rodriguez said. "Longoria was a magical night. They are very dangerous because they have good pitching."
Moments before the Tampa Bay won, seemed to Boston instead, go to the playoffs.
Orioles were up to the last strike in the ninth to take on Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Rays, meanwhile, ran first and third, no out jam in the 12th. Longoria made the key play, fielding grounder to third and make hasty tag to catch the runner back to the diving base.
"Weird. Just when you think you can see it all," Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. "It's one of those days. Do you have a team down seven runs in the eighth, and Boston wins. It was very strange."
Mark Teixeira hit a helmet on the All-Star David Price and solo Homer, as the Yankees built their big lead. Rays sputtered against the parade, the New York pitchers until the eighth. Longoria homered on Luis Ayala to pull Tampa Bay in the future.
The second half, clapping Teixeira put the Yankees ahead 5-0. His solo shot made it 6-0, and came at a time, as Dustin Pedroia became absorbed in Boston to give the Red Sox lead 3-2 in the game. Rays began to cut into their deficit during a rain delay in Baltimore.
Night for three run Homer Matt Joyce gave Tampa Bay the victory of 05.03, which kept the wild card race related, the crowd was not much to cheer until the eighth when the Rays loaded bases with no outs against Boone Logan.
Ayala replaced by Logan and went forward Sam Fuld pinch force in a single pass, and then click Sean Rodriguez to pitch to the other forces. BJ Upton sacrifice fly in the deficit trimmed Tampa Bay at 03.07 before Longoria linked.
Until the eighth, Rays were limited to two hits - a pair of singles, Casey Kotchman - on a continuous stream of Yankee pitcher, starting with two inning stay on rookie Betances Dellin.
George Kontos, Aaron Laffey, Phil Hughes, Raul Valdez, A. Barnett, Andrew Brackman, Logan, Ayala, Wade, and Procter followed Betances, who made his first major league start.
The crowd lingered long after the game ended, and celebrate the players who have returned from the club to spray fans behind the dugout railing and along with champagne.
"It was one of the best days in baseball history, perhaps," said Teixeira. "I really cannot believe it. I think the fans should be excited."
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