I came into today leading my first round playoff matchup 7-6. All 7 categories I was leading were stone cold locks.
We were tied in both nets teals and runs as well as holds. I trailed quality starts 4-3 with Nova pitching today.
Going into the final matchup my opponent and I each had one player. It should be noted that in the event of a tie I advance based on my 18-16 season record vs my opponent.
Just before the final game my opponent had Goldschmidt. By this point I was pissed because Nova crapped the bed and I got no holds (either clinched the matchup for me). I did however hold a 7-6 lead by this point.
In the 8th inning after some of the worst relief pitching in the history of baseball, the Dodgers blew their lead, then walked Goldschmidt on 4 pitches and he stole 2nd to tie the matchup 7-7. Then, in the 12th, Goldschmidt of all people scores the winning run, to take the runs lead and an 8-7 lead with each of us with one player left.
Those players were Hanley Ramirez for me and Jackie Bradley Jr. for him. In the bottom of the 5th inning with a runner on 1st and one out Mookie Betts hit a hard liner to Sabathia for a lineup and what appeared to be an easy double play at first, however Sabathia botched the throw and extended the inning for Hanley.
Ramirez responded by launching a home run about an inch and a half over the monster to tie the runs category.
It wasn't over yet though. Girardi being the idiot that he is inexplicably left Sabathia in the 6th with 110 pitches against Jackie Bradley Jr. Bradley hit an RBI single. The RBI was meaningless as I clinched that category ages ago, however it put Bradley on base with nobody out with Ortiz coming in to pinch hit.
Yankees pull Sabathia and bring in Parker to face Ortiz and he gets the strikeout. Then, after what should have been an inning ending double play by Pedroia that was botched by the 1st base ump it left Bradley on 3rd with 2 out and Bogaerts up to bat. A Bradley run would give my opponent the runs lead and an 8-7 lead in the matchup. Parker comes up huge, striking out Bogaerts to end the inning.
In the 7th Hanley went deep again to give me the outright lead in runs and broke the 7-7 tie in my favor to go up 8-7. and as I type this Bradley just struck out in the 8th in what should be his final ab. The only thing that can stop me now is insane stupidity on the part of the Red Sox that extends the game into extra innings and allows Bradley to somehow score 2 runs.
It was very dramatic, but it appears I have won my playoff matchup.