In sports, all the major news of yesterday was out of baseball.  There were 4 key games that would determine the final spots in the playoffs.  And, in baseball, just being in the playoffs give you a very good chance to win the World Series, because baseball is about who’s hot at the right time.

In the American League, it was all about two games.  The Boston Red Sox vs. The Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankess vs. the Tampa Bay Rays.  If both the Red Sox and Rays won (or both lost) they would require a one-game playoff to see who gets in to the post-season.  In Baltimore, the Red Sox had the lead for the majority of the game thanks to a Dustin Pedroia homer that gave them a 3-2 lead.   But no home team wants to lose their last game of the season.  Shockingly, the Orioles rallied in the 9th behind clutch hits from Robert Andino and Nolan Reimoid that would give them the victory!  Baltimore 4, Boston 3.

So the Red Sox needed to pray that the Rays lost to the Yankees.  Fortunately for Boston, the Yankees immediately jumped out to a 7-0 lead, and the game pretty much looked like a shoe-in.  But… don’t count out the hottest team in baseball.  Starting in the 8th inning, the Rays began their now historic rally.  It was 7-3, and their superstar Evan Longoria stepped up to the plate with 2 men on.  And… SMASH, a 3-run homer to make the game 7-6.  But still, getting that last run is the toughest.  In the 9th inning, on a prayer, the Rays put in pinch-hitter Dan Johnson, a guy batting .108 on the season.  On top of that, there were 2 outs, and Johnson had 2 strikes on him.  Fortunately, Johnson decided to follow his little league advice and “go out swinging”, except that last swing connected for a line-drive home run to tie the game.  Truly Amazing!!!  The game went all the way to the 12th inning, when Evan Longoria blasted yet another home run.  That’s all they needed — the Rays came back from 7-0 to win and head to the post-season.  Tampa Bay 8, NY Yankees 7.

And in the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves had the exact same situation.  Win and live, lose and pray for the other to lose.  The Cardinals easily handled a hapless Houston Astros team 8-0, but the Braves couldn’t get it done as easily.  Plus, they had a much tougher opponent in the Philadelphia Phillies.  Atlanta held a 3-2 lead until the the 9th inning, when the Phillies Chase Utley hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in a run.  That stole the Braves thunder, but they wouldn’t give up.  The game went until the 13th inning, when, unfortunately for Braves fans, the Phillies Hunter Pence hit a solid single to right to bring in the winning run.  With the loss, the Braves were eliminated from post season play, and the St. Louis Cardinals punched their ticket.

So here are the match-ups for the playoffs:

Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers

It’s going to be a fierce post-season.