[Jazzmosis]

Chapter 71: NLCS: Game five, Tuesday, October 19th, 2009

Game five would be the last game we played in the chilly Chicago air before we headed back to the warmer climate of Florida, assuming we won this game. The whole team was riding the high and the excitement of the walk-off win that kept us breathing in this series. Meanwhile, on the other end of things, Anaheim was well up on Texas, 3-1, and fresh to take the series after embarrassing the Rangers 14-0 in game four. Both of us; Texas and ourselves - were battling against extreme odds. If Florida and Anaheim advanced, it’d be the two highest record teams facing off, which hadn’t happened since before the Wild Card was instated.

Most of the team hadn’t gone out and partied the win - in fact, only two guys went out - everyone else was eager to get back on the field and carry on with our momentum. We were all hoping that we’d dealt a huge confidence blow to the Marlins with that clutch single - and hoped that we’d find some more amazing hitting. One thing was for sure in my mind, though: If we came all the way back, they’d be close games decided by one play. It was demanded by the playoffs - nothing could be just normal, everything had to end or continue thanks to something that fans, players, and pundits would talk about for years after the fact.

Rodrigo Guillen was getting the huge start for this game, and he was slated up against Jake Millican, who hadn’t thrown at all in the playoffs for the Marlins. By all matchup outlooks, we had the pitching advantage - but I ignored all of that, because it was all a crapshoot now. I found amusement in the two pitcher’s background comparison, though. Both were converted relievers - both had won 12 games this year, and both had very similar scouting reports. Both were young - Guillen 26, Millican 25. And both had never seen a start this big in their careers.


I saw Lilley in the morning, before she left for school. I promised her another date, but admittedly my mind was more on the game I had coming up. We reverted to our usual friendship ways - something strange had happened where we acted differently on the dates, but between we still acted the same as we always had. As she headed out the door, she gave me a hug and a smile that my mind burned in photographic form, an image that still frequents my thoughts. And then she went to school. And I went to the park.


I had to make a decision on the lineup I wanted to put in again for the game - but as I was figuring it out, I was informed by Schermerhorn of Sanson’s last minute switch. Jake Millican was out; Ronald Rawls was in. I thanked him and swallowed hard - Rawls had beat us in Game 2, pitching a gem. I just hoped that Guillen could push us in the right direction. Statistically, Rawls was a worse pitcher than Millican - but on the other hand, he was at least playoff tested.

I decided to chance it and put the same lineup forward that I had the night before - after all, it netted me the win. Delgadillo would call the game for Guillen, while Kolodziej would once again hit cleanup. Waldo was a no-brainer at this point - he’d hit .462 while Simoneaux hit only .063, with a ridiculous 10 strikeouts in 16 at-bats. Delgadillo, on the other hand, was a serious gamble. It was basically putting another pitcher in the lineup offensively, while Cancio at least had a hope of hitting the ball. On the other hand, Delgadillo’s arm was a huge deterrent for would-be stealers. I was gambling with fire, and would either lose it all or burn the other team.

The game started with the Chicago mayor throwing out the first pitch, and Spanish Koan taking the hill against White. Florida was throwing the same lineup it had all series.

He wound up and delivered a first pitch strike, which the crowd liked. To satisfy them some more, he repeated it with a second pitch strike. On the third pitch, White swung a lifted a shallow fly, where Hickman trotted in and caught it. Waterhouse came up and did what he did so well, singling past a diving Harshaw.

Same old story. Waterhouse on, and Bennett at the plate. Guillen threw carefully to him, until he eventually walked him. I wasn’t going to complain. However, I started to get worried when he walked Chris on five pitches, loading up the bases with one out.

Glidden stepped up and took a hack at the first pitch he saw - a fly ball to straight centre. Hickman gloved it, but Waterhouse tagged and scored without contest. And right away, we were behind. Molina grounded out right after to end the inning. 1-0 Florida.

We started something right away against Rawls, though. After falling behind 0-2, Hicky got the crowd back into the game when he doubled down the line. Johnny came to the plate, and ripped the second pitch he saw. It was dying fast in left, but Bagwell made a shoestring catch before tumbling to the ground - forcing James to hurry back to second.

Clough fell behind 0-2 on two bad swings - and took the next pitch, a splitter, just over Glidden’s head. Hickman rounded and scored, and we celebrated. Clough had finally had the opportunity to drive runners in, and he didn’t disappoint. Meanwhile, Rawls had thrown 8 pitches, and all were strikes.

The first ball came against Kolodziej. But the next two were strikes. Waldo shook his bat to his normal stance, and fouled off the next pitch. Rawls got the signal, and delivered after checking JC at first. Kolo turned on it - and we all watched as the ball jumped off the bat. Bagwell chased and tracked it, getting closer and closer to the wall.

“Go! Go! Go!” I heard Hull scream from behind me.

Bagwell leapt at the wall, but the ball wasn’t close to his glove - it landed safely in the outfield stands four rows back. The crowd exploded and Waldo pumped his fist as he rounded first. Just like that, we were back on top.

Taylor didn’t let the hitting stop there - he took the first pitch from Rawls and singled past Glidden and White. He took off on the second pitch to Ira, who grounded it to Barry at first. Mission accomplished; he’d stayed out of the double play. It didn’t matter, though, as GM lined the ball hard, but right into Barry’s mitt. 3-1 Chicago.

Guillen’s control wasn’t helping, though. After getting Bagwell to fly out, he walked Oquendo, hitting all of .111 so far, on five pitches. Delbert then stole second, and Rawls grounded an easy ball to Harshaw. He fielded and threw, the ball skipping in the dirt - and right off the top of JC’s glove. Rawls was safe on Johnny’s error, and Florida had runners on the corners.

Spanish Koan brushed off the error, reassuring Clutch that it wasn’t a big deal. He came back and struck out White on four pitches, the final being a 92 MPH fastball, and then had to face Waterhouse. I became accustomed to Casey hurting us, and this was no exception, as he singled home Delbert and brought Bennett to the plate with two on, two out.

And things didn’t get better. Barry swiped at the second pitch and deposited it in right-centre, which drew a throw at the plate for Rawls, but ultimately he was on time. Waterhouse and Barry cruised into scoring position, and this game was tied. I got Kass warming up in the pen. Rodrigo got ahead 0-2, but then left a pitch over the plate, and Chris found a hole. Both runners scored, and we trailed again. Glidden followed it up with a single. Molina brought home Chris with another single, and I sent Guillen to the showers.

Things didn’t get better. Kass guttered a pitch to Bagwell, who ripped it down the line and scored both runners. Meanwhile, he cruised into third.

Finally, finally, Oquendo, who’d started it all, lined out to Hickman, who still had to make a nice running stab. When it was all said and done, Florida had scored 7 times, and led 8-3. Things looked bleak.

We went silently in the 2nd, which was awful - but it was the bottom of the order, so not much could be expected.

And it just got worse and worse. Rawls greeted Kass with a home run. Rawls. The pitcher. I pulled Coy and sent in Sipple to stop the bleeding and give us any kind of hope.

He got White on a flyout. But then Waterhouse walked and both Bennetts were beaned, which loaded the bases. Two pitches after, Glidden ripped a pitch just fair, clearing all the bases. A grand slam, and we were down by 10. Nobody said anything, and I just watched as the game had slid away so soon. Sipple struck out the next two, and got us out of the inning. 13-3 Florida.

Harshaw led off the 3rd with a single, which got a small rise out of the fans. JC stepped up to the dish, and mashed the second pitch from Rawls - well over the outfield fence, which plated him. We applauded in the dugout, but we still had a long way to go. Taylor singled afterwards, but that was all. Sipple came back out for the 4th, and picked up another two strikeouts in a badly-needed 1-2-3 inning. We followed suit, but I sent Delaney in to relieve. I had wanted to use him for game six, but he was needed now.

Waterhouse grounded to Harshaw, who booted it again. Casey had been on base four times in a row now. Barry then walked, putting the usual situation up. Delaney didn’t make things better for himself, throwing a wild pitch that put two in scoring position with none out.

We all groaned in the dugout. Dave, on the other hand, bared down and struck out Chris, Glidden, and got Molina to ground out to end the inning without letting up a run. He received hearty high-fives as he came in - we needed any boon we could get.

Clutch started off the 5th with a single. JC then improved to 3-3 with a duplicate single. The crowd shuffled in subdued excitement - we were down by 8, but had the chance to start things off. Kolo dug into the plate and assumed his usual waggle.

He pounded the ball into the ground, forcing Chris to make a backhanded stab. He turned and fired to second, retiring the slow Clough, but Kolo barely beat the throw at first. Runners on the corners, 1 out. Taylor then lifted an easy fly to Oquendo, which brought home Johnny. That signalled the end of th night for Rawls, and brought in Mike Prout., who after a tough battle with Hull, got a groundout that ended the inning. 13-6 Florida after 5 innings.

Delaney did his job, leaving Oquendo on second in the top of the sixth.

After Martinez grounded out, I pinch hit Delgadillo for Cancio, and hoped he’d find his bat. He lined out. Delaney then struck out. We were down to 9 outs to score 7 times.

Waterhouse reached on an error for the second time, this one against Kolodziej at third. Typically, he was on for Bennett. And typically, Bennett walked. Chris singled, and Florida had re-loaded the bases.

Glidden punished us again, drilling a double past Martinez that scored Waterhouse (again) and Bennet (again). Molina walked (again), and we were back to square one. Bagwell lifted a fly to deep centre, which Hicky gloved but scored another. I pulled Delaney for Popham. Popham struck out the next two he faced to end the inning, but we were back to losing by ten, down 16-6.

Hickman didn’t want to go down without a fight. He lead off the inning with a solo homer which plated our 7th run. Harshaw then singled. Clough, still perfect on the day, ripped the pitch past Chris, and the ball travelled all the way to the wall. Johnny rounded second and third, drawing a throw from Bagwell and White. Waterhouse made the catch at the plate - a good relay, and applied the tag.

Safe.

Clutch pumped his fists in a rare show of emotions. We weren’t going to go easily, it seemed. Waldo nubbed a ball just up the middle and was thrown out by White, but JC moved to third. Aaron then singled to right, which scored Clough and kept his night perfect as well. Hull flew out to the track - we all screamed, but Bagwell hailed it in - and I pinch hit Martinez for Gober. He grounded out. We’d scored three times, but still trailed 16-9.

Popham got White out on a strikeout, and then finally prevented Waterhouse from getting on - but only by a smooth backhanded, bang-bang play by Taylor.

And finally, as if we’d waited too long for it, Barry took Popham deep. Chris was pinch hit by Carillo, who hit a comebacker and was out. But again, 17-9.

Cancio struck out to start the bottom of the 8th. I sent in Dekker to pinch hit, who took 12 pitches until finally flying out to centre. Shortly after, Hickman grounded out. We were down to the final three outs.

Aitken started the top of the ninth. Glidden took a high third strike, and immediately started to argue. The plate ump had none of it, tossing him quickly. We all laughed at how stupid Glidden was to argue while leading by eight. At least we could get some laughs in from this. Molina struck out afterwards, and Bagwell grounded out, 2-3. It was all or nothing now.

Clutch led off the inning against Prout. He took two balls and a strike, and then lifted a high, deep fly - right into the glove of Rodarte in centre (who had came in as a defensive replacement). Two outs left.

Clough solidified the best game of his career by rapping another single, going 5-5. Kolo tried to repeat his success, but flew out harmlessly to left. One out left.

Taylor came up. He took the first pitch ball. Then he swung, and sent the ball high to centre - and in the unreal, but inevitable moment, Rodarte grabbed it, and the stadium went silent as the Marlins all mobbed each other on the mound.

Clough hurried back to the dugout, out of the way of the celebration. For the second straight year, Florida celebrated in front of us - but this time, it was to go to the World Series. I watched from the safety of the dugout, watching another team celebrate where I should have been. I just sat and watched, letting the feeling sink in, just like all the other Chicago fans. The season was now over.

My thoughts drifted as I watched the Marlins. I had to renegotiate my contract with Oberg or find another team to manage. I wondered if I would be moving again. I thought of Lilley, and what I was going to say to her. I wondered if this loss would change anything between her and I - it didn’t make sense, but I thought it might. I saw the out-of-town scoreboard - Texas has won 6-3, forcing a game 6. I watched my players walk by me into the clubhouse and congratulate me on a great season, which I responded with the same sentiments. I wondered what would become of my life now. I wondered who would face Florida in the Fall Classic. I thought of my family, and of my friends I’d left behind in Canada. And after all the players had gone into the clubhouse and I was the only one left in the dugout, I finally got up off the bench.

I didn’t have to go to Miami, at least.