[Big Six]

Tom Haley's Closing Time blog, October 29, 2023


Wow.

To call a baseball game "unforgettable" sounds cliche, but this time I think it fits. Last night's Game Seven was full of twists and turns, and ended up leaving my emotions on raw edges all night long.

First of all, we faced my friend and future brother-in-law, Ty Williams, who started the game for the Padres. Everyone thought Ezra Wells, who had already shut out the Padres twice in the NLCS, would start for us. Instead, Bill Nesling picked Brian Nolan. It turns out Ezra was still tired, and Brian felt fresh, so Bill went with the guy who's been our #1 starter for several years now.

The Padres scored in the first inning, and our starting shortstop, Jose L. Garcia, got hurt in a collision on a force play. Dani Rivera entered the game, and although we didn't know it at the time, that proved to be a huge, huge turning point.

Dani came up for the first time in the top of the third, and he hit a line drive to right that barely cleared the wall for a home run; now the score was tied, 1-1. Ty responded like an ace, however. He settled back down and held us scoreless through the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Brian was pitching well for us, too, but the Padres manufactured a run in the fourth on a walk, a steal, and a single, and took a 2-1 lead.

Doug Tars led off the seventh for us with a single. Myron Webster flied out, and Bernardo Perez singled Tars to second. That brought Rivera back to the plate.

Dani watched two knuckleballs go by, and with the count at 2-0, he swung hard at a third knuckler and hit it deep into the right field seats. Just liie that, it's Braves 4, Padres 2.

Dani has batted about 500 times in the major leagues, and he's hit five career home runs. In Game Seven of the NLCS, he comes off the bench and goes yard twice against a guy who tied for the league lead in wins with 19. That's why they say baseball is an unpredictable game.

Ty finished out the inning and walked off the field, and I realized how mixed my emotions really were. Sure, I was happy--thrilled about the fact that we were that much closer to winning the NLCS and keeping our World Series hopes alive. At the same time, however, I felt bad for Ty. He wouldn't look up as he walked to the dugout, even though almost all the San Diego fans were on their feet cheering him. I also felt bad for my sister, Megan. I know she was rooting for the Padres, and I'm fine with that. She's been very supportive of Ty, who's had lots of ups and downs in his career.


We scored two more runs in the ninth, and again, Dani was in the middle of it; he walked and scored the first run. Edward Shaw, who has had a tough year for us, drove the runs in with a pinch single. It was good to see Ed come through.

I went down to the bullpen during the bottom of the seventh, like I usually do, but when we took that four-run lead, I decided I probably wouldn't get into the game. Denny Patterson went out to pitch the ninth, and I sat back to watch.

Jorge Rodriguez led off the inning with a sharp single, and the phone rang. "Tommy, get up," I heard.

Denny struck out Archie Faulkner, but Robert Clay drove one that Joe Hooper caught at the base of the center field wall.

"Get loose quick, Tom."

When Brett Lawrie singled, I had a feeling I was coming in. Bill stalled a little so I could finish warming up; good thing I can get loose in a hurry. Then he patted his right arm, and I was on my way in.

The first guy I faced was Giovanni Mier. I got in front of him, 0-1, and then I threw four straight balls. Now the bases were loaded, and the winning run was at the plate. Way to go, closer.

The crowd was as loud as I've ever heard as Gus Dennis stepped in. Gus is a 24-year-old rookie outfielder who was a first round pick in the 2017 draft. He drove in 13 runs in 19 games this year for the Padres, so he's got a clue about what to do with runners in scoring position, and I'd never faced him before.

I decided to start him off with a fastball high, but he laid off it and it was called a ball. Next, I threw another fastball, which I wanted to put low and away, but it drifted inside just a bit. I think it fooled Gus, because he took it for a strike.

I came back with a changeup and caught him out in front. He tapped it to second, Doug fielded it and threw over to John Lang at first, and that was it.

I remember looking up at the sky, and the video shows me pumping my fist once. Then I turned around, right before my catcher, Emilio Castro, jumped into my arms. Then Lang arrived, and the rest of the team followed soon afterwards.

As a young pitcher, you dream of being the guy on the mound when the last out of a championship game is recorded. I'd gotten the last out of a division-clinching game before, but there's nothing like being there for Game Seven, with a pennant on the line.

Nothing, that is, except being there when a World Series is won. I hope I get the chance to experience that very soon.


P.S. The first Padre to congratulate us last night was Ty Williams. He wished us "best of luck" against the Orioles in the World Series.