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On a sun-splashed October afternoon in Phoenix, baseball offered one of those extraordinary reminders of why the game has captivated us for generations: its unpredictability, its capacity for chaos, and its enduring ability to astonish.
What unfolded at Chase Field was, quite simply, one of the wildest contests you will ever witness. A game where numbers seemed to lose meaning, where momentum swung like a pendulum in a storm, and where fundamentals — particularly on the Arizona side — appeared to take an unscheduled holiday. Six errors by the Diamondbacks. Eighteen total runs allowed after the seventh inning. And then, in an 11th inning that defied logic, the Pittsburgh Pirates put up twelve runs — twelve — to turn a tight, seesaw battle into a 24–13 victory.
It was a night when stars emerged from unexpected corners. Batu Baykurt, from SeaTac, Washington, delivered a performance that will be remembered long after the box scores fade: five hits in seven at-bats, four runs scored, a constant presence on the bases, and the heartbeat of Pittsburgh’s offense. And then, in a moment worthy of a postseason montage, Cedric van Dongen — the young man from Katwijk in the Netherlands — stepped in and delivered the pivotal blow. A two-run single in the 11th inning that put Pittsburgh ahead to stay and ignited the avalanche of runs that followed.
This wasn’t merely a baseball game — it was a test of stamina, of resilience, of the strange and wondrous nature of October. Inning by inning the story grew more improbable. Arizona’s offense, to their credit, answered nearly every Pittsburgh surge, matching power with power — three home runs, seventeen hits, flashes of brilliance that showed why these teams are here in the first place. Tony Flores, Jonathan González, J. Chapa — they all delivered moments of drama and defiance.
But in the end, the Pirates found just a bit more. More poise, more execution, and on this day, more good fortune in a game where luck seemed to pivot on every swing.
The series now moves to Pittsburgh tied at one game apiece — fitting, perhaps, after such a spectacle. What comes next is impossible to predict. But after a night like this, one thing is certain: baseball — in all its madness, beauty, and resilience — still has the power to surprise even the most seasoned among us.
And that is what keeps us watching.
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