October means it’s time for postseason baseball.
As the weather cools and the nights darken early, the lights come on and the fans are glued to their seats.
And this dramatic ending to a Major League Baseball playoff game left fans speechless.
The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers won 106 games yet still ended up in the National League Wild Card Play-in Game.
This do-or-die game saw the Dodgers knotted at one run a piece with the St. Louis Cardinals heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Cardinals reliever Alex Reyes retired the first two batters – including former St. Louis Cardinal legend Albert Pujols – before the Dodgers Cody Bellinger worked out a walk.
That brought up Chris Taylor in the situation every kid dreams of in the backyard – two out, bottom of the ninth inning in a tie playoff game.
Taylor followed through on what every kid imagines and cranked a game-ending two-run homer to left field to send the Dodgers through to the National League Division Series.
BRING ON THE NLDS! #WALKOFF pic.twitter.com/Za2Tge069U
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 7, 2021
“Yeah, I felt alright,” Taylor said after the game. “Like I said, I was trying to keep things small. Think small and make big things happen.”
The best of five NLDS will feature a dream matchup.
In 2021, the Dodgers proved their pandemic-shortened 2020 title was no fluke by racking up 106 wins.
But 106 wins was only good enough for the Wild Card because the San Francisco Giants – who Las Vegas put their season win total over/under at 75.5 in spring training – won 107 games in one of the most surprising seasons in baseball history.
And now the 107-win Giants will take on the 106-win Dodgers in a five game series to see who is truly the better team.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
