Justin Verlander was set to pitch the opening game of the American League Championship Series. Instead, Detroit is calling upon him today to save the season, thanks to Oakland’s latest moment of glory.
With the A’s on the ropes at home against the Tigers and already down two games to one in the best-of-five division series, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle appeared to have suggested a headline for her editor (check out the URL title) signaling that the green and gold magic had run its course for 2012. After all, it was the bottom of the ninth inning and Detroit was up by two.
And yet, while general manager Billy Beane was driving around in his truck, listening to his daughter sing Lenka, the A’s batters roughed up closer Jose Valverde with relative impunity, scoring three for yet another walk-off win.
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Coco Crisp’s game-winning hit drove the already-delirious O.Co Coliseum crowd to new heights of ecstasy, leading one A’s pitcher to declare:
Boxscore here.