Last Game of the Night

Angels vs. Nationals

From www.ball-wonk.com:

What is the ultimate challenge for a closer? Start with a one-run lead. Then put three men on base with no outs. Any normal fly ball, or a wild pitch, or a walk, or a hit batsman, or a balk, scores the run and blows the lead. Any hit scores two and loses the game.

Bottom of the ninth, Nats lead the Angels 1-0. Nats closer Chad (20 saves) Cordero allows a leadoff single to Angel Darin Erstad, then falls down while delivering a pitch to Vladimir Guerrero, whom he eventually walks.

Cordero picks himself up, smiling even or laughing at himself, but Garret Anderson follows with a single to right, loading the bases with no outs.

Washington Post:

This had to be it, the time when Cordero's streak ended, and the Nationals went down with him.

But no! He strikes out Steve Finley and get Bengie Molina to pop up to shallow center, not deep enough to score Erstad from third. And then next at bat is Dallas (Rookie-of-the-Year) McPherson, and Cordero throws a 1-2 fastball by him.

Woo-hoo! Win for the Nats! Win for Frank Robinson!

All this one day after Pine Tar-Gate.

Roger and I stayed up to watch that final out. It was great.