Dramatics

Well you couldn't have asked for a more thrilling end to the regular season.
In the National League the Cardinals clobbered the 106 loss Astros 8-0 and sat by and watched as the Braves completed their collapse. The Phillies toppled Atlanta 4-3 in 13-innings.
Earlier this month the Braves led the Redbirds by 8 1/2 in the Wild Card race. St. Lou finally caught them. Atlanta can blame a depleted pitching staff and a 9-18 September.
Wait, it gets worse, or better, depending on your perspective.
In the American League, the Red Sox became the first team ever to hold a 9-game lead in September and not make the post-season. Boston was a shoe-in for the Wild Card but remember, this is the Red Sox we're talking about. While life has been good for the Boston's since 2004, they finally got back to their roots this month with a heartbreaking, head shaking collapse.
Baltimore rallied to beat the Red Sox last evening 4-3, scoring the winning runs with nobody on and two outs in the 9th off free-agent to be Jonathan Papelbon. Robert Andino's sinking liner to left should have been caught by Carl Crawford. Crawford even said so. But it wasn't. The winning run scored and the Sox, a few minutes later, learned they would be flying home instead of to a playoff destination.
The reason the Bostons are finished? The Rays. The feisty, gutty, tiny payroll, never say die Rays. Down 7-0 in the bottom of the 8th they scored 6 runs to draw close. Then Dan Johnson, a future Hall of Famer but only if his high school has a Hall of Fame, ripped a two out solo homer in the bottom of the 9th to give Tampa Bay life and their dozens of fans hope. Evan Longoria blasted a homer in the 12th to give the Rays a dramatic 8-7 win. A Wild Card walk off if you will.
The finish to this regular season shows you just how incredible and exciting baseball is. It gives meaning to every single game on the schedule. The Red Sox and Braves (who have Boston roots by the way) can certainly look back at games earlier in the season that they should have won but didn't. The Red Sox, although it looked like they certainly overcame their dreadful 2-9 start, in the end didn't. If they started 3-8 instead of 2-9 they would be in the playoffs.
When so much is invested, from off-season workouts, to spring training, to the long 162-game season, the drama alone makes baseball the best game ever. By far. No comparison. So much can be riding on a single game, a single inning, a single at-bat and a single pitch. There is nothing like it. And with the post-season starting tomorrow, the stakes, drama and intensity only increase. It is why we love the game.