Lucky us. It turns out all the cacophony over the past three days—the divining of intentions of a hit by pitch, the ninth-inning homer by an October legend that turned defeat into victory, the ridiculousness of a suspension hanging over the deciding of a pennant, the “baseball justice” levied with a ferocious grand slam … every last loud crash of cymbals, timpani and emotions, all of it—was just the warmup band prepping us for the spectacular headliner.
Max Scherzer, hired gun par excellence, but coming off a start coated in iron oxide, takes the ball in ALCS Game 7 on Monday. It will be the eighth time he pitches in a winner-take-all game, more than any pitcher in history. At 39 years and 89 days, he could become the oldest starter ever to win a sudden death game.
If that’s not enough drama for you to find out how the American League pennant is decided, please see your cardiologist.
