CHICAGO (AP) — Tony Wolters waited and waited as the NL wild-card game went deep into Tuesday night. He stretched a couple of times and tried to figure out when he might get a chance to play.When that opportunity arrived
Jose Quintana Jersey , he was ready.Wolters hit a tiebreaking single with two outs in the 13th inning and the Colorado Rockies outlasted the Chicago Cubs 2-1 at Wrigley Field in the longest win-or-go-home postseason game in major league history.“Probably the biggest hit I’ve ever had, that’s for sure,” he said.The 26-year-old Wolters, claimed off waivers from Cleveland in 2016, entered as part of a double switch in the bottom of the 12th. The reserve catcher came up with runners at the corners and drove in Trevor Story with a two-strike hit back up the middle off losing pitcher Kyle Hendricks, quieting the crowd of 40,151 on a crisp fall night.After playing its third big game over three days in three different cities, Colorado now heads to Milwaukee to open a best-of-five Division Series against the NL Central champion Brewers on Thursday.“We didn’t make it easy on ourselves, that’s for sure,” Story said, “but we’re going to enjoy this one tonight and we’re definitely not done.”Scott Oberg, the sixth Colorado pitcher, fanned Kris Bryant for the final out of the 12th and then struck out the side in the 13th to end the longest postseason game at 104-year-old Wrigley. Terrance Gore tried to sell that he was hit by a pitch, but was sent back to the plate after a replay review confirmed the initial call.After Albert Almora Jr. struck out swinging for the final out, Wolters ran out and grabbed Oberg. They were soon joined by the rest of the excited Rockies in a rollicking purple mob near the mound.“You’re always wondering, ‘How’s this going to end?’ But our guys fought all night and to be able to get that last out there was great,” Oberg said.Wolters got his first hit since Sept. 10 in his playoff debut, and it was just the second postseason game for Oberg. Previously, the longest winner-take-all games in the postseason were 12-inning affairs in the 2014 AL wild-card round and Game 7 of the 1924 World Series.This one lasted 4 hours, 55 minutes, and had pretty much everything, too. Hendricks was the third starting pitcher used by the Cubs
http://www.chicagocubsteamshop.com/authentic-yu-darvish-jersey , after Jon Lester worked six solid innings and Cole Hamels was pressed into action after the teams were tied at 1 through nine. Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado exchanged a memorable hug with Javier Baez after he tagged the excitable Cubs star in the 11th.Colorado moved on to the Division Series for the first time since 2009. The Rockies lost to Arizona in the NL wild-card game a year ago.“Such a crazy game,” Story said.The Cubs made it to the NLCS in each of the previous three seasons, winning the 2016 World Series to break a 108-year drought, but they were plagued by an inconsistent offense all season long. Chicago finished with six hits and left 10 runners on base after managing only three hits in Monday’s 3-1 home loss to the Brewers in the NL Central tiebreaker.“We played that game a lot,” said manager Joe Maddon, who matched a postseason record by using 23 players. “Believe me, it was on my mind for a large part of it.”This time, it was Kyle Freeland cruising through Maddon’s lineup.Starting on three days’ rest for the first time in the pros, Freeland struck out six in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. The Denver native looked quite comfortable in his first career playoff appearance, helping his hometown team bounce back from Monday’s NL West tiebreaker loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles.“Sometimes you just get beat and we got beat tonight,” Lester said.Lester helped Chicago stick around by matching a career playoff high with nine strikeouts in his 26th postseason appearance. But he took a little while to settle into the game, and the Rockies took advantage.Charlie Blackmon led off with a five-pitch walk. DJ LeMahieu followed with a ground-rule double on a 3-2 pitch — with the ball getting stuck in the famed ivy in left-center — and Arenado’s sacrifice fly drove in Blackmon.Lester then limited the damage by striking out Story and Matt Holliday with LeMahieu on third.That one run looked as if it might hold up as Freeland cruised into the seventh. After Story robbed Daniel Murphy of a hit with a diving grab at shortstop, manager Bud Black replaced Freeland with Adam Ottavino.Chicago loaded the bases with two outs, getting some help when Drew Butera was called for catcher’s interference, but Ottavino struck out pinch-hitter Jason Heyward to end the inning.The Cubs got another chance when Anthony Rizzo singled with two outs in the eighth, and Maddon went for it. He ran for his star first baseman with the speedy Gore, who promptly swiped second.Ottavino had an 0-2 count on Baez when his third pitch got too much of the plate. The free-swinging slugger drove it into the gap in left-center for a tying double , easily scoring Gore from second and sending a charge through the crowd.Hitters had been 0 for 36 against Ottavino with an 0-2 count this year.“I think this is a classic,” Black said. “I think this will go down as a Major League Baseball classic. … And it’s awesome that a number of these fellas will always remember this game.” DETROIT (AP) — Victor Martinez will be remembered as one of the best line-drive hitters of the last 15 years, but his career ended in a different way.Batting in the first inning of his final major league game, Martinez beat out an infield chopper and was immediately removed for a pinch runner.“I think that’s the perfect way to get my last hit,” the longtime Tigers designated hitter said. “I had to work for it
Paul Konerko Jersey , and I had to grind it out. That’s what my career has been about.”Martinez, one of baseball’s slowest runners, said he even considered bunting against the Royals‘ shift.“A single is a single, right? It doesn’t matter how you get it,” he said. “It helps the team win.”The Tigers made sure Martinez went out a winner. Mikie Mahtook’s two-run homer in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie and the Tigers held on for a 5-4 victory.“You could tell these guys were fired up tonight,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “They have so much respect for Victor, and they wanted to get him a win.”Niko Goodrum led off the eighth with his third hit of the game, a single off Jason Hammel (3-14). Mahtook then lined Hammel’s 1-0 slider over the left-field fence for his ninth homer.“Hammel was our most rested arm, and I liked the matchup,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He’s just been hanging his slider and guys aren’t missing it.”Martinez is done as a player, but Gardenhire stressed he isn’t letting the 16-year veteran head to his cattle ranch quite yet.“I’m not done with him,” he said. “I told him he’s going to be sitting with me in the dugout, helping me manage these last seven games.”The Royals joined the celebration after Martinez’s first-inning single. As he left the field to a standing ovation, fellow Venezuelans Salvador Perez and Alcides Escobar came out of the dugout to embrace the five-time All-Star.“I wanted to say goodbye,” Perez said. “He’s taught me a lot of good things, both inside and outside of baseball — how to care for my family and all that. He makes me want to work harder and play until I’m 39.”Tigers starter Jordan Zimmermann allowed two runs on three hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out five.“It was tough warming up, because I was watching Victor’s ceremony on the scoreboard,” Zimmermann said. “I really wanted to go out there and pitch a good game, and I was able to do that, but today is all about him.”Joe Jimenez (5-4) allowed the Royals to tie it in the eighth but earned the win.Shane Greene allowed a solo homer to Perez before finishing the ninth for his 31st save in 37 opportunities.Jake Junis entered the game with a 4-0 record and 1.76 ERA against the Tigers this season. He gave up three runs on eight hits, a walk and three wild pitches in six innings.“They got some infield hits in the first couple innings, and it really cost me some pitches
http://www.whitesoxfanproshop.com/authentic-carlos-rodon-jersey ,” he said. “I thought it ended up being an accomplishment just to get through six innings.”Whit Merrifield drove the game’s first pitch to right-center. JaCoby Jones made a diving try but the ball popped out of his glove when he hit the ground, giving Merrifield a triple. Adalberto Mondesi followed with a sacrifice fly.The Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Goodrum’s RBI single, and he added an RBI double in the third.Alex Gordon tied it at 2-2 with a fourth-inning homer. Two wild pitches by Junis allowed Jones to score the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning.Brett Phillips singled off Jimenez with one out in the eighth and scored the tying run on Merrifield’s double down the left-field line.TRAINER’S ROOMTigers: Infielders Jeimer Candelario (back) and Goodrum (quadriceps) returned to the lineup. Candelario played third, while Goodrum started at second before moving to first after Martinez’s departure.KOZMA RARITYPete Kozma tripled in the eighth inning — his first three-base hit in the majors since Sept. 21, 2012. Kozma’s first triple as a Tiger put him one ahead of Martinez, who finished his Detroit career with zero triples in 969 games.THANKS, VICTORMartinez was honored in a pregame ceremony that included a video tribute and gifts for his family presented by the team’s other Latin American players, including Miguel Cabrera, who had been away from the team while rehabbing his biceps injury.There were also presents from Martinez’s teammates and the Tigers organization. In honor of his future as a full-time cattle rancher, the gifts included handmade cowboy boots and a saddle emblazoned with the Tigers logo.After taking time to compose himself, Martinez thanked the fans in a brief speech. He played first base for the first time since June 1, 2016, ending a 342-game streak of only serving as a hitter.Martinez also spoke to the fans in a postgame interview, waiting for “V-Mart” chants to die down.“There were times that they booed me, but that was because I sucked,” he said. “I hated myself when I sucked, too. The fans here pushed me to be a better player and a better person, and I can’t thank them enough for that.”UP NEXTThe teams finish their four-game series Sunday afternoon in Detroit’s final home game of the season. Brad Keller (8-6, 3.17 ERA) will start for the Royals against Daniel Norris (0-5, 5.71).