Maybe right now I can't think of any other game 7's involving my teams, but the two games I think of the most are game 7 of the Western Conference Finals involving the 2002 Kings and the game 7 involving the Giants in the 2002 World Series*. Both the Kings and Giants lost those games in painful fashion after already playing in knock-out, drag-out fights of series'.
*In case you haven't noticed, 2002 was a horrendous year for me personally.
So I love/hate game 7's. I love game 7's when they don't involve my teams. Hate them when they involve my teams. And the Giants were 0-5 in game 7's heading into Monday nights game. Needless to say I was a nervous wreck all of Monday heading into the Giants-Cardinals game.
I knew I had to watch the Giants-Cardinals game at Mos Eisley Cantina. There I could share my anxiety and drown possible sorrows in alcohol.
When I arrived the usual gang was meandering around the bar counter chatting with the Boz. The room was loose and easy. Must have been the rain.
"We're only serving Crown Royal and Coke tonight," says the Boz. Which is fine by me, the weather finally turned so it's Whiskey time. And if the Giants lose, the whiskey will kill the memories.
"It's time to beat the snot out of that little shit Pete Kozma," said the clairvoyant Colonel.
The game started on edge when Cain allowed a base runner in the top of the first. Cain hadn't really been himself in the postseason or least the Cain who pitched in 2010. Cain though didn't allow a run in that inning. The Giants would score in the bottom of the first, but left two men on when there was only one out.
"They're going to regret this," said the Colonel.
And it looked like that was going to be the case. Cain allowed two runners to reach with no outs in the top of the 2nd. But then something happened. The vanilla midgets (Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma) remembered they are not good baseball players Descalso grounded to second. Kozma struck out and then Brandon Crawford made a spectacular play to rob Kyle Lohse of a hit and two RBI's. We didn't know it at the time, but that would be the game.
"I'm starting to get a good feeling about this," said the Bandit. I didn't want to get ahead of myself but I was starting to feel more confident in the Giants. This was a first for me. Game 7's and the Giants left me with no confidence until tonight.
And then the Giants finally broke through. Literally. With the bases loaded Hunter Pence did something so weird, even weird for him, that Duane Kuiper could barely call it on the radio. Pence hit the ball, broke his bat, hit the ball two more times, and watched the ball slice past Pete Kozma to clear the bases and give the Giants a 5-0 lead.
"That damn ball sliced like a Sergio Romo slider," quipped the Colonel. We had never seen a play like that and apparently neither did Duane Kuiper if you listen to this call. Only something like that could happen to Crazy Eyes Pence.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good. While that play, and others, involved a certain amount of luck* the Cardinals were never going to win this game. Their own luck had ran out and that was the end of the series for them.
*Alright a play like that Pence hit involves all luck.
The Giants would add some more runs, a spectacular Belt home run in the 8th, and they would close out the Cardinals in the a downpour. Game 7 was finally on our side and it was a rout.
"Drinks on the house!" shouted the Boz as Scutaro caught the last out.
Drinks for everyone. Bring on the Tigers!
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