Win or Go Home

Hello everyone, my name is Ryan Oglesby. I am a senior communications major at Slippery Rock University. I have played baseball ever since I could pick up a ball and am still currently pitching here at school. Over the years I have accumulated a lot of knowledge when it comes to the game, and  I am going to share some of it with you readers here on this blog.

One of the  best times of the year has arrived, October baseball... where every pitch, swing, and inning matters. Every game is a "must win" situation and for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates this was the case this past Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park 

Up first was the Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park Tuesday night. For the Reds, this was no new territory. They have made the postseason 3 out of the last 4 years now. The complete opposite is true for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The last time they played a meaningful game in October, I was 4 months old. It was 1992, and for all the die-hard Bucco baseball fans that year is known for the infamous Sid Bream slide. Pittsburgh fans have waited 21 years to get back into the playoffs and they showed it Tuesday night at PNC park. It was almost like a college basketball type of atmosphere. The Pittsburgh fans were chanting out Cincinnati's players names trying to get into their heads. Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto was clearly rattled by the fans and it showed when he dropped the ball and on the next pitch let up a homerun to Pittsburgh catcher Russell Martin. The Pirates were in control of the game from the beginning, leading 5 to 1 after 4 innings and winning the game by a score of 6 to 2. The Pirates move on to play the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Divisional Series.

Wednesday night the American League took the stage as the Cleveland Indians hosted the Tampa Bay Rays in a one game playoff. The Rays are used to playing baseball in October, as they have made the postseason 4 of the last 6 years. Like the Pirates, the Indians are somewhat strangers to playoff baseball. They have only made it 1 of the last 6 years. The Rays won by a score of 4-0 and for the Indians it was a story of their top 3 hitters in the lineup. Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, and Jason Kipnis went a combined 0-12 and left a total of 12 runners on base. Too many missed opportunities are why the Indians are going home and the Rays move on to play the Boston Red Sox in the American League Divisional Series.

The NLDS kicked off yesterday with the Cardinals beating the Pirates and the Dodgers beating the Braves. The ALDS starts tonight. I will be back to break it all down over  the next few days.

Until then, enjoy some October baseball people. It only happens once a year.