Game 162. The last game of the regular season. And a month ago everyone was predicting it’d be the last game of the A’s season. But now here they were with a chance to win the American League West. Their win on Monday had already secured them a spot in the post season but they were looking for more. The previous night had been electrifying, beating the Rangers 3-1 to tie them for first place in the AL West. They had swept the last series against the Mariners to give them a shot at the wild card but no one could have predicted the A’s winning the first two games of the series against the Rangers to put them in this spot with a chance to take the West for themselves, playing in the post season for the first time since 2006.
Jason could barely sit still in the clubhouse before the game; this was why he played the game, why he kept playing year after year despite the injuries and setbacks. The post season and a chance to bring home a fifth World Series trophy to the Bay Area. The crowd was loud before the game even started another sell out just like the previous two days. Jason was eternally grateful that this series was being played in Oakland; the fans behind them gave the guys an extra incentive to pull out the win, sweep the Rangers and be in sole possession of first place in the AL West on the only day that truly mattered when it came to standings.
The first inning, Jason took the field with the rest of his team behind the starter AJ Griffin. The nerves had settled in his stomach, Jason hadn’t been this nervous playing in a game since the first game of the season when he played his first major league game at third base. He knew that even with a lost today they’d still have a chance to make the playoffs, the new expanded wildcard system coming into play with a one game playoff for the coveted final spot in the playoff picture. Kinsler flied out to left, Andrus worked a walk that was erased on Hamilton’s ground out, Beltre worked another walk giving the Rangers two on and two outs but Cruz fouled out to first to end the inning before any runs could score.
Back in the dugout and Jason couldn’t stop his knee from bouncing as he waited for his chance at bat. He was full of energy and nerves. Crisp grounded out to second, Drew singled to center giving the crowd even more life before Cespedes singled to left center, two on and one out for Moss who doubled to deep right allowing Drew to score and Cespedes to take third. The A’s had struck first and the crowd was on its feet, ecstatic. With still two on and one out Reddick fouled out to third and now it was Jason’s turn. He took a deep breath and stepped into the batter’s box facing Dempster for the first time in his career. First pitch, ball. Second pitch, strike looking. Third pitch, a foul ball, two strikes. Fourth pitch, ball two. Fifth pitch, foul. Sixth pitch, strike swinging and the inning was over.
Top of the third inning and the score was still 1-0 in favor of the A’s. Kinsler led off with a single, Andrus hit a ground ball back to Griffin and was thrown out at first, Hamilton singled to right allowing Kinsler to go to third, Beltre hit a single to left, Kinsler scored. Tie ball game. Cruz grounded into a fielder’s choice with Beltre being thrown out at second; Young doubled to deep right, Hamilton scored giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead. Murphy singled to right, Cruz and Young scored. Napoli was safe on an error by Kottaras allowing Soto to single to center and Murphy scored. 5-1 Rangers and Melvin was out of the dugout to relieve Griffin, Scribner was in. Jason stood with the rest of the infielders as Melvin reminded them it was still early in the game but they needed to get this third out and not allow any more runs to score and put the game farther out of reach. Kinsler grounded into a fielder’s choice, Napoli out at third.
Bottom of the fourth and the A’s were still down 4. Moss walked on four straight balls, Reddick doubled to deep center, Moss scored. 5-2. The dejected crowd was coming alive again. Jason stepped into the batter’s box for second time. He swung at the first pitch offered and sent the ball into center field for a single, Reddick moving up to third. Smith singled to center, Reddick scored and Jason moved up to second. 5-3 and the swinging A’s were back in the game. Ron Washington made his way out onto the field bringing in Holland in relief of Dempster. With the pitching switch Melvin did his own bringing in Norris to hit for Kottaras. Norris grounded out but Jason and Smith moved up bases. 90 feet away, Jason was 90 feet away from making it a one run game and he was at the mercy of his teammates. Pennington popped out to first. Two outs. Crisp swung at the first pitch doubling to deep right, Jason and Smith scored 5-5 tied ball game. Jason high fived the rest of his teammates as he made his way back to the dugout, it was a brand new ballgame again. Drew walked and it was two on and two outs for Cespedes. Jason watched as Cespedes swung at the 3-1 offering hitting a ball high in the sky towards center for a routine out as Hamilton casually ran in to catch the ball. But at the last second everything changed. Hamilton lazily put the glove up and everyone in the coliseum watched as the ball sailed pass his glove landing on the outfield grass. Crisp and Drew scored. 7-5 A’s.
Jason took the field for the top of the fifth with a renewed energy along with the rest of his teammates. The A’s were 15 outs away from doing what no one thought they could and win the west. They had been five games back with nine to play and were making the ultimate comeback, against some pretty big odds. Scott Sizemore had gone down with a knee injury the first day of spring training, they never promoted Manny Ramirez from the minors before parting ways with the slugger. Pitching wise they hadn’t fared much better: their opening day starter Brandon McCarthy took a line drive to the head early in September that required surgery and ended his season, Brett Anderson missed the majority of the season coming off Tommy John surgery and Dallas Braden never pitched an inning due to shoulder problems. And then Bartolo Colon had received a 50 game suspension back in August after a positive testosterone test.
The A’s added runs in the bottom of the fifth and bottom of the eighth giving them a 12-5 lead heading into the ninth. The crowd was no longer silent as the familiar sounds of the closer Grant Balfour’s entrance music started up and the whole coliseum began to “Balfour Rage” as dubbed early in the season by the right field bleacher crew. Jason bounced on the balls of his feet; his team was three outs away from winning the west. Beltre stepped into the batter’s box and Jason crouched into position. Strike looking, ball and Beltre flied out to right. One out. Ball, strike looking, strike swinging, ball, strike and Cruz struck out swinging. Two outs. The coliseum was on their feet, the sound nearly deafening as Young stepped into the batter’s box. Jason took a deep breath as Balfour readied to throw his first pitch of the at bat. Strike looking, foul ball, and Young connected on the third pitch. A high fly ball toward center, the crowd became louder if even possible as Crisp settled under the ball. Three outs, A’s win. Jason leaped into the air running with the rest of the team toward the center of the field to celebrate. They did it, they were AL West Champions.