The 9th inning of tonight's game was both frustrating and nerve-wracking. Watching Carlos Gomez hit into a double play when a simple bunt would have sufficed was a textbook palm-to-forehead moment. (Is playing for one insurance run too much to ask?) Without the aid of margin for error, Jim Henderson allowed a one-out double to Andrew McCutchen and did not inspire confidence by exhibiting shaky command. Alas, the tying run was kept at bay and the Brewers won 7-6. This resulted in a fist pump from both me and any Cardinals fan following the game; that last part has me feeling a tinge of winner's remorse.
Baseball games are not played in a vacuum, meaning what happens in Pittsburgh can have implications in St. Louis. This is all well and good until the implications are not exactly what you'd like to see. I feel a tinge of guilt knowing I was rooting for a result that helped the most loathed team in the National League extend their lead in the Central to 1.5 games.
The Brewers will not make the playoffs or finish the season .500. Their role for the rest of the season is to play spoiler, and I expect them to play it well. Unfortunately this may help the Cardinals win the division, and I do not fully support this. While I was never rooting for the Pirates, had they prevailed I would have taken comfort in the silver lining. Of course, being a fan means rooting for your team even when it's not totally convenient, or in this case, in opposition to the greater good.
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