The Allure of Extra Innings

It's not often a team has a chance to shut out their opponent for an entire series. The big question entering this game was if the Brewers could make it happen. But entering the 13th inning with the score 0-0 the question became "would this game ever end?" Much to my delight, the answer to both questions was "yes."

In a small but very real way the Brewers have salvaged the season by developing a recent habit of winning games through exceptionally rare and satisfying methods. Good things come to those who wait, and if you endured 12.5 innings of no runs and ten hits you were treated to an ending that's exciting regardless of the context. I'll get to that in a moment.

Entering the bottom of the 9th inning I thought "The Brewers better win because it's well past noon and I've yet to go outside." As the game went to extras I keep thinking "One more inning and then I'm getting some sunshine." This thought crossed my mind three times before I remembered that extra-inning baseball is like Con Air on TNT: when it's on I'm powerless to do anything but watch. Unlike Con Air, however, extra inning baseball does not guarantee you'll see something inspirational. But being an optimist I'll always stick around for the chance to see a walk off victory.

The contributions of baseball player are the purest of any team sport because they are largely feats of individual excellence. As such, their accomplishments are the most enjoyable to celebrate. When Caleb Gindl stepped into the batters box to lead off the 13th inning he had yet to homer in the majors. This changed when he drove a ball just over the left field fence to win the game; his first career home run was a walk off. How cool is that?

As he rounded the bases his teammates, in line with the custom of ignoring a player after he hits his first homer, hustled into the dugout to leave Gindl to touch home without the customary mob of teammates (though Jean Segura was kind enough to give him a high five). Much like the game-saving grab of Carlos Gomez versus Cincinnati, these are the moments you live for as a sports fan. A 13-inning grind became the a long opening act for an unforgettable moment.

The chances of something amazing happening increase exponentially as the innings reach double digits. If you stick around long enough you might see a DH pitch two scoreless innings and get the win, or a rookie hit their first homer in walk-off fashion. I'll admit the latter might not fall under the classification of "amazing," but just the chance to see it happen makes it worth sticking around the ballpark. That's the allure of extra innings.