Riding the Roller Coaster of the NLDS

Talk about a nail-bitter, the NLDS between the Braves and Giants feature a tortured franchise in the Giants and a franchise that, despite winning a title in '95, more often than not winds up let's their fans (most notably, me) down on the postseason stage. I can't recall another series that featured two franchises that had a history of torturing fans and then both teams proceeded to do it each game.  Ride the coaster with me ...

Game 1
Tim Lincecum throws an absolute gem striking out 14 along the way.


Braves Fans Perspective: After a somewhat shaky first inning, Lincecum was totally unhittable and at no time did the Braves fans feel like they had a chance as long as he was pitching.

Giants Fans Perspective: Lincecum was pitching well but, as usual, the batting lineup was letting him down. Loewe pitched well and the Braves bullpen looked solid which means that Braves are only going to touch up Lincecum for two runs the tie the game. Something that all Giants fans were probably expecting.

Game 2
The Giants jump on young Tommy Hansen early but fail to produce any runs after the second.

Braves Fans Perspective: With the lineup missing two of the four best players on the team (Prado and Chipper), there seemed to be little hope of getting five or more runs against Cain. What transpired was a tremendous surprise and once the game was tied up, Braves fans started liking their chances.

The Giants fans' slogan for the year is
"Giants Baseball - Torture." I'm
completely serious.

Giants Fans Perspective: With Cain on the mound and a four run lead after just two innings they had to be feeling pretty good. Until the sixth inning where an error on Pat Burrell (who constantly proves that fielding ability is less than important to play left field in MLB) allowed Derek Lee to advance into scoring position. When McCann drove him in on the next play, Giants fan started feeling that feeling in the pit of their stomachs that the hammer was about to fall. The Braves then made three straight outs stranding McCann on second and allowing Giants fans to breathe again. When the first three batters got on in the eighth, though, Giants fans started getting that nagging feeling of impending doom again. A throwing error on the Kung Fu Panda (almost as overrated as the movie he's named after) scored a run, Giants fans knew what was coming. The Braves tied the game two plays later. The Giants were unable to get runners on in the eight or ninth but in the top of the tenth, the Giants loaded the bases with one out and the one batter performing well in the series coming up in Buster Posey (who incidentally, should decimate Jayson Heyward in the NL Rookie of the Year award who fell apart down the stretch). Posey would hit into a double play that absolutely deflated PacBell (or whatever the hell their calling it these days). Number eight hitter Rick Ankiel launched a bomb into the bay in the 11th and I think all Giants fans knew the game was over at that point.

Game 3
Another pitching showdown. Giants capitalized on an early error on Brooks Conrad (which would become a trend) but went scoreless after that until the ninth. The Braves again struggled to hit until a two-run bomb by Eric Hinske. In a mirror image of Game 2, the Braves blew it in the ninth.

The loneliest man on the planet Sunday
was Brooks Conrad and believe me, I
was relieved to relinquish the title.

Braves Fans Perspective: As the Ks continued to rack up, Braves fans couldn't help but relive Game 1 again. Hope was at an all-time low until Hinske pinch hit in eighth just barely snuck over the wall in right field. After issuing the Giants another stomach punch, it was difficult to believe that they would be able to come back. Unfortunately, Billy Wagner had torn his oblique in the previous game and the Braves had no closer in the pen. Bobby went to young Craig Kimbrel who had been outstanding in Games 1 and 2 for the save. Kimbrel got the first out fairly easily then gave up a walk. He quickly bounced back by fanning Torres and Braves fans couldn't help but believe that the game was over.  Kimbrel gave up a single to Freddy Sanchez and got the hook to bring in a lefty face left-handed batter Aubrey Huff. Huff singled to tie the game. Bobby brought in Moylan to face righty Buster Posey who hit a grounder to second. The ball took an in-between hop and Brooks Conrad (a pinch-hit specialist who was only playing because of the injury to Chipper and Prado) came up completely empty allowing the go-ahead run to score. As far as Braves fans were concerned, the game was over there.

Giants Fans Perspective: Game 3 proved to be a terrifying combination of Games 1 and 2 with a great pitching performance with abismal run support. This time, the Braves capitalized and when the Hinske homer happened, Giants fans had to feel that there was no way they were going win. As the ninth unfolded, Giants fans were in shock as their team took the lead. What people don't understand about being in a tortured franchises, though, is that a lead in a key situation scares the crap out of them. The bottom of the ninth was terrifying. Sure you have a lead, but you're convinced that the only reason you took the lead was to make your loss all the more unbearable. Trust me, they were waiting for something terrible to happen until the very last out.