Listening to the ALDS game the other night, I heard the play-by-play guy say that the team at bat, with two men out and with two strikes on the hitter, was “down to their last strike.” Michael Kay used this phrase often as he broadcast the seemingly inevitable ending of games in which “Mr. Sandman” Mariano Rivera closed the ninth inning.
No matter who utters it, this statement is easily exposed as false. Should Rivera or any other closer have the opposing team on the ropes with two outs and a two strike count, any of several events - a single, a walk, a batter hit by pitch - gives the batting team 3 fresh new strikes. Claiming that the reliever is a strike away from victory is closer to the truth. But it’s not the absolute truth, because the closer could also win the game with any of several events including a ground out, a fly out or throwing a runner out stealing. He could also lose the game if the game’s on the road and he gives up a walk-off winning run.
I get the idea: the closer could win the game with one more strike, the batting team would lose if the current batter is charged with one more strike. But the batting team is not down to its last strike.
Speaking of third strikes, here's a great song about a little boy's ability to bounce back from baseball adversity.
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