KANSAS CITY -- True Fact: Tuesday night’s Game 6 did not count as two games. It only counted as one. It doesn’t matter how badly the Giants got slaughtered. Losing 10-0 did not mean that the Royals won the World Series. And did not, in fact, dictate that the Royals will win Game 7 on Wednesday. I realize it may feel that way to some Giants fans, but it really didn’t.
Such is the randomness of life, baseball and especially short series baseball, that the Giants could just as easily beat the Royals 10-0 tomorrow as they were beat in that fashion this evening. Nothing has gone as expected this postseason. Indeed, it has taught us that we really shouldn’t expect anything.
Our logic tells us that, by virtue of the blowout, the Royals top relievers are well-rested for tomorrow. But our logic also told us that the Royals couldn’t score runs to save their lives. Our logic tells us that Jeremy Guthrie is no one’s idea of a Game 7 starter, but our logic also told us that the Giants having Yusmeiro Petit around to bail out a faltering starter would help the Giants avoid disaster innings. Most of all, our logic told us, months ago, that the Royals had no chance at the postseason and, weeks ago, that they’d never advance. And that the Giants didn’t have the horses to hang with the Nationals or the Dodgers or the Cardinals.
But here the Royals are, poised to take the World Series in Game 7. Or maybe the Giants are poised to do so. That’s the thing about Game 7s. Our logic doesn’t matter anymore. We just have to -- get to -- watch them play the game. And now, somehow, we have to make it through 20 hours of anticipation to get there.
One more baseball game in 2014. That’s it. That’s all we have left. And unlike everything else that is scarce, we can’t wait to consume it.