Red Sox ultimately can’t weather Rays

In 2007, the Tampa Bay Rays decided to add a little excitement to their drab, domed ballpark. The team concluded that an over-the-wall catch was about the most scintillating play that could occur during the course of a baseball game. So they created a notch in the left-field fence, close to the foul pole. The idea was that a lower wall — short enough for most outfielders to lunge over — would encourage more crowd-pleasing, home-run-denying catches. The centerpiece of the Rays’ plan was that their star left fielder specialized in such feats. His name was Carl Crawford. They didn’t know it at the time, but that wall, and that player, would play pivotal roles in one of the most electrifying nights in the history of the sport — a drama that spanned five hours, two ballparks, and one rain delay that just might have sealed one of the most profound collapses the game has ever seen. And that was just the American League half of the story. ******************** You know how it began: The Rays and Boston Red Sox entered Wednesday in a tie for the American League wild card. If it had stayed that way until the night… Read full this story

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