[jg2977]

��️**“Come on down, Pittsburgh Pirates, you're the next contestant in the League Championship Series!”**��️
– Bob Barker, probably.

That’s right, folks, we had ourselves one heck of a dramatic showdown at PNC Park, and the actual retail price of grit, resilience, and a little late-inning magic was paid in full by your Pittsburgh Pirates! Final score: Pirates 7, Phillies 6—in 10 innings of edge-of-your-seat, showcase-level baseball.

Let’s spin that wheel of baseball fortune, shall we?

�� OUR BIG WINNER today is Jay McWilliams! Come on down, Jay! With the game tied in the bottom of the 10th and the pressure higher than a Plinko chip on the edge, Jay delivered a walk-off single—a hit that punched Pittsburgh’s ticket to the National League Championship Series. A big round of applause for that man!

�� But wait—there’s more! Center fielder Jon Jantz is taking home the MVP of the Division Series! That’s right, Johnny boy walked away with a shiny new trophy after hitting .294 and helping power the Pirates past a feisty Phillies squad. Jon, tell them what else you’ve won… that’s right—another round of baseball against the San Francisco Giants!

Now let’s talk about what you could’ve won, Philadelphia…

⚾ The Phillies brought the thunder early, jumping out to a 2-spot in the 1st and a Jeremy Gangler Jr. 3-run homer in the 6th. Jeremy, you gave it your all. You were even named Player of the Game despite being on the losing side! But unfortunately, four errors from your teammates today? That’s a Showcase Showdown slip-up, folks.

And how about our showcase of pitchers?

�� A. Glenn of the Pirates gave us 5.1 innings of “come on, stay on the line!” style drama. Meanwhile, the bullpen trio of Herandez and Witcher came in to say, “don’t worry, Bob—we’ve got this!” Witcher tossed two shutout frames and took home the win, and just maybe… a brand-new car? (Okay, maybe not—but the NLCS berth is a close second.)

�� Now, a few parting gifts:

14 hits for the Pirates, because why not?
Homers from S. Nicholson and Gangler Jr.
A total of 9 runners left stranded by Pittsburgh, proving once again that drama costs nothing, but it’s worth everything.
�� And finally, Philadelphia… you gave us some thrills, some chills, and one fantastic series. But as they say in the Showcase Showdown… if your bid is over, you’ve gone bust. Thanks for playing, and don’t forget to have your manager spayed or neutered on your way out of October baseball.

�� Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and good luck in the next round—where the Giants await behind Door No. 3!

I’m Bob Barker reminding you: Help control the postseason population—win your games early!