[Pelican]

So, last night, flying home from Florida after seeing my newest grandchild, I decided to pass the time by playing GO, 2025 Season, with the Marlins. Team was 20-27 despite season-ending injuries to Alcantara and less-serious but prolonged loss of the other SP. It's been a struggle, but this is a team with lots of Potential (and limited Current ability, LOL).

Playing the Cubs in Miami, second of three games, Cubs having won the first game of the series, their fifth in a row. Suzuki hits a two-run bomb in the first, and then my SP Turnbull implodes, giving up six runs in the second inning, another in the third. My bullpen is tired, so he stays in through five innings, with an ugly line: 5.1 IP, 10 H, 9 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR. The bullpen takes over and holds the Baby Bears scoreless the rest of the way.

Going into the bottom of the ninth, it's 9-1 Chicago, Chris Flexen on the mound for the Cubs. And then...
-Jonah Bride singles;
-Griffin Conine HR to left (oppo), 9-3;
-Connor Norby HR to center, 9-4;
-Ken "100 Miles" Giles on to pitch for Chicago;
-Tommy Edman singles to RF;
-Agustin Ramirez singles over 2B;
-Derek Hill doubles to LF, Edman scores, 9-5;
-Caleb Theilbar on to pitch for Chicago;
-Xavier Edwards strikes out swinging for the first out;
-Otto Lopez singles to RF, Ramirez scores, 9-6;
-Jesus Sanchez singles to LF, Hill scores, 9-7;
-Jonah Bride is walked intentionally to load the bases [Why? He becomes the winning run. Dumb baseball.]
-Griffin Conine singles through SS, Lopez scores, Sanchez scores,9-9;
-Connor Norby is walked intentionally to load the bases [Makes sense];
-Tommy Edman singles through the SS/3B hole on a 3-2 pitch, 10-9.

So, that bottom of the ninth was 9 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on base.

The maddening box score summary by the AI predictably begins "Chicago designated hitter Seiya Suzuki had a good game in a losing cause." And yes, Suzuki was the Player of the Game. ["The Phillies pounded Blue Jay pitching again in Game Six of the World Series. If not for Joe Carter....."]. It is laughably obtuse.

Never has a mediocre struggling (but 7-3 over last ten games) team had such an abrupt turn-around. You can imagine me, buckled in a crowded plane, restless two-year-old behind me periodically kicking the back of my seat, and I am cackling with glee. On Airplane Mode, could not post anything immediately to the community. Mrs. Pelican looked at me like a hopeless case. Seat belt sign came on to land, so I could not do a victory lap around the plane.

A few hints on how to see such amazing play. One superstition I have in OOTP is always standing for the seventh inning stretch. (I don't always sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"; but sometimes....) At my age, actually at any age, standing periodically is just healthy. I play the games out, no matter how hopeless. (This is a variation on the family rule to never leave a live game early, no matter how lopsided the score or heavy the traffic. You might see an inside-the-park home run or a great catch or a rookie debut. Plus nowadays you need to get your seventy bucks worth.) Leaving poor Turnbull in to "take one for the team" [100 pitches] was crucial, so I could limit bullpen use to Henriquez, Tinoco, and Bender - the only guys not tired. The Cubs pulled Matt Boyd in the seventh inning after 86 pitches. Flexen, Giles, and Thielbar were ineffective. I had reservations about using my closer (Bender) in a 9-1 game, but he needed work - and ended up the improbable winner.

I don't play GO all that often, not unless I'm stranded without Internet or my MacBook, but games like this will keep me coming back. Kudos to the developers!