10-17-2018, 12:58 PM
Their minds still racing with childlike exuberance over the stunning last-snap victory that sent them to the NFC championship game Adrian Clayborn Color Rush Jersey , many of the Minnesota Vikings remained awake several hours past midnight.
Cornerback Xavier Rhodes replayed the video clip of the winning touchdown ”about a thousand times” at home, searing the image of Stefon Diggs leaping to catch the pass from Case Keenum and sprinting for the end zone into his memory forever so the details of the sequence that beat New Orleans were no longer foggy.
Ten seconds left.
Trailing by one point.
Sixty-one yards to go.
The outcome that produced the 29-24 victory was so improbable that the Vikings were predictably continuing to process their status as the first team in NFL history to score a winning touchdown on the final play of regulation in a postseason game.
”The Minneapolis Miracle”, as it was dubbed in trending on social media, was as unfathomable as the name sounds.
”We still can’t believe it in the locker room,” wide receiver Adam Thielen said. ”I woke up this morning and made sure it wasn’t a dream.”
The Vikings were about a field-goal favorite on the early betting lines to beat the Eagles on Sunday and become the first team to play a Super Bowl on home turf.
”I believe anything is possible at any moment, as you can see what happened yesterday,” Rhodes said.
Such an emotional ending carries the potential to distract from preparation for and focus on the next game at Philadelphia, when the winner’s high will be worn off and the Vikings will be in an unfriendly stadium without the advantages and comforts of their own place.
They wouldn’t have advanced this far without an unassuming attitude, though, so they were quick on Monday to dismiss the danger of savoring the moment too long.
”I think it took a little bit longer yesterday to probably get over it, but, no, today I think guys are ready,” Thielen said. ”We know how tough this game’s going to be for us, and we know that we still have a long ways to go.”
For those anxiously and impatiently long-waiting fans of one of the NFL’s most agonized franchises, the victory on Sunday was evidence that whatever curse existed in their minds might no longer be relevant.
Sure, most of these players endured the missed 27-yard field-goal try by Blair Walsh in the closing seconds of the wild-card round defeat two years ago against Seattle.
Defensive end Brian Robison, at least, was on the 2009 team that lost in overtime at New Orleans in the NFC championship game.
Except for Thielen and the handful of Minnesota natives on the roster Paul Worrilow Color Rush Jersey , though, those crushing losses of the past that helped shape Vikings lore have not been a part of this team’s experience, let alone the lives of most of the players.
”We’re not playing to make up for anything,” Thielen said. ”We’re just playing to win football games.”
To beat the Eagles, the Vikings have some more work to do. They won’t have the crowd noise or the fast surface, for one.
They’ll have to face a defense just as strong if not stronger than the Saints. That’s why coach Mike Zimmer, who let his guard down during an uncharacteristically playful postgame news conference , was all business at the podium inside the team’s practice facility on Monday.
”We can’t make these mistakes in playoff games or we’ll be going home,” Zimmer said. ”There’s always good and always bad in some of the games, but we made some critical errors in that game that could have gotten us beat.”
—
Shin-Soo Choo said he cares much more about getting on base multiple times each game than circling the bases.
Then, he proceeded to do both.
Choo reached base for the 41st straight game with a first-inning walk, tying the major league high this season, and also hit one of Texas’ five Texas home runs in the first three innings of the Rangers’ 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Rougned Odor, Robinson Chirinos and Nomar Mazara homered in a seven-run second inning. Joey Gallo and Choo went deep in the third as the Rangers won for the 10th time in 12 games.
Choo matched the streak that the Philadelphia Phillies’ Odubel Herrera put together March 30-May 19.
”Honestly, I don’t feel anything special,” Choo said afterward. ”I’m just happy for winning the first game of a three-game series.”
Yovani Gallardo (2-0), making his third start since joining Texas on June 17, retired his first 10 batters and allowed all three runs on four hits and one walk in 7 1/3 seven innings. Gallardo struck out seven.
The 32-year-old who grew up in nearby Fort Worth is in his second stint with the Rangers after being released by Milwaukee in March and designated for assignment by Cincinnati in April.
Gallardo spent two months with Texas’ Triple-A Round Rock affiliate before being called up and credits the pitch clock in the minors for helping him.
”Grab the ball and go,” said Gallardo Richard Rodgers Color Rush Jersey , who won 13 games for Texas in 2015. ”Not allowing myself and the hitter to think about things.”
Dylan Covey (3-3) allowed four homers and nine runs in 2 1/3 innings.
”They’re a hot team right now,” Covey said. ”Just not a good one for me.”
Choo greeted White Sox reliever Chris Volstad with his 15th homer of the season to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He’s hitting .333 during the on-base streak with 52 hits and 38 walks.
The only Texas batter in the starting lineup without a hit was Adrian Beltre, whose 3,105 career hits rank 21st in major league history.
The White Sox reached their season’s halfway point at 28-53, one win better than the franchise’s worst record through 81 games.
”Hopefully, the guys are continuing to improve, catch the ball a little bit more consistently and just continue to learn and get better,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said.
PITCHING NO SWEAT FOR SOX’S DAVIDSON
Chicago outfielder Matt Davidson made his first pitching appearance since high school in the eighth inning. He retired all three batters he faced, closing with a strikeout of Odor, and was mobbed upon reaching the dugout.
”I know it sounds cheesy, but it was a dream come true,” Davidson said.
DRAW IN FIRST GAME OF STRIKEOUT DERBY
Gallo and Chicago’s Yoan Moncada each fanned twice. That allowed Gallo to maintain his one-strikeout lead over Moncada atop the major leagues, 116-115.
Rangers batters lead the American League in strikeouts with 783, followed by the White Sox with 774.
SHORT HOPS
White Sox 3B Yolmer Sanchez, who turned 26 on Friday, was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons after sustaining a left quad contusion Thursday. Sanchez could return Saturday. … Choo’s on-base streak is the longest since Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman reached in 46 straight games in 2016. … Covey’s ERA in five career innings against Texas is 25.20.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (shoulder) was recalled from his rehab assignment because of discomfort during a side session following Sunday’s start. Gonzalez will be re-evaluated.
Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (right elbow) will make his second rehab start on Saturday for Double-A Frisco. Perez struck out nine and allowed only two singles in five innings Monday for Single-A Hickory.
UP NEXT
White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (1-2) will seek his second consecutive win on Saturday. Rodon worked eight innings to match a career high and allowed just two runs to Oakland on Sunday. Rodon will face Rangers RHP Bartolo Colon (4-5), whose 244 career wins are one short of Dennis Martinez’s record for the most by a native of Latin America.
—
Cornerback Xavier Rhodes replayed the video clip of the winning touchdown ”about a thousand times” at home, searing the image of Stefon Diggs leaping to catch the pass from Case Keenum and sprinting for the end zone into his memory forever so the details of the sequence that beat New Orleans were no longer foggy.
Ten seconds left.
Trailing by one point.
Sixty-one yards to go.
The outcome that produced the 29-24 victory was so improbable that the Vikings were predictably continuing to process their status as the first team in NFL history to score a winning touchdown on the final play of regulation in a postseason game.
”The Minneapolis Miracle”, as it was dubbed in trending on social media, was as unfathomable as the name sounds.
”We still can’t believe it in the locker room,” wide receiver Adam Thielen said. ”I woke up this morning and made sure it wasn’t a dream.”
The Vikings were about a field-goal favorite on the early betting lines to beat the Eagles on Sunday and become the first team to play a Super Bowl on home turf.
”I believe anything is possible at any moment, as you can see what happened yesterday,” Rhodes said.
Such an emotional ending carries the potential to distract from preparation for and focus on the next game at Philadelphia, when the winner’s high will be worn off and the Vikings will be in an unfriendly stadium without the advantages and comforts of their own place.
They wouldn’t have advanced this far without an unassuming attitude, though, so they were quick on Monday to dismiss the danger of savoring the moment too long.
”I think it took a little bit longer yesterday to probably get over it, but, no, today I think guys are ready,” Thielen said. ”We know how tough this game’s going to be for us, and we know that we still have a long ways to go.”
For those anxiously and impatiently long-waiting fans of one of the NFL’s most agonized franchises, the victory on Sunday was evidence that whatever curse existed in their minds might no longer be relevant.
Sure, most of these players endured the missed 27-yard field-goal try by Blair Walsh in the closing seconds of the wild-card round defeat two years ago against Seattle.
Defensive end Brian Robison, at least, was on the 2009 team that lost in overtime at New Orleans in the NFC championship game.
Except for Thielen and the handful of Minnesota natives on the roster Paul Worrilow Color Rush Jersey , though, those crushing losses of the past that helped shape Vikings lore have not been a part of this team’s experience, let alone the lives of most of the players.
”We’re not playing to make up for anything,” Thielen said. ”We’re just playing to win football games.”
To beat the Eagles, the Vikings have some more work to do. They won’t have the crowd noise or the fast surface, for one.
They’ll have to face a defense just as strong if not stronger than the Saints. That’s why coach Mike Zimmer, who let his guard down during an uncharacteristically playful postgame news conference , was all business at the podium inside the team’s practice facility on Monday.
”We can’t make these mistakes in playoff games or we’ll be going home,” Zimmer said. ”There’s always good and always bad in some of the games, but we made some critical errors in that game that could have gotten us beat.”
—
Shin-Soo Choo said he cares much more about getting on base multiple times each game than circling the bases.
Then, he proceeded to do both.
Choo reached base for the 41st straight game with a first-inning walk, tying the major league high this season, and also hit one of Texas’ five Texas home runs in the first three innings of the Rangers’ 11-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Rougned Odor, Robinson Chirinos and Nomar Mazara homered in a seven-run second inning. Joey Gallo and Choo went deep in the third as the Rangers won for the 10th time in 12 games.
Choo matched the streak that the Philadelphia Phillies’ Odubel Herrera put together March 30-May 19.
”Honestly, I don’t feel anything special,” Choo said afterward. ”I’m just happy for winning the first game of a three-game series.”
Yovani Gallardo (2-0), making his third start since joining Texas on June 17, retired his first 10 batters and allowed all three runs on four hits and one walk in 7 1/3 seven innings. Gallardo struck out seven.
The 32-year-old who grew up in nearby Fort Worth is in his second stint with the Rangers after being released by Milwaukee in March and designated for assignment by Cincinnati in April.
Gallardo spent two months with Texas’ Triple-A Round Rock affiliate before being called up and credits the pitch clock in the minors for helping him.
”Grab the ball and go,” said Gallardo Richard Rodgers Color Rush Jersey , who won 13 games for Texas in 2015. ”Not allowing myself and the hitter to think about things.”
Dylan Covey (3-3) allowed four homers and nine runs in 2 1/3 innings.
”They’re a hot team right now,” Covey said. ”Just not a good one for me.”
Choo greeted White Sox reliever Chris Volstad with his 15th homer of the season to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He’s hitting .333 during the on-base streak with 52 hits and 38 walks.
The only Texas batter in the starting lineup without a hit was Adrian Beltre, whose 3,105 career hits rank 21st in major league history.
The White Sox reached their season’s halfway point at 28-53, one win better than the franchise’s worst record through 81 games.
”Hopefully, the guys are continuing to improve, catch the ball a little bit more consistently and just continue to learn and get better,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said.
PITCHING NO SWEAT FOR SOX’S DAVIDSON
Chicago outfielder Matt Davidson made his first pitching appearance since high school in the eighth inning. He retired all three batters he faced, closing with a strikeout of Odor, and was mobbed upon reaching the dugout.
”I know it sounds cheesy, but it was a dream come true,” Davidson said.
DRAW IN FIRST GAME OF STRIKEOUT DERBY
Gallo and Chicago’s Yoan Moncada each fanned twice. That allowed Gallo to maintain his one-strikeout lead over Moncada atop the major leagues, 116-115.
Rangers batters lead the American League in strikeouts with 783, followed by the White Sox with 774.
SHORT HOPS
White Sox 3B Yolmer Sanchez, who turned 26 on Friday, was held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons after sustaining a left quad contusion Thursday. Sanchez could return Saturday. … Choo’s on-base streak is the longest since Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman reached in 46 straight games in 2016. … Covey’s ERA in five career innings against Texas is 25.20.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (shoulder) was recalled from his rehab assignment because of discomfort during a side session following Sunday’s start. Gonzalez will be re-evaluated.
Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (right elbow) will make his second rehab start on Saturday for Double-A Frisco. Perez struck out nine and allowed only two singles in five innings Monday for Single-A Hickory.
UP NEXT
White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (1-2) will seek his second consecutive win on Saturday. Rodon worked eight innings to match a career high and allowed just two runs to Oakland on Sunday. Rodon will face Rangers RHP Bartolo Colon (4-5), whose 244 career wins are one short of Dennis Martinez’s record for the most by a native of Latin America.
—