B.J. Upton Always Dreamed Of Winning Game 2 Of ALCS With Shallow Sac Fly

ST. PETERSBURG, FL—Tampa Bay Rays centerfielder B.J. Upton hit a game-winning sacrifice fly to short right field Saturday to defeat the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, the same scenario Upton said he used to play over and over in his head while growing up in Norfolk, VA. “It’s every little boy’s dream,” Upton told reporters. “You’re in your backyard pretending it’s Game 2 of the ALCS, you’re up to bat, you call your shot—a dinky fly ball directly to the right fielder— and after you barely make contact with the baseball, you jog to first base knowing that the imaginary outfielder will easily catch your pop-up for the out. Then you just stand there and watch as the ball gets thrown to the opposing team’s catcher, only for the runner tagging up at third to beat the tag, not because the fly ball you hit was deep enough, but because the runner is pretty fast. And then you join your imaginary teammates at home plate celebrating. I mean, those are the types of situations we play for.” Upton later said that he hopes one day to fulfill his other dream of being on deck when one of his teammates hits a single in the fourth inning of Game 6 of the divisional playoffs.