For eight innings of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 7-0 Game 3 win over the Houston Astros, Notre Dame alumni were nowhere to be seen. Neither the Astros’ [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag], nor the Phillies’ [autotag]Matt Vierling[/autotag] were in their respective teams’ starting lineup. The idea that the two would intersect at all during this year’s World Series seemed to be fading. Then, it all changed.
With the game pretty much decided, Vierling entered right field as a defensive substitute in the ninth inning. Then, with one out, Mancini was called upon as a pinch hitter. That’s when the moment Irish fans were waiting for happened. On a 3-1 count, Mancini hit a fly ball to right, and Vierling was there to catch it.
No, it wasn’t a very exciting play, and it’s unlikely anyone will remember it. What people care about more is that Vierling is two wins away from a World Series title, and Mancini is 0 for 17 so far in his first postseason. Still, for one brief moment on baseball’s biggest stage, the Irish alumni came together.
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Listen to Geoffrey’s World Series history podcast: “Then There Were Two: A History of the World Series”.