The Loop

Mark Melancon can't stop, won't stop catching Ozzie Albies dingers

You would think all the headlines this morning would be about the guy who just hit pivotal, late-inning home runs in back-to-back NLCS games. You would think they would be about the team leading 2-0, one sweaty hand on their first NL Pennant this century. But no. It’s the morning after Game 2 of the NLCS, an 8-7 victory for the Atlanta Braves, and all we can talk about is a relief pitcher by the name of Mark Melancon, who just cannot stop catching Ozzie Albies dingers. In case you missed it, here was Monday night . . .

. . . and here was Tuesday. Deja vu is real folks. The military invented it in the '60s. Look it up.

Needless to say, this is the greatest connection we’ve seen since Manning to Marvin. It’s Batman and Robin minus the spandex. It’s Hall & Oates and apple pie with vanilla ice cream. It’s a tag team to rival The Hardy Boyz, if Melancon himself is to be believed, and who on earth is doubting him at this point?

Obviously, if Melancon catches another one on Wednesday night, there’s going to have to be an inquest of some kind—juiced balls, magnet gloves, angels in the outfield, the whole shebang. Until then, however, let’s just enjoy the amazing, incredible, totally innocent happenstance . . . unless you’re a Dodgers fan, that is.