Here comes your baseball post for August: Evan Longoria burned the Red Sox last night after they decided to pitch to him in the bottom of the 13th inning. Longoria took Takashi Saito over the left field fence, ending a game that lasted nearly five hours, and since it was baseball, it probably felt like, you know, five and a half or so. But seriously, why pitch to the guy that had already homered in the eighth inning?

“With the bases open we had some room to make some pitches,” [Sox manager Terry] Franconca said. “We’ve seen him at his best. I know he’s a great player. Every time they’re in a rally, it seems like he’s right in the middle of it. He seems to start it or finish it.”

“It’s obviously a choice,” [Rays manager Joe] Maddon said. “[Ben] Zobrist also is very good, so you have to make a choice right there. Saito’s got the good breaking ball. Obviously he could have struck Longo out also. It’s just a managerial choice right there.” via.

Also winning with a walkoff of their own: the Chicago White Sox, whose Scott Podsednik singled in the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth. And Pujols had a grand slam in extra innings last night visiting the Mets. But then again, you’d expect Pujols in Queens to be pushed to the limit. I’ll give you a second on that one.