On an evening that marked the 162nd game for all of  Major League Baseball’s teams, two clubs—the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves—completed their respective September meltdowns, paving the way for two unexpected clubs—the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays—to make history by claiming the wild card spots in their respective leagues in an out-of-nowhere turn of events.

Words seem unable to describe what actually happened in a span of 89 minutes; however, for those fans who experienced the excitement live, it will be referenced and glorified in years to come.

While the Braves’ whiff on what seemed to be a guaranteed playoff spot is a grand example of a team collapsing down the stretch, it will be Boston’s  September slump that comes away the winner of scarring misery.

On Sept. 3, Boston held a nine-game lead in the American League wild-card race; however, their sizable advantage was reduced to a sheer tie on Sept. 27.

The Red Sox’s horrific month included a 7-19 stretch, which allowed their longtime rival the New York Yankees to capture the AL East Division crown after trailing Boston the entire summer.

More importantly, though, this modern day Boston massacre allowed the Rays to overcome the largest deficit in MLB history, climbing back from down nine games to rally past an opponent that was slotted as a preseason World Series favorite after an offseason that featured the ransacking of Tampa Bay’s star Carl Crawford.

The manner in which the Rays completed the mercy slaughtering of a wounded and morally depleted Boston club, which had fallen short of expectations, is what makes this story polarizing and unforgettable.

In a matter of moments, Boston went from leading 3-2 against the lowly Baltimore Orioles to sullenly walking off the field as experts on sports futility.

An out away from extending their season at least another day, or possibly clinching the wild card that night, the Red Sox did as they had done throughout the month—fail when it mattered most.

The weight of the loss was only enhanced when the Rays’ Evan Longoria crushed his second home run of the evening, capping Tampa Bay’s unparalleled comeback to beat New York 8-7.

The Rays not only rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the game, they did what Boston couldn’t—survive when the season was on the line. With two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Dan Johnson did the unbelievable when he launched a solo home, sending the game into extra innings.

The Rays’ comeback is unmatched in the history of sports records; however, it will be Boston’s demise that leaves the lasting, permanent imprint of that evening.

It’s a night that will certainly live in infamy for Red Sox and Braves fans. For everyone else, it is a night that reminds us why we love sports—anything can happen.