When the A's signed Jason Vargas last winter, he looked like a good bet to fill some innings in their young rotation. No one could ever have imagined that seven of those innings would come in Game 1 of the 2018 World Series, with no runs attached.
The 35-year-old southpaw shut down a powerful Brewers lineup without ever throwing a pitch over 90 mph, and Renato Nunez provided the offense once again with a three-run dinger for the only scoring Oakland would need. Game 3-0, Series 1-0. If you haven't blinked yet, don't start now.
Baseball delights itself with circuitous career paths and surprise storylines, and an opening matchup of Vargas against Milwaukee's Ubaldo Jimenez was a whopper for the ages.