Arenado, Story learn there’s no misery like October misery

In October, every strikeout feels like the end of a dream. Maybe that explains why Rockies slugger Nolan Arenado slammed his helmet on the ground in disgust and angrily tossed a bat he wanted to banish to a woodchipper.

“In the playoffs, it’s all about the bigtime moments. You’ve got to be able to do something then. And I wasn’t able to do it there,” said Arenado, who whiffed on three pitches with two runners on base, then threw a tantrum in Milwaukee, where the Rockies lost, 40, on Friday.

It felt like 400. Welcome, Mr. Arenado. You’ve joined the most brutal club in baseball. Everything is bigger in October. The glory. And the failure.

During the most desperate moment of a tough loss that pushed Colorado way too close to playoff elimination for comfort, MVP candidate Trevor Story swung and missed on a pitch Milwaukee reliever Jeremy Jeffress threw like a textbook bounce pass taught by Mike Krzyzewski, skipping the baseball in the dirt at least two feet in front of home plate.

“Everybody wants to do good. I wouldn’t say I was trying too hard. But obviously I was chasing a little bit,” Story said.

Every kid dreams of October baseball until it turns into a nightmare. Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and every superstar that has felt the burden of the postseason on his shoulders could have told you that, Mr. Story. But it’s a humbling lesson every major leaguer must learn the hard way.

By any measure, Arenado and Story