I spent the past two evenings at Dodger Stadium, with two very different outcomes.
Monday, my hubby’s birthday, we watched the game from a friend’s front-row Loge seats, and the Dodgers didn’t disappoint. But before the game, I persuaded my husband to come to the Gold Glove Bar with me for drinks and a pregame snack. We had Manhattans made by everybody’s favorite bartender, Roberto.
On our way up to our seats, we stood in camera range while Nomar Garciaparra, Jerry Hairston Jr. & John Hartung did the pregame show. We also toured Centerfield Plaza. It was Hawaiian Shirt Night, so there were a lot of people wearing blue-and-white Aloha-style Dodger shirts. (It was a special-ticket package, so we didn’t get one, although some dude offered to sell us his … for $500!)
Then there was the game, which boiled down to just one inning, in the long run.
In the bottom of the 3rd — with the D’Backs ahead, 1-0 — Kiké Hernández led off with a solo home run. Then Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts each singled and Shohei Ohtani walked to load the bases with nobody out! Up to the plate steps Freddie Freeman. On a 2-1 count, he slams it over the fence just right of centerfield. It was so beautiful! Happy Birthday, Steve!
Will Smith capped the inning off with another solo dinger, and then the Dodgers managed to hold onto the lead through the rest of the game, finished ahead, 6-4.
GAME 50: Dodgers 6-Diamondbacks 4
Side note: Channeling the L.A. Blue Bum, I wrote a haiku to celebrate Steve’s birthday, which they (sort of) put on the left-field board after the 5th inning. It said, “Who woulda thunk it? Seemayer is 70 … Go Dodgers!” The last line was edited from a 5-syllable phrase that I wasn’t sure they’d use in the first place, but I had to try.
Now, last night was a completely different story. Our bats were dead, our pitching was not up to par, and when Joc Pederson put the nail in our coffin with a 3-run homer in the 7th inning, Steve got up and left. I stayed because I was keeping score, and I always hope until the last out that we will pull off a miracle. I’ve seen it happen, so I know it can be done.
Piewalla's Dodger Blues 