Last night (Wed., Aug. 2, 2023), my wonderful husband and I went to the game together. I didn’t call attention to it or anything, but I noticed every time I did my bugle-call whistle (you know, “da-da-da-duh-da-duh CHARGE!”), whichever Dodger was at the plate would hit the ball! … Like, immediately after my whistle!

First inning, Mookie Betts leads off with a smokin’ double, followed by Freddie Freeman with a run-scoring single. Both IMMEDIATELY after I did my whistle. I swear! You think it’s a coincidence that both Amed Rosario and Miguel Rojas hit their first home runs as Dodgers on the same night? I like to think my whistle played a part, not only in those hits, but in everything that led to the Dodgers’ 10-1 rout of the A’s.

Now, I could be persuaded to believe that it was just a coincidence — that the Dodgers (Mookie & Freddie in particular) are just great baseball players — if not for the fact that I singlehandedly WILLED INTO BEING last week’s epic 9th-inning rebound from a 4-run deficit. (I have witnesses!)

Steve and I — along with writer Mat Gleason and his wife, artist Leigh Salgado — were in seats right behind the visitors’ dugout on Tues., July 25. We were playing the Blue Jays, and our fabulous bullpen sank everyone’s hope for a Dodger victory by letting Toronto increase their 1-run lead to a 4-run lead in the top of the 9th.

I turned to a dejected Steve, the Dodgers now down 7-3, and I said, “Stephen, you know I can will a comeback into being. You’ve seen it firsthand.” I was referring to a monumentally fun 5-run rally in the bottom of the 9th at a Spring Training game a decade ago, when I was the only fan standing at Camelback Ranch, screaming my head off and whistling like a maniac while everybody else stared like I was nuts. A.J. Ellis capped that win with a 3-run bomb. I made the mojo that time, and I could do it again.

I stepped to the empty front row to give myself more room. (Even with special parking, Dugout Club folks like to beat the traffic.) I’m leaning up against the Blue Jays’ dugout, and I start whistling, screaming my lungs out, clapping and, basically, acting like a completely delusional moron.

“Da-da-da-duh-da-duh!” James Outman singles!

“Da-da-da-duh-da-duh!” Rojas, singles!

“Da-da-da-duh-da-duh!” Mookie, singles! Outman scores! And the rest of the inning went almost exactly the way I wanted it to.

We ended up tied at 7, and the 10th inning brought a beautiful Outman double that drove designated runner Chris Taylor home for a walkoff win.

I turned to Steve and said, “Told ya!”