A Historic Game
Monday night, I was fortunate enough to witness one of the greatest games that I’ll ever see in Dodger history. The setting: the final game of the series with the Padres who had won 14 of their last 17 games over the Dodgers, ahead by half a game with a victory in the previous night…
It all started in the very first inning when Penny gave up four runs and you thought, “Oh boy, please let it be not one of those games that torture you”. After the second inning, his pitch count was at 76 pitches and you knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy game.
During the next couple of innings, Dodgers managed to score and tie the game heading into the top of the 6th inning, After failing to convert a bases loaded with no outs situation in the 6th, the Dodgers, then brought in Broxton in the 8th inning only to have him give up 2 runs. We answered with a run in the bottom of the 8th. But then in the top of the 9th, Saito gave up another three runs including a wild pitch with the bases loaded.
By this time, we saw crowds flood the exit signs, as is typical of LA games. But I, being a true fan, never have left a game early nor ever will. And I hate to be sitting on a high horse, but I believe that only the true fans deserved to see this game. Only the true fans would still be at Dodger Stadium at the bottom of the 9th inning when we were down 5-9 whether we won or lost. Of course, there are parents with kids, the horrible traffic out of the stadium, a work day the next day, but I’m sure every single person who left wished they would have stayed this one night.
Then in the bottom of the 9th inning with Adkins pitching, Kent is first up to bat. With a 1-0 count, he blasts a homerun over the center field fence. We all cheer and I thought, “Kent must have been so mad that he must have thought, ‘what the heck, I’m going for it’”. As if to make a statement about his long career, or inspire his fellow teammates he led the incredible mark of events in this 9th inning.
Then JD Drew was up next, and with a 2-1 count, he blasts a 461 feet homer to the right field. The crowd goes wild as we chant JD Drew, JD Drew.
By this time the Padres has had enough and decided to bring in their future, hall-of-famer, Hoffman who has successfully shut down the Dodgers in every save situation for the past 5 years (total 55 saves out of 57 opps).
Martin who could potentially be nominated for rookie of the year, is up next. And I don’t know if he was feeling it, or trying to make up for his 0 for 4 at bats, or his dropped ball at the home plate, or was just plain inspired by what just happened, but whatever was going through his mind, on the very first pitch, he homers, this time straight to left field.
Anderson, whom we got through a trade with the Washington Nationals just a shy of a month back at the end of August, was hitting 4 for 4 with two singles, a triple and a homer. He comes to bat and on the very first pitch again, hits the fourth consecutive homerun to tie the game. The crowd is going crazy now, jumping up and down and knowing that something special is happening right before their eyes.
Betemit, Ethier (batting for Saito) and Furcal all fly out just a few feet from the fence and we’re headed to extra innings.
Sele, in the top of the 10th gives up one run and thanks to an awesome effort on the aging Kenny Lofton to steal away a home run from McAnulty (he didn’t catch it but he did keep it from going over the fence), we were only down by one run.
And still, the second exodus started with some people leaving the game...only to have Kenny Lofton walking on Saenez, and then the stage is set: Garciaparra, who was struggling all night long, going 1 for 5, with a double, hitting into a double play, flying out twice and a critical strikeout with two men on base, was finally ready to make his mark in the history books. With a 3-1 count, the injured Garciaparra homers into the middle of the Left Pavillion, and like the injured Kirk Gibson, he hobbles around the bases as the Padres are stunned and the stadium, a complete, chaotic pandemonium.
As we finally emptied the stadium and into the parking lots, fans were still screaming and hollering, high-five-ing strangers on floating air. And as my voice was wearing thin from all the screaming and as we tuned into the post-game show and Dodger Talk on the radio, I can still hear the cars honking as we descended down from Stadium Hill.
I will never forget this game.
It all started in the very first inning when Penny gave up four runs and you thought, “Oh boy, please let it be not one of those games that torture you”. After the second inning, his pitch count was at 76 pitches and you knew that it wasn’t going to be an easy game.
During the next couple of innings, Dodgers managed to score and tie the game heading into the top of the 6th inning, After failing to convert a bases loaded with no outs situation in the 6th, the Dodgers, then brought in Broxton in the 8th inning only to have him give up 2 runs. We answered with a run in the bottom of the 8th. But then in the top of the 9th, Saito gave up another three runs including a wild pitch with the bases loaded.
By this time, we saw crowds flood the exit signs, as is typical of LA games. But I, being a true fan, never have left a game early nor ever will. And I hate to be sitting on a high horse, but I believe that only the true fans deserved to see this game. Only the true fans would still be at Dodger Stadium at the bottom of the 9th inning when we were down 5-9 whether we won or lost. Of course, there are parents with kids, the horrible traffic out of the stadium, a work day the next day, but I’m sure every single person who left wished they would have stayed this one night.
Then in the bottom of the 9th inning with Adkins pitching, Kent is first up to bat. With a 1-0 count, he blasts a homerun over the center field fence. We all cheer and I thought, “Kent must have been so mad that he must have thought, ‘what the heck, I’m going for it’”. As if to make a statement about his long career, or inspire his fellow teammates he led the incredible mark of events in this 9th inning.
Then JD Drew was up next, and with a 2-1 count, he blasts a 461 feet homer to the right field. The crowd goes wild as we chant JD Drew, JD Drew.
By this time the Padres has had enough and decided to bring in their future, hall-of-famer, Hoffman who has successfully shut down the Dodgers in every save situation for the past 5 years (total 55 saves out of 57 opps).
Martin who could potentially be nominated for rookie of the year, is up next. And I don’t know if he was feeling it, or trying to make up for his 0 for 4 at bats, or his dropped ball at the home plate, or was just plain inspired by what just happened, but whatever was going through his mind, on the very first pitch, he homers, this time straight to left field.
Anderson, whom we got through a trade with the Washington Nationals just a shy of a month back at the end of August, was hitting 4 for 4 with two singles, a triple and a homer. He comes to bat and on the very first pitch again, hits the fourth consecutive homerun to tie the game. The crowd is going crazy now, jumping up and down and knowing that something special is happening right before their eyes.
Betemit, Ethier (batting for Saito) and Furcal all fly out just a few feet from the fence and we’re headed to extra innings.
Sele, in the top of the 10th gives up one run and thanks to an awesome effort on the aging Kenny Lofton to steal away a home run from McAnulty (he didn’t catch it but he did keep it from going over the fence), we were only down by one run.
And still, the second exodus started with some people leaving the game...only to have Kenny Lofton walking on Saenez, and then the stage is set: Garciaparra, who was struggling all night long, going 1 for 5, with a double, hitting into a double play, flying out twice and a critical strikeout with two men on base, was finally ready to make his mark in the history books. With a 3-1 count, the injured Garciaparra homers into the middle of the Left Pavillion, and like the injured Kirk Gibson, he hobbles around the bases as the Padres are stunned and the stadium, a complete, chaotic pandemonium.
As we finally emptied the stadium and into the parking lots, fans were still screaming and hollering, high-five-ing strangers on floating air. And as my voice was wearing thin from all the screaming and as we tuned into the post-game show and Dodger Talk on the radio, I can still hear the cars honking as we descended down from Stadium Hill.
I will never forget this game.
posted by e at 8:20 AM
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