L.A. Live

As the postseason loomed, I finally made an appearance at Dodger Stadium.

When Dorina and I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to attend the Dodgers vs. Cubs game on September 10, I realized that it would be the first start for pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto since June 15. Yamamoto famously received $325 million in the offseason to strengthen the Dodger rotation, but a litany of injuries had caused Los Angeles to rely on alternative starting pitchers for much of the season.

The traffic to Dodger Stadium wasn’t terrible for a weeknight at rush hour, but parking was so terrible that we ended up creating our own space near one of the exit gates. As we walked toward the ballpark, the crowd noise signaled a Tommy Edman home run, one of two solo shots he hit against Shota Imanaga during the game. I enjoyed that the recently acquired former Cardinal’s walkup song was Tame Impala’s Borderline. It was a game with a heavy Japanese presence when you consider Chicago DH Seiya Suzuki and prohibitive MVP favorite Shohei Ohtani. Nine days later, Ohtani would pile up six hits, three homers, 17 total bases, and two steals in a win over Miami.

We grabbed a pair of Dodger Dogs and split an order of garlic fries. Dorina appreciated that there were two different hot dog size options. Then, Max Muncy ripped a homer to make it 3-1 Los Angeles in the fifth inning. The Dodgers seemed to be adding another win in their pursuit of a National League West crown, but the baseball gods had other plans.

The eighth inning became a nightmare for many of the 51,923 in attendance. Alex Vesia issued a leadoff walk before the normally reliable Evan Phillips entered. An Austin Barnes throwing error put Dansby Swanson on. A nervous energy permeated the stands and as it turned out, fans were edgy for good reason.

Suzuki singled and to make matters worse, Edman made a throwing error on the play allowing Swanson to score. Former Dodger Cody Bellinger was walked intentionally and two batters later Kiké Hernández booted a ground ball for the inning’s third error. Suddenly, the Cubs led 4-3. They would gain a 6-3 advantage after a Nico Hoerner double and groundout off the bat of Pete Crow-Armstrong. In the bottom of the eighth, Mookie Betts singled but the Dodgers could not muster any more offense.

Indeed, 6-3 would end up being the final score. In the bottom of the ninth, Muncy made a bid to extend the game by crushing a ball to center field. However, Crow-Armstrong made a leaping catch to seal the victory for North Siders. As the Cubs celebrated, we hung around watching the grounds crew while waiting for the crowd to clear.

Speaking of Japan, we found a lantern outside the entrance to the Top Deck that carried historical significance. Sotaro Suzuki, a Japanese sportswriter, presented it as a gift to then-Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley in 1965. It had to be shipped from Okazaki City in six pieces.

Dorina told me that the view of downtown LA was beautiful walking back to the car, and indeed several other fans were taking in the scene as well. Displays honoring legendary broadcasters Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrín surrounded us.

Despite a hard charge from the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers ultimately had enough to win the division. Tonight, the Dodgers begin the Division Series against those same Padres and Chavez Ravine will be even more crowded than it was on this night.

Win or lose, I enjoy feeling the history of the place and sense of drama that comes from being at a park that’s always well attended. If only they could fix the transportation situation, I would be a more frequent visitor.

Yes, I really did take a picture of the area in which we parked. This was a weekday with no giveaway items handed out. Even considering the $2 billion they paid for the franchise in 2012, Guggenheim Baseball Management is raking in an incredible amount in fees during every home date.

Finally, I enjoyed the stadium signs commemorating former Dodger All-Stars. Tommy Lasorda, probably the most famous former resident of the city of Fullerton in Orange County, gets his due. He’s fittingly pictured giving the umpire a piece of his mind.

Of course, the most iconic Dodger is Jackie Robinson himself. While he played his home games at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, the pioneering Robinson grew up on Pepper Street in Pasadena 12 miles from what would become Dodger Stadium. I encourage all of you to peruse a collection assembled by the Library of Congress to learn more about him.