Just your basic pennant clinching game at the Ravine

Sometimes you need a nudge to get off your ass and yesterday Joe Benardello harangued me enough over at truebluela about going to the game last night, that I finally scored a ticket and made the journey.

Thank God for Joe, because that was one hell of a clinching game. I’ve been to three now this century (I can’t remember the previous century), and each one will hopefully stay stored in the databanks.

While everyone wanted the clinching game, I was more interested in Clayton ending the season at 21 – 3 because I knew the pennant was inevitable but 21 – 3 is historic. It took me a while to get on the Kershaw MVP bandwagon that started over six weeks ago, simply because he’s a pitcher, but this year Clayton Kershaw is Cy Young, MVP, and hell give him the Hank Aaron trophy to boot.

This game had all the flavors:

• Clayton hitting a triple to tie the game
• Dee Gordon swinging at the 1st pitch after his pitcher had hit a triple. I might have been swearing at Dee.
• Clayton doing the snag behind his back with a runner at 3rd when the game was tight. Might have been the best play you will ever see a pitcher complete in a clutch situation
• Puig simply blowing our minds with his throw from CF to 3rd, that cut short, and basically slit the Giants throat for the evening. Throws like that, that you see live, remain forever. The emotional jolt I simply can’t adequately describe.
• Puig giving the Dodgers the lead with the shot to RF
• The eighth inning that would never end as every Dodger came up big

But best of all, it had my Dodger fans with me, and that made it the sweetest taste of all.

This usherette was the best. Our group had commandeered the drinking/Standing area right behind home plate loge level. David Young and CtB scored it around 05:30. The usherette handled the box next to us, and the aisle. She was as into the game as any usherette we had ever witnessed. By the 9th we moved down the seats and spread out. She inexplicably plopped herself down next to Joe. I thought she was going to carry him home.

Going right from left, we had David Young, Bobby Down, CtB, Kelley Stephen and his talkative son.

Smiling Joe, backside of Craig, CtB, and David

CtB, Berko, David, Craig

Kelly and his son spent the whole game us. Berko left before the game started, Bobby Bruin stopped by for a long while, and eventually Bobby Down showed up to finish the game. I may have broken my high-five record for a game.