Growls filled the air of our ride to Dodgers Stadium, and hunger overtook our urgency to get to the game.
With Cielito Lindo’s world-famous taquitos only a few blocks away from the stadium, my friend and I opted to make a pit stop for food.
When we found parking, we only had half an hour before the game’s first pitch. The lines at Cielito Lindo proved to be too long for our hungry stomachs. Instead, we found a munchies shop across the street. After getting our food to go, we head to the Dodgers stadium parking lot to enjoy our meal in the car.
In all the times I’ve been attending Dodgers games regularly, I have never waited this long into the season to go to my first game.
In keeping with the Los Angeles tradition, I arrived at my seat late. By the time I purchased a beer and settled into my seat, the Dodgers were already leading the Washington Nationals thanks to a leadoff home run by Mookie Betts. However, the lead didn’t fully satisfy me. Noah Syndergaard took the mound to start the game, and his inconsistencies made a 1-0 lead feel too precarious.
When the first inning came to a close, the Dodgers had a 3-0 lead over the Nationals. The lead still didn’t feel like enough.
With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror and the school year nearing its end, families filled the stands. Both children and adults dressed as Blippi, as Dodgers Stadium organized a photo day with Blippi as a promotional event for the game.
In front of us, a couple of dads sat with their kids. Despite their efforts to engage their children in the game, Freddie Freeman’s 20-game hitting streak did not withstand the power of the kid’s iPad’s. The dog days of the baseball season are here.
Syndergaard departed the game on the losing end. After five innings, he allowed five runs, including three home runs, and only managed to strike out two batters.
Syndergaard’s time in LA has been far from pleasant.
“Trying to make big adjustments between starts isn’t easy,” explains Noah Syndergaard after the game.
“I’d give my hypothetical firstborn to be the old me again. I’ll do everything possible to get back to that.”
After surrendering the lead, the Nationals kept the lead. Old friend Kieberth Ruiz continued to beat up his old club by hitting two home runs. Mookie Betts made an effort to regain the lead by hitting a second home run in the game. But, the Dodgers’ endeavors to regain the lead fell short as Jeimer Candelario and Luis Garcia kept the home run derby going. The final score favored the Nationals 10-6.
My first visit was filled with home runs, and the Dodgers consistently gave me hope throughout the game. Despite the loss, my first game of the season was a successful day in the ballpark.
As the season enters its third month and with the Diamondbacks playing exceptionally well baseball, the Dodgers can’t afford to continuously lose every fifth game.
Dave Roberts acknowledged the help the starting rotation needs:
“I hate the idea of when you’re at the beginning of June to have a tryout camp, but we’ve got to figure out some stability and dependability.”
After the game, Dave Roberts did not commit to keeping Syndergaard in the rotation. It seems as though the operation “Rebuild Thor” has come to an end. It’s time to move on. Send him to the minors while he figures it out. Give him time in the bullpen. It’s time to give other prospects a shot.
The Dodgers’ record is 0-1 when I attend a game. It is not an ideal start to my personal record. Since I started blogging about them from a distance, the Dodgers continue to dominate the National League West. Note taken, baseball Gods.
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