Yes, I invoked
Dirty Dancing in the title of this post. No, I'm not sorry. (Be glad you're not on my Yankee text-message chain with Erica, Steph and Tonya because I also refer to Neil Walker as "the catch of the county" whenever he does something. Because he's named Neil and there's a character named Neil in
Dirty Dancing who says that. It just makes sense. Still not sorry.)
So, the Wild Card Game. It's always a weird feeling when you're at a win-or-die game, like you have to prepare yourself for a somber subway ride home with equally somber fans, and this usually takes place at a late hour and means you're going to be zombified at work the next day for Bummer Reasons. But there's also the 50/50 chance they'll win and it'll be delightful and that lack of sleep is a hundred percent worth it. Plus, as Steph put it last night and as I've mentioned before here, it's always preferable to be there in person because it's somehow less aggravating. Like, you don't have to put up with announcers you hate, or commercials that only increase your agita. The flip side is having to deal with people sitting around you who may or may not be obnoxious, but last night, that was hardly the case in our section.
Guys, it was a really,
really good crowd last night. Loud as hell, engaged in the game and aware of the gravity of everything that was happening, no wave-doers, no one obnoxiously drunk in our section. The place pretty much exploded after Sevy's dominant top of the first, and even more so after Judge's homer. I hate how the TV broadcasts and even people's own recordings on phones never truly capture the volume of this stuff (it was the same with Didi's homer last year - I've yet to find footage of it that sounds as deafening as it was in person). I'd still rank last year's Wild Card crowd above this one, mostly because that ferocity came from a place of devastated-to-full-on-back-in-the-game. But last night's was the ideal crowd.
We were next to the auxiliary press seating, which was interesting because we got to overhear all the stats/notes the press gets on their little PA system. This helped when they'd announce who was throwing in the Yankees' bullpen, because that was our blind spot. I'm pretty sure I started grinding my teeth when Britton was announced, as I Don't Quite Fully Trust Him (or Chapman, for that matter. I'm not blinded by 102 MPH pitches, but that's just me), but all's well that ends well.
It was also nice to see the Yanks, you know, score when they had runners in scoring position. It was so efficient and satisfying. And Stanton's home run was maybe the most towering, majestic home run I've ever witnessed in person. It was so high, I lost track of it.
Did you Know? There's such a thing as a loofah plantation. Thanks, Erica.
Food of the Night: The chocolate-chip cookies Steph baked. Perfect for stress eating.
Quote of the Night: The guy behind us who screamed, "I REALLY MISSED THIS GUY" after Judge's home run. Understatement of the year.
Our next game is Monday, another potential elimination game, against the RED SOX. THAT won't be teeth-grindy or anything. Though I will say, I think I'm owed a decent game, since the last Yanks/Sox playoff matchup
I saw in person was the GOD DAMN BLOODY SOCK GAME. While sick. In the rain.
Ahem, baseball gods. Ahem.
