On the night of September 26th, the Dodgers became the first team in the National League to clinch a spot in the 2009 Postseason. Spirits were high, and the following morning, the team took a 3-run lead into the bottom of the ninth to potentially seal the deal on their second straight Division Title. But a funny thing happened on the way to the champagne room as the Pittsburgh Pirates found themselves in a celebratory scrum on the pitchers mound that just moments earlier had been reserved for a Dodger party.
And then the wheels came off. With a magic number of one, the Dodgers woke up Monday for a breakfast with destiny, but before they could figure out what time it was or which pot was decaf, they found themselves trailing 5-0 en route to an 11-1 lopsided loss.
Back on the left coast, the mood amongst fans, and the front office, shifted slightly from an air of confidence to feeling, well, inconvenienced. There was no concern at this point, just frustration in the fact that we'd have to wait until the following night, when the team would play the Padres a few hours to the south, to celebrate. Tuesday night came, and despite dozens of the Dodgers faithful in attendance at Petco thanks to DODGERLIFE, the evening went, once again, without a win. Wednesday brought more of the same, including the pacing back and forth in the office just waiting for another chance, and as I watched Kevin Kouzmanoff's 3-run shot clear the right field fence while working out, I stepped off the elliptical and was out of the gym before Kouz crossed home. Now it was time for concern.
Those damn Rockies refused to lose all week long and Thursday morning found themselves not only with a chance to clinch a playoff spot of their own, but a win vs the Brewers would set-up a series in LA for the NL West Crown and no more scoreboard watching.
Well of course Colorado won, giving them at least a Wild Card entry into the next round. And now it was time for the national media to begin to take note of the potential collapse in SoCal. Friday night was meant to be a celebration of Tommy Lasorda for his 60 seasons in Dodger blue, and fate would seem to suggest that this would be the night all of LA had been waiting for. But before the echoes of Tommy's speech left the Ravine, the Dodgers found themselves in a 2-0 hole that would eventually result in a 4-3 defeat. BUT. There is a but. For the first time since the previous Sunday, the team showed signs of life. A 2-run rally in the 7th after the Rockies had taken a 4-1 lead ended with the potential tying run just 90-ft away.
On to Saturday night, a week since the Dodgers last win. A seven day stretch that threatened to squeeze out all of the great moments of the first 160 games of the season. From Ethier's walk-offs to Manny's bobbleslam, all signs seemed to be pointing towards another division title and another chance at the World Series. And now, with two games left to win just one, a new feeling swept through the night and throughout the sold-out crowd. An excitement, an exuberance, a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power commonly referred to as, The Force. That's because Saturday night was Star Wars Night at Dodger Stadium complete with Storm Troopers in Autograph Alley, a Clone Wars Bounty Hunter throwing out the first pitch and a visit to the press box by R2-D2.
With The Force in hand, the game began to go the Dodger way; from Clayton Kershaw's 5K start; to a mysterious injury sidelining the Rockies ace after just 3 innings; followed by a series of season saving hits, including a slump-busting single for a struggling Manny Ramirez; and finally culminating in a 1-2-3 9th for Broxton that was so dominant, mind tricks may have been involved, the Dodgers found a way to win and secured the crown that they had been fitted for a week earlier. Worth the wait it was.
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