NLDS Game #3; Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles against the St. Louis Cardinals

Posted on 11. Oct, 2009 by Corey in All, General Baseball.

My return to live Major League Playoff Baseball was everything I thought it would be.  The entire day could not have been more perfect all around.  Sure, most think I am nuts for driving to and from St. Louis in the same day to see a baseball game, but that is just how I roll. Not the first time I have spent three times the amount of time in a car traveling than the actual sports contest was, and won’t be the last.
Craig and I meet in Dayton and headed west together across I-70.  We stopped in my favorite town along the way, Effingham, and had lunch at both Subway and Taco Bell.  We were both dying to try the new Blackjack Taco, and were not disappointed.  That was preceded by a foot long buffalo chicken on wheat and my belly was feeling good.
We arrived in downtown St. Louis around three and a half hours before first pitch and parked in the car to walk around the city.  We were both amazed at the amount of people hanging around the stadium or in line for the gates to open so early in the day.  Craig and I took a walk around the entire stadium stopping numerous times to see what the stadium had to offer.  I was impressed with some of the newer banners that were hanging on the outside of the stadium commemorating all the Cardinals retired numbers and previous championships.  These banners were not there for my first visit to Busch Stadium III, and I felt they were a perfect touch.
The gates to the stadium opened around two hours before first pitch, and Craig and I went inside to start our tour around the ballpark.  Once inside the yard, everything was very familiar, and not much had changed in three seasons at the park.  The auxiliary scoreboard in right center and the main board appeared to be new and much the LCD screens much larger.  There was also a large number of 2009 MLB All-Star game signs around the park, since it was held there. The gift shop was also flooded with left over All-Star game gear, but I used my will power, which doesn’t happen much, not to buy everything in site.
We made our way to the upper deck and found our seats as both teams were being introduced on their respective foul lines.  Our tickets were the first row in the upper deck on the end of the Cardinals dugout.  Having just a rail and no one else in front of us, we both really enjoyed our seats.
The weather was windy and frigid as the game started and the crowd waved their giveaway towels in the air.  That was the loudest Busch Stadium would get, as I was very surprised and how dead the atmosphere got once the game started.  It didn’t help Cardinals fans that they were trailing two games to none in the best of five series, and that the Dodgers bats came out hot taking an early lead, but I thought  “baseball heaven” would stay in the game a bit longer.

The Cardinals faithful showed some sort of life when relief pitchers Denys Reyes and John Smoltz pitched well, but everyone was heading for the exit gates once the score hit 5-0.  The Cardinals did manage to push across one run and fell 5-1.  Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton shut down the game and got a strikeout on his final pitch that would registrar at 101 miles an hour on the radar gun.
After watching the Dodgers celebrate, Craig and I headed through the quiet streets on St. Louis, and Craig displayed his smile proud.  A sweet victory and invitation to the NLCS made his drive home a bit sweeter.  My night got sweeter as we stopped at Jack in the Box for dinner, a favorite of mine that I rarely get the chance to eat.
My attention now turns to the other National League Division series between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies.  I am planning on sitting back, relaxing, and watching a very good series, but I also know that if the Phillies do win, Craig will be raring and ready to go to the NLCS Game #3 in Philadelphia.  So maybe my 2009 MLB Playoff adventures will continue.
As usual, I took WAY to many pictures at the game, and had to limit them down to share the highlights of Busch Stadium and my trip.  I hope you enjoy.

Here are a few Stadium Shots