Long time followers of ThinkBlueLA.com know that we always attempt to keep things objective (based on actual facts and statistics) rather than subjective (based on personal knowledge and experiences), although this is sometimes difficult to do as lifelong, through and through, born and bred, die-hard Dodger fan.

Today it gets personal. Lovingly personal.

Among the enthusiastic crowd of 48,530 at Blue Heaven on Earth watching the National League West first-place Los Angeles Dodgers take on the American League West first-place Texas Rangers were four very enthusiastic lifelong, through and through, born and bred, die-hard Dodger fans – my daughter Christina, her husband Max, their beautiful soon-to-be two-year-old daughter (and my precious granddaughter) Frankie, whose actual very first spoken words were “Go Dodgers.”

Although the Dodgers ended up losing the contest by a score of 5-2, it was an exceptional day of firsts. In addition to being Frankie’s first live Dodgers (and baseball) game, she also very much enjoyed her first (of what figures to be many) grilled Dodger Dog. “Grandpa Ron” (as she affectionately calls me) also enjoyed his first two (of what figures to be many) grilled Dodger Dogs this season.

It was indeed a day of firsts, not only for these four very enthusiastic Dodger fans, as it included a first-inning – first-pitch leadoff home run by Dodgers international super star Shohei Ohtani to give the Dodgers a very early 1-0 lead.

Although the Dodgers added one more in the bottom of the seventh on a RBI single by hot-hitting 29-year-old right fielder Kyle Tucker, they couldn’t overcome the five runs scored by Texas to finish the three-game interleague set 3-1, which was good enough to keep them 1.5 games ahead of the NL West second-place San Diego Padres and 2.5 games ahead of the third-place Arizona Diamondbacks.

Play Ball!

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