before the first pitch at seven-ten Central Time.
The coaching staff had a three hour meeting the morning of the game to prepare. Going over every aspect of the game down to the smallest details. We discussed every scenario imaginable that might occur, so that when the time came we would have a plan ready. What we would do if one of the starters suffered an injury in the first inning. How we would manage the roster while playing in Los Angeles, which did not use the designated hitter. Things like that.
But there was only so much preparation you could do before it was time to execute the plan.
Gallaraga looked sharp during warm-up. Rafael took the opportunity to pitch another training session, testing out his arm. I eyed the radar gun hopefully, but his fastball was still topping out in the mid-eighties.
Before the game started, every player from both teams was announced and then lined up on the foul lines. Even the coaches and staff.
“The head pitching coach, Natalie Betts.”
I jogged out of the dugout and high-fived everyone on the team as I took my place along the foul line. There were a lot of cheers in the crowd, but some strange chatter too. Probably some fans learning for the first time that the Rangers pitching coach was a woman.
I stood tall and beamed with pride. Even though I wasn’t a player, I was here. I had made it to the World Series.
When Rafael was called, he didn’t look as happy. But he forced a smile and stood up straight.
The national anthem was played—by Kelly Clarkson, I saw happily!—while a huge American flag was unfurled in center field. Globe Life Field looked beautiful today. The infield dirt was perfectly brushed and wetted down. A World Series logo was pressed into the fake grass behind home plate. Everything was extra special today—even down to the special shirts and hats the hot dog vendors wore.
The anthem ended, the flag was rolled back up, and then it was time to start the game.
The series matchup favored us right off the bat. Since we had clinched the ALCS in five games, our number-one pitcher Gallaraga was fresh and healthy to start tonight. But the Dodgers had used their ace—Clayton Kershaw—in game six of the NLCS, so he needed an extra day of rest and couldn’t pitch until tomorrow. Instead, the Dodgers were sending their number-three pitcher out to the mound tonight. Fernando Martinez, a Chilean-born pitcher who had played both baseball and football at college here in Texas.
Gallaraga pitched a quick one-two-three first inning, and then Martinez took the mound in the bottom of the first. He received a small scattering of cheers from the Dodgers fans and people who were giving respect to a local kid coming back to pitch here.
The crowd was a sea of red and blue Rangers jerseys, and they were even louder than they had been in the ALCS. Martinez gave up a double to start the game, then walked the next batter. But then he settled down and struck out the next two batters before getting the third to pop-up harmlessly.
Most of the game went like that. We had plenty of opportunities, but struggled to score. We left another two men on base in the second, and stranded a single runner in the third. Then in the fourth inning we loaded the bases but couldn’t squeeze a single run across the plate. It was maddening. After striking out with the bases loaded, Darryl marched back into the dugout and smashed his bat against the wall. Splinters of wood rained down on the cement floor.
The Dodgers were in a similar boat. They were a team that got on base a lot, but Gallaraga was able to bear down and keep them from scoring. At least, until the sixth inning when Cody Bellinger hit a triple which scored a run from first base.
We entered the bottom of the ninth losing 1-0. It was strange seeing Joel come jogging out of the bullpen wearing Dodger blue, and even weirder not hearing his Mister Rogers entrance music. Even though he was on the other team now, the Rangers crowd gave him a standing ovation as he entered the game. He tipped his hat to acknowledge them, and then it was all business.
I had watched a lot of Dodger highlights since Joel had been traded, but it was totally different seeing him in person. Joel was sharper than ever. If anything, he looked more