The Out in Left Weekly: April 28, 2024

Apr 29, 2024

The following are dispatches from what is widely known as the Brendan Dentino Series.

After a rough season opening series against a dynastic Atlanta Braves club, the Phillies’ starting pitching stabilized the season and my mental health, and the team entered their showdown with the Padres at 16-10. For their part, the Pads had a .500 record, propelled by surprising newcomers and dragged down by poor pitching. The 2022 NLCS between the two teams, which inspired the Padres’ fight song, seems like a lifetime ago.
It felt like a cheat code taking the express bus downtown and getting dropped off a few blocks from Petco Park. Our country’s car dependence is deranged.
If the food menu at your pregame bar isn’t a bunch of Post-it notes on a plastic board hung from the ceiling, then you’re doing it wrong. Tivoli Bar and Grill, the oldest drinking establishment in San Diego, is doing it right.
I am famous for my fandom of Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos, which was rewarded when he hit his first home run of the season. Welcome to the Castellanaissance.

In the past few seasons, the Phillies have survived long-term injuries to Bryce Harper, a four-month slump by Trea Turner, and atrocious team defense. But the team would be lost without catcher J.T. Realmuto, who went 2-4 with a home run and a walk. Backup Garrett Stubbs’ chief attribute is vibes, and the Phillies’ farm system is bereft of top catching talent. Realmuto may no longer be the best catcher in baseball, but he is certainly the most important.
A midnight dinner of a chicken salad sandwich from 7-11 hits different after a comfy win.

We got pregame drinks at Half Door Brewing Company, walked one block to Petco Park’s outfield gate, and took our seats seven rows from the field. It was a beautiful day. Our friend John had never been to Petco Park and found it remarkable. It is the correct take. The Padres have a tortured history, but their ballpark is a gem and a key piece of civic infrastructure. Cities and teams not building stadiums in the urban core is nothing short of idiotic.
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez dominated, extending his scoreless innings streak to 32 before allowing a consolation prize in the eighth. He’s now 5-0 with a 1.32 earned run average on the season and is indisputably the best fielder in baseball at his position. Beyond statistics, Suarez’s windup—a quick step back with his right foot, a quarter turn to his left, a tuck of his right leg into his chest, then a plunge toward home—was almost hypnotizing. He seemed like an eagle in flight, constantly in motion yet effortlessly floating. The Phillies need to sign him to a lifetime contract.
Time of game: two hours and nine minutes. We were at the Red Fox Room for a celebratory postgame dinner by 9:00 p.m. People who oppose or complain about the pitch timer need their heads to come in from orbit.

My father came down from Orange County for what was the capstone to a Phillies sweep. They improved their record to 19-10, giving them the second-best winning percentage in the National League. I need to see a doctor because I’m feeling optimistic. The Padres, on the other hand, need to hit and pitch better. Sometimes, sports aren’t complicated.
Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott hit two home runs, but they were preceded by Castellanos grinding out walks. It is a newfound patience of a saint, because that is what he is.
One of my bits is that I hate Alec Bohm as a player. In my estimation, he is an overrated, slap-hitting bust who can’t field. Someone who went 8-for-14 against the Padres and now has a .365 batting average, a 1.065 OPS, and a single error can’t possibly be good at baseball.
This weekend is why I exist. I could sit, watch baseball, drink beer, and write about it until the end of time. Ban work.

My next monthly essay is about stadium subsidies and will be published on May 5.