My Good Luck Charm

Pure excitement.

My girlfriend is a sports fan. That's one of the things that takes her to that next level of awesome that any guy who has dated a sports girl can tell you. She's not a groupie. She's not a jersey chaser. She asks questions, and not stupid ones. And so when I fell into tickets for tonight's game and realized it would be her first time watching the Giants, I had to go. It turned into a test.

We've been to a football game, which was amazing, so I knew that she can at least make the most entertaining sport an enjoyable experience. We went to a Warriors game, but it was raining and we had to leave at halftime. It wasn't even her first time at AT&T Park. She's been going to the Cal games all last season. So when we went to the game tonight, and she willingly ditched her hometown Angels to put on my Rich Aurilia jersey and rep the G-men, I knew it was going to be a good game.

The big test is the game. It's a spectrum that has a very slim span of "entertaining." Blowouts aren't fun. Slugfests can get old. Tonight's game was the opposite. Usually, to an outsider, pitcher's duels are boring. No homeruns, no rallies, no exciting things. But on Wednesday night, apparently my constant fawning over Mattcliff Cainlee rubbed off on my fair companion, who peppered me with questions about Cain's contract extension, the reason for the designated hitter, and (regrettably) Brandon Crawford's dreaminess.

Let's recap the highlights:

7:05 (first pitch) - I'm trying to find my ticket, she's trying to find me. Apparently "Juan Marichal" means nothing to some people. I also forgot what street I was on, so my directions were completely wrong.

7:25 (entering stadium) - We enter through Willie Mays Gate, not realizing that we have already missed half the game.

7:45 (food time) -

We got da combo.

8:15 - It's supposed to be like, the third inning. Instead, it's the bottom of the fifth and Brett Pill hits to the wall in center field for a ground-rule double. She's excited. Then I yell at Theriot, Schierholtz, and Crawford for grounding out to shortstop. She's embarrassed.

8:30 - FFFFUUUUU guy who proposed on the Kiss Cam.

9:15 - The game started two hours ago. It's the top of the ninth. Cliff Lee is leading off. I explain pitch counts, and she understands. Again, keeper. We realize that the bus we're taking home doesn't leave until 10:30, and that we might at the bus waiting instead of it waiting for us.

9:30 - "Wait, is that the same guy?"

9:31 - Buster Posey single! :)

9:32 - Brett Pill double play. :(

9:37 - Carlos Ruiz doubles, eliciting a groan from the crowd. After the sacrifice bunt, it takes like two seconds for me to explain lefty-on-lefty matchups. Then Javier Lopez gets Thome, and Hensley gets Mayberry to ground out. "I've never been to a baseball game like this. Nobody's doing anything."

But there was no impatience. There was no complaining. There was interest. There was curiosity.

9:45 - Belt singles. Pagan reaches on an error. Winning run on second with Melky Cabrera up.

9:47 - Galvis is too short. Or Cabrera is good at hit placement. Either way, people are happy, and jumping up and down, and cheering for a Giants win in the shortest longest game ever.

I wouldn't be surprised if I hear a big sigh of relief and "FINALLY" but instead we spend the walk out of the park talking about how it was a historic matchup, how things like that never happen, and how much I like how she likes baseball. IT WAS FANTASTIC AND I'M LUCKIER THAN MOST

Did I mention she's a Sharks fan too?

Also, Matt Cain.