For many fans, with so much at stake, they couldn’t just watch on their sofas at home. They needed to be with other Dodger Blue loyalists on Saturday night.
The El Tejano Tex-Mex restaurant on Magnolia Boulevard in North Hollywood was just one of countless taverns, eateries and public places where fans across the Southland gathered to cheer the Dodgers to victory in Saturday’s thrilling World Series Game 7, 5-4.
It was packed. This was not just any game. But everyone knew that.
This was a World Series like no other. And fans wanted to be with one another, not home alone, for the outcome.
And Game 7 was no exception, with the teams logging an epic finale to a mega-memorable World Series. Fireworks filled the skies around the county after a dramatic double play brought the drama to an end.
Ian James of North Hollywood, an elated fan who watched the game at nearby The CanTiki, was beside himself.
“This is the absolute pinnacle of my Dodgers fandom,” he said. “It is the most incredible I’ve ever felt after a baseball game. “This is a true dynasty. I love everything about this city. I love everything about this team. Go Dodgers. Back to back to back next year! Let’s go!
Ron Packer of North Hollywood was thrilled, but not surprised. “That’s was the best game I’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “But the Dodgers have been there.”
April Aguiar of West Hills concurred. “I’m not surprised,” she said. “I think the Dodgers know how to close the show at the end of the day. They wanted it and they knew what they needed to do to get it done.”
Nicholas Weber of North Hollywood was close to speechless. “What an unbelievable run,” he said. “I cannot believe it went into extra innings. Just an absolutely great run from them. I’m so proud of them.”
“Let’s go Dodgers!” yelled Marcella Deleon of Corona. “Back to back, baby!”
Her husband, Jasson Deleon, was equally thrilled. “You can’t understand. Going back to back. I’m just so happy,” he said.
“I’m feeling so happy right now,” said Melissa Marios of Corona, watching the game at Far Bar in Little Tokyo. “I knew they had it in them. I love the city of L.A., and I’m so happy. I knew Roki (Sasaki) had it in him. I knew (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto had it in him. I know (Shohei) Ohtani had it in him.”
“I’m feeling amazing,” said Kingston Lo of Pasadena. “Back to back (World Series), it’s crazy! I just absolutely love the energy here. It’s better than staying at home… I was chanting from my bed, and then I got here, and I’m like, oh my God! Back to Back! Let’s go Dodgers!”
Maria and Ramiro Aguilar of North Hollywood, watching at the El Tejano Tex-Mex restaurant on Magnolia Boulevard in North Hollywood. The couple even hired a babysitter for the night.
“You’ve got to be around the fans,” Ramiro said. “You’ve got to celebrate. Today everyone’s a family —- the Dodgers family.”
Maria concurred.
“You’re uniting as a team,” she said. “It makes it more exciting.”
“We wanted to watch the World Series here,” Karelia Tamayo said, having had great experiences previously watching games at this restaurant. “We liked the vibe. It makes the game more exciting.”
She said that she’s a nail-biter, so she took measures to be careful.
“I bite my nails so I put on acrylic,” she said. “That way I bite the acrylic.”
“To be here with everyone supporting the team locally from the home base,” Gaby Barreras said. “It doesn’t get better, other than being at the game.”
Far Bar in Little Tokyo, which offers a free shot of sake every time Ohtani hits a home run, was jammed, with tables reaching capacity an hour before gametime.
“It’s about the most epic Game Seven you can get with Shohei starting,” said Emari, citing the Dodgers’ history-making two-way star. “All we need is one game. We just gotta win one game.”
The Dodgers, with their backs against the wall, forced Game 7 by beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-1, on Friday night during Game 6.
As if this wild World Series needed another dramatic subplot, L.A. Manager Dave Roberts chose Ohtani to start the season’s baseball’s biggest game, actually one of the biggest games ever.
Ohtani entered the game batting .318 in the World Series with three homers, five RBIs and eight walks. The unprecedented two-way star was 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA after striking out six and walking one in his Game 4 start, when he threw 93 pitches.
The likely National League MVP, however, was not destined to be Saturday’s pitching standout. He left the game after just 2.1 innings pitched, giving up three runs on five hits. He stayed in the game as designated hitter, however.
Max Scherzer, meanwhile, started for Toronto, only the fourth pitcher to start multiple winner-take-all Game 7s. Scherzer, however, got pulled after 4.1 innings, giving up just one earned run.
The Dodgers’ recent success, with Ohtani and other Japanese players in starring roles, means much to Emari because his family is from Japan.
“It’s not only an L.A. thing, but the whole country of Japan is behind the Dodgers, with Roki (Sasaki) coming on, (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto coming on, Shohei coming on. It’s like a cross continent thing,” said Emari.
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, it was an incredible season for Ohtani.
After belting a career-high 55 home runs in the regular season, Ohtani made more history in the fourth game of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 17, pitching shutout ball into the seventh inning with 10 strikeouts and hitting three home runs as the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers.
In the Dodgers’ epic 18-inning, 6-5 victory in Monday’s Game 3, Ohtani tied a major league record by reaching base nine times, with two home runs, two doubles and five walks.
Across from Far Bar is the massive Ohtani mural on the side of the Miyako Hotel. The creator of the mural, Robert Vargas, stopped by Far Bar to watch the game.
“The mural here has really created a landmark for this community, and for Dodger fans, near and far,” said Vargas. “The mural has really played an important role in the kind-of presence of the team as well as Shohei [Ohtani] here in Little Tokyo.”
It was roughly halfway through the game, and the Dodgers were down 3-1, but Vargas was feeling optimistic.
“A World Series win would be historic, of course, and I think a great positive thing that the community can just kind of rally around,” Vargas said. “L.A. is always great when we’re winning. But at the same time, I think it’s great for the Japanese American community, the AAPI (Asian Pacific Islander) community in general.”
Ahead of the game, Nevalda Pengay, a longtime Angeleno, admitted she was nervous, but was expressed confidence in the Blue Crew.
“I am expecting them to leave everything on the field. Shohei is going to give his best. I think the world is about to see something it’s not seen before,” said Pengay. “I’m here for the city. I’m standing behind the players. They’ve all given so much to the city.”
This was the seventh time the Dodgers have played in a World Series Game 7. Their only previous wins came in 1955 over the New York Yankees for their only championship in Brooklyn, and in 1965 over the Minnesota Twins.
The Dodgers were seeking their first back-to-back World Series championships in their third try, losing in seven games to the Yankees in 1956 and getting swept by the Baltimore Orioles in 1966.
Over at The CanTiki, down the street on Magnolia Boulevard in North Hollywood, bartender Ambre Leigh said they welcome fans to come and watch on the 10 screens, all focused on the big game.
“We always have the sound on,” she said.
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.