17 : 244 : 3 : 6

Puck saw it first, crawling at a snail’s pace down the patio gutter in the rain-like morning. The longest slug I’d ever seen in person. It must have been a good six inches or more. We went out to inspect.

After Yali’s next physical therapy appointment, we received good news. He would probably be finished in a month. Not that Yali cared so much. He enjoyed his twice-weekly massages and baby books.

12:45.

We were downtown: Mom, Oxbear, myself, Linnea-Irish, and Yali. On top of the nosebleed seats already purchased for this particular game, Oxbear had received two very nice Infield Redbird Club seats from his boss, which he was told to use during work hours.

On the walk to the stadium, we paused at a red light with the other pedestrians.

“I think someone wants to take Yali’s picture,” Mom nodded into the crowd.

Sure enough, a grandpa-aged fan held out his phone for a photo. “He is just so cute! Do you mind?”

Once in our padded seats, Oxbear splurged on us with nachos and hot dogs, and Yali sat intensely watching the game for about the first two innings. His very first Cardinals game, and it must have been like walking into the gladiator arena for the first time back in Roman days. So much, so huge, so much energy.

Then he saw Fredbird. His face lit up as he gasped, and pointed to the dugout where he danced around, ready to throw himself over the edge of the balcony if necessary to reach the red feathered mascot. I hadn’t anticipated that sort of reaction. Although I guess from Yali’s perspective, it was like seeing a giant walking stuffed animal.

Eventually we made a trade-out and Yali went way upstairs to hang with Mom and Irish while we watched a fantastic comeback 8th two levels down.

When we returned to the Big House to collect Puck – two hours later – he ran out to the car, finishing a corn dog, after brownies, a hair cut from Carrie-Bri in time for school pictures next week, and a handful of Magic School Bus episodes. I think it was a win-win for both boys that day.

CARDINALS:

4.5 games up on Pittsburgh: 88 and 51; 23 games remaining.

Magic Number: 20.