Favorite In-Person Padres Game: San Diego Fans Show Class

On August 2, 2013, the New York Yankees came to San Diego to begin a three-game series.  The Padres took two of three from the Bronx Bombers with Andrew Cashner winning the series opener and Ian Kennedy winning the rubber game on Sunday August 4^th.  It looked as if the Padres were ready to make a run at getting back to .500, but the month of August did not end as well as it started for the Friars.

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I went to the second game of the series.  Tyson Ross pitched six solid innings of one-hit ball before giving up a two-run homer to Curtis Granderson in the top of the seventh.  The Padres offense threatened to score a few times, but Ivan Nova of the Yankees denied the Padres any runs for seven innings.  In the bottom of the ninth, the Padres were losing 3-0, and needed a rally from Venable, Gyorko, and Amarista in order to have a chance.  Mariano Rivera entered the game for the Yankees, and everyone in the crowd stood to show their appreciation for number 42.

Cameras flashed during every pitch as Rivera ended the game by putting the Padres down in order.  It did not feel good to lose, but I noticed a high degree of sportsmanship coming from the San Diego faithful.  Padres fans cheered for Rivera regardless of what his appearance in the game meant for the comeback effort of the San Diego hitters.  The fans at Petco knew they were witnessing one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, and equaled the class of the one they showed their admiration to.

This article originally appeared on October 22, 2013.