What it was like
September changes the sound of a ballpark. Every at-bat starts carrying weight it did not have in June, the crowd goes quieter earlier and louder later, and people who barely follow the standings start refreshing them between innings.
St. Louis is the right opponent for that. It is one of the oldest rivalries in the National League — soaked in postseason history and a mutual respect that never quite reads as friendliness — and it always seems to matter more than the standings suggest it should. Two clubs that have ended each other's seasons before, meeting while the calendar has already begun to bend toward October.
Chavez Ravine, with the downtown skyline sitting out past the third-base side.
Get there before first pitch and let the place fill up around you. Bring the person who says they only watch the playoffs — this is what the playoffs are made out of.