A great comeback, grating team

Being the true-blue Dodgers fan that I am, I shut off the game Monday when they failed to score with bases loaded and nobody out and the score tied, 4-4. Of course, 20 years from now when I’m telling my grandkids of one of the greatest moments in Dodgers history, I will not only have watched every moment, I will have been at the stadium and been one of the few loyal fans who stayed around to the very end.

DAN ROSENFELD

Arcadia

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In my 55 years as a Dodgers fan, I have seen hitting teams, pitching teams, defensive teams and running teams. I have seen great teams, good teams, fair teams and not-so-good teams. However, I have never seen an absolutely frustrating team until this one.

With the Dodgers’ record against doormats lately and the way the Padres have manhandled them over the years, even with Monday’s magic, they don’t deserve to make the playoffs.

J.J. VOLPE

Long Beach

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The Dodgers’ knack for losing a soft series to the woeful Pirates has once again reaffirmed the moniker of “the Choking Dogs.” I can only hope the Dodgers have more wins left than I do antacid tablets.

SCOTT A. MCCAIN

El Segundo

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I guarantee you, if the identical ninth-inning scenario of Monday’s dogfight happened 100 additional times, the Padres would win 100 of them and there would be no 10th inning.

Enjoy the fluke while its euphoria lasts. It was less of an anomaly than that of the flat Dodgers losing the very next night to Jim Tracy’s lowly Pirates (how sweet it must have been for him) and returning the Dodgers to the second place they so richly deserve.

JERRY HERMES

San Diego

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After watching Nomar Garciaparra’s capper to Monday night’s astounding comeback win against the Padres, I couldn’t wait to run outside the next morning to get my copy of The Times because I had a great banner headline in mind. Alas, you didn’t use it. My headline -- “Back ... Back ... Back ... Back in First”

Oh well, you can use it in another 42 years, the next time it happens.

CARY GINELL

Thousand Oaks

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One of the most memorable images of Kirk Gibson’s home run in ’88 was the brake lights on the cars over the right-field pavilion belonging to the “fans” who wanted to beat the traffic. When Kent, Drew, Martin and Anderson hit consecutive home runs, I couldn’t help but once again notice the parade of brake lights out past right field. I can only hope the fans who left early got home in time to flip on their TVs and watch Nomar win it in the bottom of the 10th.

Word to the wise: Stay in your seats because this L.A. team is hot and going places, whereas L.A. traffic isn’t going anywhere.

DAVID A. HURWITZ

Encino

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I wish I’d been at the amazing Monday night game, but there was a silver lining to my being home that evening with the TV. I had the honor of watching that game with Mr. Vin Scully.

MEL POWELL

Sherman Oaks