18. Wrigley Field - August 10, 2018

Wrigley Field is a bit more difficult to get to. Regardless of the time of day, there will always be traffic heading up to the north side of Chicago. We ended up driving because we wanted to drink and eat before the game.

You can still do that, but I recommend either taking the train or catching an Uber. The city is crowded and parking, especially on game days, is expensive. We parked in some third-party corner lot that cost $40 and closed about 30 minutes after the game ends. The lot looked like Tetris the way the cars were parked. Of course, we parked first so we had to wait until everyone else arrived. Not ideal.

We went to a great sandwich place called Lucky's Sandwich Company. The game was at 1pm, so we had time to eat something beforehand and not spend money inside. Well, except for a hot dog of course. This place was amazing.

The classic front of Wrigley Field

On their menu, it says "All sandwiches come with tomatoes, fries and seasoned cole slaw served on them." My friends and I didn't see the "served on them" part, so when we got our sandwiches, we were a bit surprised. Regardless, one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten. I recommend this place if you're ever in Wrigleyville.

Walking into the stadium, I had the same feeling I did when I walked into Fenway Park - nostalgia. You can just feel the history of this stadium, the joy, the heartbreak and everything in between. Yes, the stadium has seen upgrades over the years but the heart is still there.

It's got a great look and it's no wonder why it took them so long to implement night games. Being here for an afternoon game was wonderful. The green ivy across the outfield wall. The old school scoreboard in center field. Even the structure was cool to look at.

Getting to our seats wasn't bad. People knew where they were going and getting up to the high level wasn't as bad as other stadiums. I didn't get to sit where I normally do behind home plate, but I did get a picture. We ended up sitting down the first base side a bit. Still a great view.

The craziest part was seeing the bleachers atop the apartments across from the stadium. They are run by a third-party company and span across the whole outfield. They come with access to a lounge, beverages, food and big-screen TVs. If you don't want to be in the stadium, this is a good alternative.

Besides the Yankees winning, this may have been the best game we saw on the trip. The Cubs defeated the Nationals 3-2 and it came down to the final at-bat. Every fan was on their feet when the final out was recorded.

Jeremy Hellickson started for Washington while the Cubs rolled out Kyle Hendricks. Neither pitcher lasted too long. Hellickson was pulled after 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on four walks with three strikeouts. Hendricks went six innings with two runs, eight hits and five strikeouts.

A field-level view

After that, it was a bullpen matchup. Both teams used a combined nine relievers for the final three innings. This is what the MLB is referencing when talking about the pace of play. I don't mind it as much but I get where they are coming from.

Nationals rookie Juan Soto drove in Trea Turner for the first run of the game in the first inning. They added their second run in the second when Adam Eaton drove in Daniel Murphy on a single. The Nationals would be held scoreless for the rest of the game.

Hellickson did a good job shutting down the Cubs. They had just one base runner after five innings. It wasn't until the sixth inning where the Cubs offense woke up.

After three straight walks, Jason Heyward hit a 2-RBI single. Anthony Rizzo walked in the game-winning run in the seventh inning as the bases were loaded.

After two outs, Pedro Strop had an error when covering first base, allowing Eaton to get on base. The crowd was electric. Everyone was on their feet, waiting for the third out. And they got it when Turner struck out swinging. If only I could have been here when they won the World Series.

Hot dog review: Nice crunch, yellow mustard, and grilled onions. Good stadium dog.

Wrigley Field is one of the most historic stadiums in the league. I don't care if you skip the other Chicago stadium, this is one you have to see.