PITTSBURGH — While Randy Wolf told tales of the Dodgers' strange voyage the previous night, a helicopter hovered in the air space near PNC Park. Security boats circled the river behind the stadium.
Armed officers stood guard at almost every downtown street corner. Sirens blared in the distance.
"It's like martial law," Wolf said. "Very apocalyptic."
Then the day really turned bizarre.
The Dodgers lost to a team that had dropped 23 of its previous 26 games on a night when that team was forced to use five pitchers because it didn't have a starter available.
Because of that 3-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were in the midst of their worst stretch since 1890 -- 1890! -- the Dodgers were delayed from securing their pass to the postseason by at least a day.
Tonight, the Dodgers will go to PNC Park for the second day in a row needing a win or an Atlanta Braves loss to secure a minimum of the National League wild card.
But, really, what's a day's wait for a group that endured what it did early Friday morning?
That was when the Dodgers had to get from the nation's capital to the host city of the G-20 summit, a journey that included a two-hour stop at Washington Dulles Airport and a bus ride through Pittsburgh that included several literal twists, turns and stops.
"It seemed like we drove around the city for 45 minutes before we even got to the hotel," said Jon Garland, who drew the starting assignment and took the loss in the opening game of the four-game series. "Every bridge, every exit, exit stoplight, there was security."
Said second baseman Orlando Hudson: "If they try to get Obama, they better bring their A-game."
Manager Joe Torre and his players, Garland and Hudson included, said that the all-night trek wasn't an excuse for the way they performed. But Torre acknowledged that this particular trip took its toll on his team, saying, "I think we all felt it today."
Trying to start a double play that he later acknowledged he shouldn't have tried to turn, third baseman Blake DeWitt threw the ball into the outfield in the first inning to put men on first and third. Andrew McCutchen scored on a sacrifice fly by Garrett Jones to put the Pirates ahead, 1-0.
"I rushed it," said DeWitt, who started his third game since his Sept. 6 call-up.
DeWitt doubled in the second inning and scored on a double by Hudson to tie the score, 1-1, but a fielding error by first baseman James Loney resulted in two more unearned runs and a 3-1 deficit for Garland.
