The Dodgers could set an attendance record for the second straight year after drawing over 3.8 million in '18GETTY IMAGES
The Dodgers are the first MLB team to "top 3 million" fans this season (with four extra home dates), a figure that is "more than 654,000 fans better" than the second-ranked Cardinals according to Jim Alexander of the Riverside PRESS-ENTERPRISE. The Angels, in 55 games in Anaheim, are at 2.131 million and averaging 37,505, which "really is quite good for a team that was on the fringe of wild-card contention most of the summer and now seems to have fallen out of the race" (Riverside PRESS-ENTERPRISE, 8/13). The Dodgers are on pace to set a Dodger Stadium attendance record for the second consecutive year after drawing 3,857,500 fans in 82 games last year, including the NL West tiebreaker game. This season marks the 8th straight year drawing over 3 million, and it is the earliest the club has done so by both games and date. This season would also be the seventh consecutive season leading MLB in attendance (THE DAILY).
SEEING RED: In St. Louis, Derrick Goold noted the Cardinals have "surpassed 3.3 million tickets sold for the season" and are "on pace for between 3.4 million and 3.5 million." Entering Sunday’s game, the Cardinals had "averaged 43,142 tickets sold per game this season" -- up from 42,019 last season (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/12).
HOT STREAK HELP: In S.F., Henry Schulman notes the Giants' improved play in July "might be paying off at the gate." The team had "no paid crowd lower than 36,275" for the four-game Phillies series that wrapped on Sunday. The "only other such series at home this year was the three-gamer against the Cubs, July 22-24" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/13).
MOVING UP: In St. Paul, Charley Walters noted the Twins are "averaging 27,862 per game," ranking 16th in MLB. The Twins "ranked No. 23 early in the season." Meanwhile, Twins TV ratings on FS North now are up nearly 49% from last season (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 8/11).
