Our Daily Dread: Gagne, back in the jungle, looking out through the brush

The Dodgers' bullpen, and the lack thereof supporting the Cardinals, could become the spotlight storyline of this NLDS that now sees the armed-and-now-dangerous L.A. club sporting a 1-0 series lead, and the St. Louis squad wondering how many times Tony LaRussa can make that painful walk to the mound with a hook and a prayer.

Thanks, in great effort, to 5 1/3 innings of near spotless relief work, the Dodgers' pen did what it has been doing all year. Once Randy Wolf hit the wall with two outs in the fourth and 82 pitches -- the last of which hit St. Louis' Matt Holliday, right after an intentional walk to Albert Pujols -- the mess was left for Weaver (getting the victory), Bellasario, Kuo, Sherrill and Broxton to spit shine.

Troncoso, Garland and ... whomever ... you're on call today.

Is Cory Wade still down there somewhere?

It was the Dodgers' latest closer, Jonathan Broxton , who won the job from Takashi Saito last postseason, coming in with two outs in the eighth inning specifically to face Pujols -- a hardball matchup at its finest. Broxton got Pujols to ground out on a bouncer to third to end the inning.

Then, in the ninth, Broxton did his usual tightrope job -- giving up two singles, but striking out pinch hitter and potential go-ahead man Rick Ankiel (a failed bullpen man back in his day) to add to the drama that had approached the four-hour mark.

And then there was the drama created by Eric Gagne.

In the top of the third inning, when the Dodger Stadium videoboard put up a live shot of the former Dodger Cy Young closer, the fans had to doubletake. They heard the music -- "Welcome to the Jungle" -- and maybe had some reference point.

But he didn't look at all the same. No crusty blue cap. No goggles. No beard, or did he have one? Just a brown sport coat with a T-shirt. Sitting somewhere in the stadium.

Naw, maybe that's Seth Rogen.

Why would Gagne be here?

Has he been here since ... you know.

Yes, actually. As a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, late in the 2008 season. But he didn't make any mound appearances.

So this, perhaps, was the first time he's been front and center in the presence of Dodger fans since his tailspin departure and subsequent steroids revelation in the Mitchell Report.

And the fans cheered. Loudly.

Gagne seemed very moved by it. At one point he put his hand up to wipe his forehead. His wife sitting next to him seemed to have that look on her face: See, I told you they'd still love you if they saw you.

The graphic was put up to identify the mystery guest. It was him.

Gagne was there as a guest of Canadian compatroit Russell Martin. Gagne's wife, Valerie, is the sister of Martin's girlfriend, Marikym.

It was only the third inning, but the Dodgers already needed relief from the tension of the contest -- a tenuious 2-1 lead, with Puljols and Holliday on their way to the plate. And Wolf wasn't really fooling anybody.

Gagne wasn't trying to fool anyone either.

Who was going to throw a syringe at him? Not anyone who loved Dodger history.

Who was going to boo him? Not anyone who remember the buzz created in the same park as he saved 52, then 55, then 45 games between 2002 and 2004, after three seasons struggling as a starting pitcher with a sub-.500 record.

Gagne didn't blow this image-save opportunity. He blew a two-hand kiss to the crowd.

Game on.

That made it all better? Maybe. Maybe not. But it was a surreal, important moment, giving some closure while also reminding Dodger fans that a bullpen is always the most important weapon in the postseason -- something Gagne only saw once in his eight seasons with the Dodgers, 2004, against the Cardinals. Ten batters faced in two games. Three strikeouts. But the Dodgers didn't advance.

In March, 2007, he took out a fullpage ad in the downtown newspaper to thank Dodger fans for their support (that's it above). Then he went to the Texas Rangers. For a half season. He got into the '07 postseason with the Boston Red Sox, but was hardly effective. One World Series appearance against Colorado. One inning. Three batters. One strikeout. Hold. No save.

In 2008, the Brewers gave him a shot. He lasted 50 games, but lost his closer role, giving up 11 homers and 22 walks in about 46 innings.

Then he sorta disappeared. He showed up at the Dodgers' Arizona spring-training site to visit. But that was it.

This past season -- gone from the majors -- Gagne was pitching for Les Capitales de Québec in the Can-Am League, trying to find his groove.

Not so C'est Magnifique, as Vin Scully used to say after every Gagne save.

This, instead, was a pretty-close-to-perfect coming out appearance for the fans.

Gagne always seemed to have good timing. This wasn't anything different.

Another writer made the point that later in the game, after Manny Ramirez grounded into a double play to end the seventh inning, the Dodgers put up a between-innings spot to remidn kids that steroids were bad for your body. Why couldn't they have run it after the Gagne appearance.

Because, that's just tacky. Show a little class. Give the guy his due. Let the fans say thanks, to him, and let it go. He knows what happened. We know what happened. Let's move forward. Not forgiving and forgetting. Just acknowledging and explaining to those who need to know.

Save the other stuff for later.