Beckham returns in time to see history

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You’re never supposed to leave a baseball game until both sides have at least one hit. Apparently no one told the Galaxy’s David Beckhman that. Because after showing up early for Wednesday’s National League Division Series opener to meet some of the Phillies’ players and coaches, Beckham left in the fifth inning with Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay working on a no-hitter.

But he had a good reason: The Galaxy, who were in Philadelphia to play the expansion Union on Thursday night, had a mandatory team meal at their nearby hotel. And after eating, Beckham rushed back to the ballpark in time to catch the final out of Halladay’s historic no-hitter.

He also got into the clubhouse afterward, where Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard said he considered the Galaxy star to be the team’s good-luck charm. Howard and his teammates will likely have to get along without Beckham in Game 2 of their series with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, though, as the first-place Galaxy is scheduled to fly back to Southern California following Thursday’s match.

-- Kevin Baxter, reporting from Philadelphia