The Los Angeles Dodgers were on the verge of suffering an inexplicable series loss to the Colorado Rockies that may have ended the National League West race, but rallied late to earn a 7-5 win in 10 innings.
Down to their last out in the top of ninth, Mookie Betts and Corey Seager extended the frame with back-to-back singles. Trea Turner then tied the game with an RBI base hit.
After Kenley Jansen got through a scoreless bottom of the ninth to force extra innings, Max Muncy wasted no time by jumping on the first pitch he saw from Lucas Gilbreath for a game-winning two-run homer.
“Absolutely. Something like that can add momentum,” Muncy said of the Dodgers’ comeback win against the Rockies. “We know we’re a great team, we know we can come back from any situation and we know we can win any game.
“But sometimes when you have a come-from-behind win like that, it reaffirms it, gets it fresh in peoples’ minds and it can really affect the next couple games.”
The Dodgers over the years have become accustomed to high-pressure situations, and Thursday’s rubber match at Coors Field was no different. “It’s very valuable. You learn that there’s really not any moment that’s too big,” Muncy said of the team’s wealth of experience.
“You’ve just got to make sure you have your gameplan set, focus on your breathing and make sure things don’t get too big for you. We have a lot of guys on this team that have been in those situations and it kind of resonates with everybody. You see it from one guy to the other.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts agreed with Muncy and believes the club’s vast experience in these types of moments can only help. “It’s a huge benefit. It’s hard to quantify it, but I think you don’t know until you know, as far as how guys are going to react,” Roberts said.
“We’ve been in big spots like this and come out on the other side. So I think whether it’s Blake in a tough spot, or Kenley in a tough spot, or a tough at-bat where you need to move the ball forward or get a big hit, to keep our heart rate down and still execute is big.
“I do think the experience that we have is going to help us going forward.”
Dodgers gain on Giants
The Dodgers’ comeback win over the Rockies proved even more significant as the San Francisco Giants were defeated by the San Diego Padres in 10 innings.
L.A. now trails their rival by only one game for first place in the NL West with nine games remaining on the schedule.
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