Narrative Statements:
In a game filled with dramatic swings, the Los Angeles Dodgers stunned the Colorado Rockies with a thrilling comeback, securing an electrifying 11-9 victory on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Historic Comeback
The Dodgers, known for their resilience, overcame a daunting deficit in an unforgettable fashion. Jason Heyward delivered a pinch-hit grand slam, and Teoscar Hernandez added a three-run homer, all in a seven-run ninth inning. The Dodgers had lost 1,137 consecutive games when trailing by five or more runs in the ninth inning or later, a streak dating back to 1957. Notably, this was the second-longest active losing streak in such scenarios; only the Mariners had a longer streak with 1,234 losses.
Heyward's fourth career grand slam came off Tyler Kinley. The bases were loaded thanks to walks by Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas and a single by Miguel Rojas. Heyward's fourth homer of the season, which clipped the right-field foul pole, brought the Dodgers within striking distance.
More Fireworks in the Ninth
After the grand slam, the Dodgers continued to chip away at the Rockies' lead. Hernandez's heroics set the stage for the dramatic victory. He connected with a 1-2 fastball, sending it over the fence for a three-run homer that gave the Dodgers an 11-9 lead. This was Hernandez's 18th home run of the season.
Hernandez's at-bat was not without controversy. A half-swing on a previous pitch was ruled as no swing by first base umpire Lance Barksdale, prompting an argument from Colorado manager Bud Black, who was subsequently ejected from the game.
This marked the first time in their 140-year history that the Dodgers hit both a grand slam and a three-run homer in the ninth inning.
Rockies' Early Dominance
The Rockies appeared in control for much of the game. Elehuris Montero and Brenton Doyle homered for Colorado, who scored four runs in the first inning and held two five-run leads during the game. Doyle added three singles, scoring twice and making a diving catch of Shohei Ohtani's line drive to right-center field with runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh inning, preserving an 8-4 lead at the time.
The Dodgers' starting pitcher, Walker Buehler, struggled in his outing, giving up eight hits and seven runs in four innings. This was the first time the 29-year-old right-hander allowed more than three earned runs since returning to the rotation on May 6 after missing the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery. Buehler struck out two and walked one.
Despite Buehler's struggles, the Dodgers managed to stay within striking distance, thanks to contributions from their lineup. Andy Pages also homered for the Dodgers, who have now won four of their last five games and hold a 73-32 record against Colorado since 2018.
Closing Out the Win
Relief pitcher Evan Phillips sealed the victory by retiring the only batter he faced, Hunter Goodman, with a runner on second to record his 11th save in as many chances. After Hernandez's home run, Rockies right fielder Jake Cave argued with Barksdale, and second baseman Alan Trejo had to step between Cave and Barksdale after the inning ended. Cave, the on-deck hitter, continued to protest and had to be restrained by bench coach Mike Redmond after the game ended.
Reliever Michael Petersen (1-0) worked two innings and struck out two in his major league debut, contributing to the Dodgers' remarkable comeback.
Post-Game Reactions
"It was quality at-bats up and down the lineup," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. "Jason was ready when called upon. Teo, he keeps coming up with big hits. That inning, certainly, the results showed the fight, the compete."
Heyward reflected on his game-changing grand slam: "I wasn't sure if it was going to stay fair or not. It's Colorado, so maybe that helped it straighten out a little bit. I was like, 'Come on, squeak in, squeak in.' I honestly feel like we got rewarded for our process in the ninth."
Hernandez added, "It was close. You can call it either way, and it will be fine. When Jason hit the grand slam and turned the lineup over to Ohtani, you know something was going to happen. I just wanted to get a good pitch to hit to tie the game. I put a little extra into it, and it went over the fence. I knew it as soon as I hit. It felt great, especially because it put the team ahead."
Despite the loss, Cave voiced his frustration, saying, "When I'm running in before the last of the ninth, he looked me right in the face and goes, 'Cave, it's not even close.' Everybody in the world could see it was at least close. And he did swing. It's a big game. It's one of the best teams in baseball, and we're battling with them. That game's won on that swing."
Petersen described his debut experience as surreal: "It was crazy. You can't feel anything. It's like your first date; you're tripping over stuff. But it was awesome."
The victory was a testament to the Dodgers' perseverance and refusal to give up, adding another chapter to their storied history of dramatic come-from-behind wins.