In a game filled with dramatic swings, the Los Angeles Dodgers secured an electrifying 11-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night, thanks to key performances from Jason Heyward and Teoscar Hernandez.
Historic Comeback
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. This was the second-longest active losing streak in such scenarios, behind only the Mariners' 1,234 losses. However, the Dodgers improved their all-time record to 6-2,619 in these situations.
In a seven-run ninth inning, Jason Heyward hit a pinch-hit grand slam followed by a three-run homer from Teoscar Hernandez, marking 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.
Offensive Heroics
Heyward's fourth career grand slam, which came off Tyler Kinley, followed walks by Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas, and a single by Miguel Rojas. Heyward's fourth homer of the season hit the right-field foul pole, narrowing the gap.
The Dodgers had been trailing 7-2 in the fourth inning when Shohei Ohtani hit a 476-foot homer in the fifth. Ohtani singled off pitcher Victor Vodnik (1-1) before Will Smith struck out looking. Freddie Freeman received an intentional walk, his sixth walk in the last two games, setting the stage for Hernandez's heroics.
Hernandez took a half-swing at a 1-2 fastball, with first base umpire Lance Barksdale ruling that Hernandez did not commit to the swing. Colorado manager Bud Black argued the call and was subsequently ejected from the game. Hernandez shortly thereafter hit his 18th home run, putting the Dodgers ahead 11-9. Hernandez said, "It was close. You can call it either way, and it will be fine. When Jason hit the grand slam, and turning 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, and it went over the fence. I knew it as soon as I hit it. It felt great, especially because it put the team ahead."
Field Drama
After Hernandez's ball cleared the wall, Colorado right fielder Jake Cave stepped toward Barksdale and began yelling. Rockies' second baseman Alan Trejo intervened, stepping between Cave and Barksdale after the inning ended. Cave had to be restrained by bench coach Mike Redmond as he attempted to reach Barksdale after the game ended. Cave expressed his frustration, stating, "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. That's a swing-and-miss, the game's won, and we beat the Los Angeles Dodgers."
Rockies Highlights
Elehuris Montero and Brenton Doyle homered for the Rockies, who scored four runs in the first inning and twice held five-run leads. Doyle added three singles for his first career four-hit game, scored twice, and made a diving catch of 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.
Dodgers Pitching
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler gave up eight hits and seven runs in four innings. It 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.
Reliever Michael Petersen (1-0) worked two innings and struck out two in his major league debut. Petersen remarked, "It was crazy. You can't feel anything. It's like your first date; you are tripping over stuff. But awesome."
Relief pitcher Evan Phillips got the only batter he faced, Hunter Goodman, out with a runner on second, recording his 11th save in as many chances. The Dodgers have won four of their last five games and are 73-32 against Colorado since 2018. The Rockies have lost five of their last six games.
Manager and Players' Reactions
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts praised his team's effort, saying, "It was quality at-bats up and down the lineup. 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 pivotal grand slam, stating, "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."
Overall, the Dodgers' dramatic comeback against the Rockies showcased their resiliency and determination, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting remainder of the season.