Narrative Statements:
The Los Angeles Dodgers staged a remarkable comeback in a game filled with dramatic swings, rallying for an electrifying 11-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
At one point, the Dodgers faced almost insurmountable odds, having 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, with only the Mariners holding a longer streak at 1,234 losses.
An Unforgettable Ninth Inning
The Dodgers significantly improved their all-time record to 6-2,619 in games where they trailed by five or more runs in the ninth inning or later. Their explosive seven-run outburst in the ninth inning, the most they had scored in a ninth since 2004, turned the tide of the game decisively.
Jason Heyward was instrumental in this comeback, hitting a pinch-hit grand slam off Tyler Kinley — his fourth career grand slam. It followed walks by Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas and a single by Miguel Rojas. Heyward's fourth homer of the season, which struck the right-field foul pole, was a pivotal moment in the game.
Teoscar Hernandez added to the drama with a three-run homer, his 18th of the season, which secured the Dodgers' lead. This marked the first time in the Dodgers' 140-year history that they hit both a grand slam and a three-run homer in the ninth inning.
Key Plays and Controversial Calls
The Dodgers trailed 7-2 in the fourth inning, and Shohei Ohtani's 476-foot homer in the fifth seemed to solidify the Rockies' lead. However, the Dodgers were undeterred. Ohtani later singled off pitcher Victor Vodnik (1-1) before Will Smith struck out looking. Freddie Freeman received an intentional walk, his sixth in the last two games, setting the stage for Hernandez's heroics.
In a controversial moment, Hernandez took a half-swing at a 1-2 fastball. First base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that Hernandez did not commit to the swing, a decision that Colorado manager Bud Black vehemently disagreed with, resulting in his ejection from the game. Hernandez's ensuing three-run homer made the score 11-9, ultimately leading to the Dodgers' victory.
Colorado right fielder Jake Cave was visibly upset after Hernandez's homer, stepping toward Barksdale and yelling, but Rockies second baseman Alan Trejo intervened. After the game, Cave had to be restrained by bench coach Mike Redmond as he attempted to reach Barksdale.
Relief pitcher Evan Phillips secured the win for the Dodgers by getting the only batter he faced, Hunter Goodman, out with a runner on second, recording his 11th save in as many chances.
Notable Performances
For the Rockies, Elehuris Montero and Brenton Doyle both homered, contributing to Colorado's early lead. Doyle added three singles to achieve his first career four-hit game, scored twice, and made a diving catch of Ohtani's line drive to right-center field in the seventh inning, preserving an 8-4 lead at the time.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler struggled, giving up eight hits and seven runs in four innings. It was the first time since returning to the rotation on May 6 after Tommy John surgery that the 29-year-old right-hander allowed more than three earned runs. Buehler struck out two and walked one.
Andy Pages also homered for the Dodgers, who have now won four of their last five games and boast a 73-32 record against Colorado since 2018. The Rockies, on the other hand, have lost five of their last six games.
In his major league debut, reliever Michael Petersen (1-0) pitched two innings and struck out two, contributing to the Dodgers' comeback victory.
Quotes from the Field
"It was quality at-bats up and down the lineup," said Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts. "Jason was ready when called upon. Teo, he keeps coming up with big hits. That inning, certainly, the results showed the fight, the compete."
"I wasn't sure if it was going to stay fair or not," Heyward commented. "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."
"It was close," added Hernandez. "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 felt great, especially because it put the team ahead."
Cave, expressing his frustration, said, "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."
Petersen reflected on his debut, saying, "It was crazy. You can't feel anything. It's like your first date; you are tripping over stuff. But awesome."