Narrative of a Dramatic Comeback
The Los Angeles Dodgers delivered a thrilling 11-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night, marked by dramatic swings and historic moments. Jason Heyward and Teoscar Hernandez played pivotal roles in a spectacular seven-run ninth inning that culminated a comeback effort trailing by five or more runs, something the team hadn't achieved since 1957.
The Dodgers had previously lost 1,137 consecutive games when trailing by such a margin in the ninth inning or later, a streak dating back to 1957. This was the second-longest active losing streak in these scenarios, surpassed only by the Seattle Mariners' 1,234 losses without a win. The dramatic turnaround improved the Dodgers' all-time record to 6-2,619 in similar situations.
Clutch Hits Lead the Way
Heyward's pinch-hit grand slam, his fourth career grand slam and fourth home run of the season, came off Tyler Kinley. It followed strategic walks by Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas, and a single by Miguel Rojas. The grand slam hit the right-field foul pole, sparking the Dodgers' improbable rally.
Earlier in the game, the Dodgers trailed 7-2 in the fourth inning, as Shohei Ohtani hit a towering 476-foot homer in the fifth. In a critical moment, Ohtani singled off pitcher Victor Vodnik (1-1), but Will Smith followed with a strikeout after Freddie Freeman's intentional walk.
Hernandez's heroics were another crucial element. Despite taking only a half-swing at a 1-2 fastball, first base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that Hernandez did not commit to the swing. This call led to an intense argument from Colorado manager Bud Black, resulting in his ejection. Unfazed, Hernandez hit his 18th home run, making it 11-9 and putting the Dodgers ahead for good.
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. The excitement continued as Colorado right fielder Jake Cave stepped toward Barksdale, yelling about the call. Rockies second baseman Alan Trejo had to intervene to diffuse the situation.
Closing Moments and Relief Efforts
Relief pitcher Evan Phillips faced Hunter Goodman with a runner on second, achieving an out and securing his 11th save in as many chances. The drama extended post-game when Cave, who was the on-deck hitter during the final out, had to be restrained by bench coach Mike Redmond from reaching Barksdale.
For the Rockies, Elehuris Montero and Brenton Doyle both homered, contributing to the team twice holding five-run leads. Doyle's efforts also included three singles for his first career four-hit game, scoring twice, and making a crucial diving catch of Ohtani's line drive in the seventh to preserve an 8-4 lead at the time.
The Dodgers' starter, Walker Buehler, struggled by giving up eight hits and seven runs in four innings. This was the first instance since his return to rotation from Tommy John surgery on May 6 that he allowed more than three earned runs.
Andy Pages also homered for the Dodgers, who have now won four of their last five games and maintain a 73-32 record against Colorado since 2018. The Rockies have lost five of their last six games.
Voices from the Dugout
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts praised the quality at-bats throughout the lineup. "Jason was ready when called upon. Teo keeps coming up with big hits. That inning, certainly, the results showed the fight, the compete," Roberts said.
Reflecting on the pivotal moment, Heyward explained, "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 acknowledged the contentious call on his swing, saying, "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 felt great, especially because it put the team ahead."
Providing a contrasting view, Cave expressed his frustration, "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."
Rookie reliever Michael Petersen, who marked his major league debut with two innings and two strikeouts, described the experience as a whirlwind. "It was crazy. You can't feel anything. It's like your first date; you are tripping over stuff. But awesome," Petersen said.
The Dodgers will aim to build on this momentum, while the Rockies seek to regroup after another tough loss in a challenging season.