The Los Angeles Dodgers Rally for an Electrifying Victory
In a game filled with dramatic swings, Jason Heyward hit a pinch-hit grand slam and Teoscar Hernandez added a three-run homer — all in a seven-run ninth inning — to propel the Los Angeles Dodgers to an electrifying 11-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
Dramatic Comeback Breaks Long Losing Streak
The Dodgers had lost 1,137 consecutive games when trailing by five or more runs in the ninth inning or later, dating back to 1957. This was the second-longest active losing streak in such scenarios; only the Mariners had a longer streak with 1,234 losses without a win under these conditions. This victorious comeback improved the Dodgers’ all-time record to 6-2,619 when trailing by five or more runs in the ninth inning or later.
Their seven runs were also the most they had scored in a ninth inning since 2004 against the San Francisco Giants.
Heyward's Heroics
Heyward's fourth career grand slam came off Tyler Kinley. The slam followed walks by Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas, alongside a single by Miguel Rojas. Heyward's fourth homer of the season hit the right-field foul pole, marking a pivotal moment in the game.
The Dodgers had trailed 7-2 in the fourth inning. Shohei Ohtani added to the excitement by hitting 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 in the last two games.
Hernandez Adds to the Drama
Hernandez's heroics set the stage for the win. He initially avoided a strikeout when first base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that he did not commit to a swing on a 1-2 fastball. This decision led to Colorado manager Bud Black arguing the call and subsequently being ejected from the game.
Hernandez then hit his 18th home run, making it 11-9, and 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. After Hernandez's ball cleared the wall, Colorado right fielder Jake Cave stepped toward Barksdale and began yelling. Rockies second baseman Alan Trejo intervened by stepping between Cave and Barksdale after the inning ended.
Dodgers Seal the Win
Relief pitcher Evan Phillips closed the game by getting the only batter he faced, Hunter Goodman, out with a runner on second, recording his 11th save in as many chances. Cave, the on-deck hitter, had to be restrained by bench coach Mike Redmond as he attempted to reach Barksdale after the game ended.
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.
Struggles and Triumphs
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.
Andy Pages also homered for the Dodgers, who have won four of their last five games and hold a 73-32 record against Colorado since 2018. Meanwhile, the Rockies have lost five of their last six games.
Reliever Michael Petersen (1-0) worked two innings and struck out two in his major league debut.
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 keeps coming up with big hits. That inning, certainly, the results showed the fight, the compete."
Heyward reflected on his grand slam, saying, "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 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."
From the Rockies' perspective, Cave voiced 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."
Finally, Petersen described his debut: "It was crazy. You can't feel anything. It's like your first date; you are tripping over stuff. But awesome."