Narrative Statements:
In a game filled with dramatic swings, the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a stunning 11-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. Jason Heyward hit a pinch-hit grand slam, while Teoscar Hernandez added a three-run homer, all within a seven-run ninth inning that sparked the comeback.
A 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 defeat was the second-longest active losing streak in such scenarios, with only the Mariners having a longer streak of 1,234 losses without a win under these conditions. With the victory, the Dodgers improved their 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, which came off Tyler Kinley, was a pivotal moment in the game. The slam 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. The Dodgers had previously trailed 7-2 in the fourth inning.
Nail-Biting Moments
Shohei Ohtani hit a mammoth 476-foot homer in the fifth inning and later 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, and first base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that Hernandez did not commit to the swing, leading to controversy.
Colorado manager Bud Black argued the call and was subsequently ejected from the game. Hernandez then hit his 18th home run, making the score 11-9. 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, stepping between Cave and Barksdale after the inning ended.
Closing It Out
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. Meanwhile, Cave, the on-deck hitter, had to be restrained by bench coach Mike Redmond as he attempted to reach Barksdale after the game ended.
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 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.
Other Notable Moments
Andy Pages also homered for the Dodgers, who 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. Reliever Michael Petersen (1-0) worked two innings and struck out two in his major league debut.
Quotes
"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 showed the fight and the compete."
Heyward reflected on his pivotal moment: "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, I knew 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."
Cave had strong words for the umpiring: "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."
Reliever Michael Petersen likened his major league debut to a thrilling experience, saying, "It was crazy. You can't feel anything. It's like your first date; you are tripping over stuff. But awesome."