Narrative Statements:
In a game filled with dramatic swings, the Los Angeles Dodgers completed an electrifying 11-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. This comeback was anchored by Jason Heyward's pinch-hit grand slam and Teoscar Hernandez’s three-run homer, all packed into a staggering seven-run ninth inning.
Prior to this game, the Dodgers had endured a historic demoralizing streak, losing 1,137 consecutive games when trailing by five or more runs in the ninth inning or later—a stretch that dated back to 1957. Outdone only by the Mariners, whose similar streak stands at 1,234 losses, the Dodgers finally turned the page on this narrative, bringing their all-time record to 6-2,619 in such situations. The seven runs scored in the ninth were also the most the team had managed in this inning since 2004 against the San Francisco Giants.
Heyward’s Heroics
Jason Heyward’s fourth career grand slam came off Rockies pitcher Tyler Kinley, following walks by Andy Pages and Miguel Vargas, as well as a single by Miguel Rojas. Notably, Heyward’s fourth homer of the season found the right-field foul pole, encapsulating the tension and precision of the moment.
Down 7-2 in the fourth inning, the Dodgers faced an uphill battle. Despite an additional challenge—Shohei Ohtani’s 476-foot homer in the fifth inning—the team never wavered in their resolve. 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 game-changing at-bat.
Hernandez Seals the Deal
Teoscar Hernandez faced a 1-2 fastball, and first base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that Hernandez did not commit to the swing—a call hotly contested by Colorado manager Bud Black, who was subsequently ejected. Hernandez capitalized on the opportunity, launching his 18th home run to score three runs and push the Dodgers ahead 11-9. This moment also 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 of the same game.
After Hernandez’s homer cleared the wall, emotions ran high. Colorado right fielder Jake Cave directed his frustrations at Barksdale and had to be restrained by bench coach Mike Redmond. Relief pitcher Evan Phillips brought a tense game to its conclusion, getting the only batter he faced, Hunter Goodman, out with a runner on second and recording his 11th save in as many chances.
Notable Performances
Elehuris Montero and Brenton Doyle both homered for the Rockies, contributing to a robust offense that scored four runs in the first inning and twice held five-run leads. Doyle enjoyed a career-best game with four hits, including three singles, and scored twice. He also made a diving catch of Ohtani’s line drive with runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh inning, preserving an 8-4 lead at that time.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler struggled, giving up eight hits and seven runs in four innings. This 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 recorded two strikeouts and one walk.
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. Meanwhile, the Rockies have lost five of their last six games. Reliever Michael Petersen, making his major league debut, worked two innings and struck out two, securing his first career win.
Quotes from the Game
"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."
"I wasn't sure if it was going to stay fair or not,” Heyward admitted. “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 also reflected on the moment: "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."
Cave couldn’t hide his frustration: "When I was 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 summed up his major league debut succinctly: "It was crazy. You can't feel anything. It's like your first date; you are tripping over stuff. But awesome."