LOS ANGELES — On a night when the Dodgers’ pitching staff had to grind through every inning, it was Anthony Banda who delivered the final outs—and the emotional punctuation mark on a gutsy 8–6 win over the Padres Tuesday night at Chavez Ravine.
“It was Dodger baseball,” Banda said, reflecting on the team’s collective effort in the bullpen game. “That was fun to be a part of.”
It wasn’t always pretty. There were tense moments, a few close calls with the umpires, and emotions running high throughout the stadium as the Padres made a late push. But in the end, the Dodgers held strong, with Banda securing the win and walking off the mound into an embrace from catcher Will Smith that captured the energy of the night.
“Will’s just that kind of guy—he’s a leader,” Banda said when asked about the hug. “He saw me, I was a little draggy out there, so he gave me a blow, gave me some words of inspiration, and we executed the game plan. We came out of it.”
The game was a bullpen affair from the start, with rookie Jack Dreyer getting the nod and giving the Dodgers a solid first inning before the baton was passed down the line. Banda credited the entire relief corps, highlighting the chain of trust and execution it takes to win these kinds of games.
“It’s about picking each other up, doing your job, executing game plans,” he said. “Sometimes you just got to go out there and tough it out. Matt Sauer did a great job, Jack (Dreyer) to start it off, and then just handing it down the line.”
Banda’s final frame came after a wild game in which the two teams traded hit batsmen and tempers flared. No punches were thrown, and eveyone stayed put, but the emotions were real, heightened by the stakes of a midseason division battle between two longtime rivals jockeying for postseason positioning.
“Anytime we’re playing division opponents, the emotions are going to be high,” Banda said. “Given where we’re at in the standings, we all understand how important this is. It felt like a playoff atmosphere. The fans were into it. It was loud. It was exciting to be a part of.”
The lefty has quietly become a stabilizing force in the Dodgers’ pen over the past few weeks. After bouncing around the league and spending time in Triple-A earlier in his career, Banda has settled in. He credited a renewed sense of confidence and a focus on executing pitches rather than overpowering hitters.
“It’s really just about trusting my stuff in the zone and not trying to do too much,” he explained. “It comes down to confidence in yourself and understanding that if you execute, good things happen.”
While Banda got the save, one of the night’s biggest performances came from 23-year-old Andy Pages, who crushed a go-ahead grand slam in the fourth inning—part of a breakout four-RBI performance that had the home crowd roaring.
“I couldn’t be happier for a guy like him,” Banda said, beaming. “I met him last year and to watch him blossom into, in my opinion, an All-Star—it’s unbelievable. He’s one of a kind. Great dude, great teammate. Just watching him be himself and let that show on the diamond, that’s pretty special.”
The Dodgers’ win didn’t just pad the standings. It reminded fans and players alike of the identity this team has built—resilient, unified, and willing to grind out wins in whatever way the game demands. Tuesday night wasn’t about one pitcher dominating or a flawless performance. It was about cohesion, hustle, and the belief that every arm in that bullpen, every at-bat, and every word of encouragement could make the difference.
For Banda, who has seen his share of highs and lows in the big leagues, it meant something extra.
“Games like this—they remind you why you love the game,” he said. “You fight for your teammates, you feel the crowd behind you, and when it all comes together like that, it’s just a beautiful thing.”
As the Dodgers continue their series against San Diego, they’ll carry that momentum—and the emotion of a hard-fought win—with them. And if Tuesday night was any indication, this team is more than ready for the battles ahead.
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