Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — On a night that began with groans and grimaces, Max Muncy walked off the field to cheers and high-fives. His eighth-inning, two-run double erased a painful start—both for him personally and for the Dodgers as a whole—and set the stage for Shohei Ohtani’s now-signature walk-off on bobblehead night.
But the story of Muncy’s night is about more than just one clutch swing. It’s about accountability, adjustment, and a refusal to let failure define a game.
A Rough Start: Two Errors and a Heavy Conscience
Before the fireworks, Muncy’s night was anything but easy. Two errors in the early innings nearly unraveled the game. And while the scorebook showed no earned runs, Muncy knew the disruption cost more than numbers.
“You do the hard part by actually making the play,” he said. “And then you fail the easy part, which is the throw. That’s pretty frustrating.”
But what weighed on him most wasn’t the embarrassment—it was the ripple effect.
“I felt like I got [Blake Snell] out of rhythm… That’s never what you want as a defender,” Muncy said. “Mistakes are going to happen, but when you feel like you get your pitcher out of a rhythm, that’s 100% on me.”
Snell bounced back. Muncy kept grinding.
The Torpedo Bat Experiment
Let’s talk bats—specifically, the “torpedo bat,” a uniquely weighted piece of lumber that made its game debut with Muncy… and possibly its finale.
Muncy entered the game trying out the torpedo model, a modification of his usual bat designed to shift weight distribution and possibly improve swing path. But by his own admission, something felt off all night—until he ditched it.
“After the Dylan Lee at-bat (in the 6th), I felt like the swing was just a little bit off—not mechanically, just in the feel,” he explained. “So for that last at-bat, I went back to my regular bat. It was a pretty immediate decision. No second-guessing.”
The result? A line drive into the gap that tied the game at 5 in the bottom of the eighth, capping a furious rally that Muncy himself ignited with one confident swing.
Pride, Pressure, and Perspective
Despite the heroics, Muncy didn’t sugarcoat the night.
“Yes, the big hit makes it a good evening,” he said. “But those errors… that’s going to haunt me for a while.”
Muncy has always taken pride in his defense, especially after transitioning from first base to third. “I did the hard part—fielded the ball cleanly,” he said. “But my throws… they let me down.”
His breakdown of the misfires showed just how detailed and introspective he is. One throw lacked enough air under it, the other sailed into the runner’s lane. “That’s something I never want to do,” he said. “It’s a double mistake in my mind.”
The Weight of Expectations—and the Fun of Fulfillment
What makes Muncy’s night so relatable is the internal struggle. Even when he played the hero, he couldn’t fully shake the guilt of his mistakes. But he was still able to smile when the moment called for it—especially when Shohei Ohtani stepped up in the bottom of the ninth.
“When he stepped to the plate, it was almost like, ‘Yeah, he’s going to end this,’” Muncy said. “It’s still shocking what he does—but also expected at this point.”
That balance of wonder and expectation runs through the whole Dodgers clubhouse. They know how talented this team is. But they also know that talent only gets you so far. As Muncy put it, this team is carrying the same gritty energy from last season—a belief that no game is out of reach.
“Bad things have happened,” he said. “But no one’s been down or out on themselves. It’s always, ‘Here we go, next inning, let’s get after it.’ That’s made it really, really fun.”
Superstitions and Next Steps
So what’s next for the torpedo bat?
“It might be something I use as a practice bat,” Muncy said with a grin. “But for games? I’ll probably stick with mine.”
He may not be superstitious, but he is a baseball player. And in baseball, results speak louder than intentions.
Final Word: Redemption Earned
Max Muncy won’t forget the throws he botched tonight. But more importantly, he made sure they didn’t define the outcome. He stepped up when it mattered most, tied the game, and handed the baton to Ohtani.
The redemption swing may not erase the pain of the errors—but it sure added another layer to this team’s early-season magic.
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