PHOENIX — In a wild Friday night showdown in Phoenix, the Dodgers clawed their way back from a late-inning deficit and stormed past the Diamondbacks with a six-run ninth inning, earning a thrilling 14-11 win. Max Muncy, who delivered a key RBI single in the comeback, praised the team’s never-say-die attitude in the postgame interview.
“It says a lot,” Muncy said, reflecting on the ninth-inning surge. “It’s a tough game to get up that much, lose that lead, and then, you know, their closer comes in the game. It’s just a tough job. A lot of really good at-bats strung together. It was just really fun to watch, really fun to be a part of it.”
Muncy’s moment came with runners on and the Dodgers down, when he stepped up with a clear plan in mind. “In that situation, my only job is to try to get a ball on the ground to the right side, move the runner on to third, and not try to do too much with it,” he explained. “So for me, got a ground ball over there and got rewarded for it. It was fun.”
The emotional rollercoaster of the game didn’t rattle the Dodgers, who have emphasized stability over highs and lows throughout the season. “It was a tough game,” Muncy admitted. “That’s something we try to preach in this clubhouse—you can’t ride the emotion too much. You got to try to find a way to stay steady. I felt like we did a pretty good job of that this game.”
When the Diamondbacks brought in a reliever who seemed to stifle the offense for a few innings, Muncy tipped his cap. “He was throwing really good stuff from what I could see,” Muncy said. “Then, you know, they took a lead unfortunately. But we never gave up and battled back down there at the end.”
Asked about Shohei Ohtani stepping to the plate in the ninth, Muncy didn’t hesitate. “You guys have heard me say how many times—Sho keeps getting put in these spots that you expect the incredible, and he rarely disappoints. That was no different there.”
While it’s just one of 162 games, Muncy acknowledged that a win like this can spark momentum. “It can,” he said. “Again, like I was just saying, we try to preach steadiness in this clubhouse. Don’t let the highs get too high. Don’t let the lows get too low. This game is obviously a big win, and it can provide a lot of energy for us, but we’ve got to find a way to maintain just steadiness throughout.”
The Dodgers are hoping to carry that energy forward. “Obviously, you try to carry a little momentum over from the night before, and that’s what we’re going to do tomorrow,” Muncy added.
Summing up what’s made this team successful in similar situations all season long, Muncy said, “It’s just a bunch of guys not trying to do too much and staying within themselves and just putting together a lot of really good at-bats.”
From start to finish, Friday night was a reminder of what this Dodgers team is capable of—staying focused, playing team baseball, and fighting until the final pitch.
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