Dodgers Interview: Muncy stays locked in, during delay, flips the script on reliever
Max Muncy didn’t let a long mid-at-bat delay rattle him Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium—in fact, he may have used it to catch his breath and refocus. After a brief stoppage in the sixth inning when Nationals reliever Jose Ferrer requested the mound be worked on, Muncy stepped back in and launched a no-doubt grand slam to blow the game open. He wasn’t done, either—he added a three-run homer in the seventh, finishing 2-for-4 with seven RBIs in the Dodgers’ 13–7 win over Washington.
“It was a good swing,” Muncy said of the grand slam after the game in the locker room. “I saw the guy last night, so I had a good idea of what he was throwing in there and how to approach it. Bases loaded, no outs—I was just trying to keep the ball off the ground, get something in the air, get at least one run in. I was trying to do a job, but I got a good swing off and got the ball in a good spot.”
The at-bat turned unusual when Ferrer—appearing in just his second game of the series—signaled for the grounds crew after his third pitch to Muncy, complaining about the condition of the mound. As workers tried to stabilize the dirt, a long pause unfolded, leaving the slugger to wait out the delay.
“I had faced him last night, so I kind of had an idea of what his stuff was,” Muncy said. “If I hadn’t faced him before, that might’ve been a little tougher, ’cause then you’re sitting there thinking about what the pitches are like, what he might throw, what he might not throw. For me, it was just kind of like, catch your breath. When he’s ready, he’s ready—let’s get a swing off.”
And swing he did, crushing a fastball into the right-field pavilion for his first grand slam of the season and 16th home run overall.
When asked whether he’d ever seen or experienced that kind of disruption during such a critical moment of a game, Muncy said it wasn’t unfamiliar—especially during day games in dry summer weather.
“I’ve seen it happen a lot. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually been a part of it, but I’ve definitely seen it,” he said. “Day games are always tough anywhere you play—the field dries out, it gets really hard. And for the pitcher’s mound, if the starter’s creating a big hole, it makes it tough. Especially for a lefty coming in, stepping in certain spots, it’s always different.”
Muncy’s second blast came in the very next inning—a three-run shot that pushed the Dodgers’ lead to double digits. His recent surge at the plate is helping fuel the Dodgers’ offense and, according to Muncy, it all starts with confidence and simplicity.
“Yeah, absolutely, it’s definitely a snowball effect,” he said. “Confidence is high right now. I feel really good in the box. I feel really good with my mechanics. I’m seeing the ball well. Every single day, it’s just trying to take it one pitch at a time, not trying to do too much. Just have good at-bats, understand what the situation calls for, and stick to that.”
With Sunday’s win, the Dodgers took the weekend series from the Nationals and will carry Muncy’s hot bat—and some serious momentum—into the next homestand.
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