Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Now, THAT’S how you finish off a fan appreciation day! After ten innings of a well-played ballgame, the Dodgers rewarded the Chavez Ravine faithful with a thrilling walk-off win. Chris Taylor, who had just been the front half of an amazing double play in the top half of the tenth inning, ripped an RBI single into right to end the game in the bottom of the frame, sending the team off the field one last time to the sounds of Randy Newman.
Rollin’ down Imperial Highway, big nasty redhead at my side….
Santa Ana winds blowin’ hot from the north; we was born to ride…
You know the rest. For the 53rd time this year, DJ Severe has been able to play that song, this time after a 3-2 win over the hated Giants. So yeah, it was a good day.
The game started with Lance Lynn taking the mound for the Dodgers, and the guy looked pretty darn good to be honest. Sure, there was the obligatory home run–a two-run jack in the fifth from LaMonte Wade Jr.– but other than that, Lance Lynn did Lance Lynn things. He got some swing and miss (six strikeouts), walked a few batters (three in this one), and even made a nice fielding play when he dashed off the mound to field Thairo Estrada‘s ill-advised bases-loaded bunt. That play ended the inning, and Lynn walked off the field with game tied 2-2.
“I thought tonight, like Lance’s last outing, there’s a lot more swings and miss,” manager Dave Roberts said. “There were a couple walks in there that we would love to have back, but as far as the stuff, it’s really good. I expect the same thing when he goes on Friday.”
The game was tied because earlier in the afternoon, James Outman connected on a two-run bomb of his own, a second inning smash that scored J.D. Martinez ahead of him. But that was all that the Dodgers could muster against bulk guy Tristan Beck and the rest of the Giants pitchers. But, the Giants could fare no better against Lynn and his quartet of relievers– Vesia, Brasier, Graterol, and Phillips.
Evan Phillips did get into some trouble in the top of the ninth when he had a HBP and a single put runners on first and second with nobody out. After a sac bunt moved the runners to second and third, Phillips gave Wade an intentional walk to load up the bases (no Late Night LaMonte in this one). Then, he got a shallow fly ball and a strikeout of Mitch Haniger to get out of the jam.
The Dodgers were unable to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, so it was time for bonus baseball. Shelby Miller came in and got a key strikeout of J.D. Davis to open the tenth inning. With the gifted runner still stuck at second, Miller then gave an intentional pass to Joc Pederson (no Joctober in this one).
The next play would have been hard to live down if the Dodgers hadn’t won: Thairo Estrada hit what looked to be a routine fly ball to center that had “second out” written all over it. Only Kiké Hernandez lost it in the night sky. It plopped to the ground between him and Jason Heyward for a single. The bases were juiced and there was only one out.
That set up a play that was as weird as the previous one was unfortunate. Pinch hitter Patrick Bailey hit a ground ball up the middle that bounced off Miller’s arm and went high into the air. Shortstop Chris Taylor finally snatched it out of the air, stepped on second, and rifled the ball to first, where Freddie Freeman made one of the best scoops you’ll see anywhere. Double Play. Bailey was out by a half-step, and the inning was over.
With the score still tied 2-2, the Dodgers had the relatively simple task of scoring a runner from second with three shots to do it. They only needed two. Kolten Wong moved pinch runner Amed Rosario to third with an infield grounder (put the ball in play, kids!) and Chris Taylor stepped into the box with a lot of ways to win the ballgame.
Taylor chose the most straightforward one. After swinging at reliever Camilo Doval’s first pitch out of the zone, Taylor got a much easier pitch to handle in the second offering from the Giants’ closer: it was a 100-mph cutter, but it was up in the zone. Taylor just went with the pitch and let Doval’s velo do the work for him. He hit a solid single into the gap in right center and that was that. A Dodger walk-off win.
“I think for us, we’re trying to continue to play good baseball and win games. Keep going,” Taylor said. “Trying to head into the playoffs on a positive note.”
With the home schedule now finished, the Dodgers hit the road for their final trip of the year before postseason baseball begins. First, it’s four with the last-place Rockies and then a three-game set at Oracle Park to end the regular season. In those seven games, they need just four victories to hit 100 wins, something that few experts thought was possible in April. It’s a travel day on Monday, and then a double header with the Rox on Tuesday to get the party started. Let’s do this. Everybody sing…
I love LA!
