Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Nothing like a good walk-off win. And on Tuesday night, the Dodgers were more than happy to supply one. Trailing 2-1 going into the eighth inning, the team managed to scratch across a couple runs in the final two innings to come from behind and beat the Tigers 3-2, thanks to some timely hitting from David Peralta, Mookie Betts, and Max Muncy.
For the early part of the game, the Dodgers were on the wrong end of a solo home run hitting contest. Spencer Torkelson touched up opener Caleb Ferguson for one in the top of the first, and then Parker Meadow got ahold of a Ryan Pepiot four-seamer in the third, giving los Tigres a 2-0 lead. However, that was all that Pepiot and the Dodger pitching staff was willing to give up for the rest of the game.
Pepiot, who came in in the second innning as the “bulk” guy, did a great job at navigating through the Detroit batting order. Other than the home run, the Tigers got four more hits off Pepiot. They almost scored in the seventh when a squeeze play went awry, but that inning too ended with a zero on the visitors’ side of the scoreboard. In all, it was another solid addition to Pepiot’s resume. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some version of this is featured in one of the Dodgers’ NLDS games in October.
“I still believe that the opener is still a strategy in the sense of how you can create a different look for that next pitcher coming in,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “I think that with our varied arms, just kind of putting our thoughts together and how best to prevent runs in a game and how best to use our arms.”
A nice moment came in the top of the eighth, when Brusdar Graterol came in in relief of Pepiot. In the stands was Graterol’s mother Ysmalia, who was watching her son in person for the first time ever, having said goodbye to Brusdar seven years earlier in their native Venezuela. It was clearly an emotional moment for Graterol, as the big guy was in tears as he left the mound after a scoreless inning.
“A lot of emotion, so much emotion that I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how to control it,” Graterol said in Spanish. “I only cry out of happiness. My mom and I, we grew up together [in Calabozo, Venezuela]. She was a mother and father at the same time. I’ve dedicated each second, each minute, to her so she feels proud of me.”
Meanwhile, the Dodgers had a ballgame to win. A J.D. Martinez homer in the fourth had cut the gap to 2-1, so the Dodgers headed into the bottom of the eight needing just one to tie. They got it playing a little small ball. Martinez singled with two outs (his fourth time on base in the game), and was pulled for pinch runner Chris Taylor. Taylor promptly swiped second and David Peralta had himself a runner in scoring position. The Freight Train hit kind of weird loopy opposite field ball that landed in no man’s line close to the left field line. It bounced past left fielder Matt Vierling and found the seats for a ground rule double, allowing Taylor to score without a throw. We had ourselves a tie ballgame.
After Alex Vesia pitched a scoreless ninth, the Dodgers were in a position to walk it off in the bottom of the inning. And that is just what they did. Mookie Betts started the rally with a one-out single, his third hit of the game. Then, after Freddie Freeman lined out to center, Will Smith got hit by a pitch, moving Betts into scoring position. That set the stage for Max Muncy.
The Dodgers slugger took a ball wide of the zone, and then Tigers closer Alex Lange hung him a curve ball in the center of the plate. WHACK! Muncy ripped the ball into right field for a solid single. With two outs, Betts was moving on contact but had to run the bases perfectly to beat the throw to the plate, which he just barely did, sliding over the plate just before catcher Jake Rogers could apply the tag. A thrilling end to a great game.
With the series victory secure, the Dodgers go for six wins in a row on Wednesday night, when they play the finale with the Tigers. Bobby Miller looks to keep rolling on the mound. He’ll lock horns with righty Reese Olson, so it looks like the Dodger lefthanded bats will be seeing the start in this one. Then, the Giants come in for the final home series of the regular season. Check it out. Go Dodgers!
