Muncy delivers for the Dodgers in their come-from-behind win 5-4 over the Cardinals
Los Angeles Dodgers #13 Max Muncy’s two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning helped beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.
LOS ANGELES, CA - The Los Angeles Dodgers closed out their four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals by coming from behind to beat them 5-4, to take the series 3-1 at Dodgers Stadium, thanks to a two-run home in the bottom of the eighth inning by Max Muncy.
"It was fun," Muncy said. "Second night in a row we haven't had any quit in the team and, you know, that's probably the reason why you fight every night."
Gavin Stone (0-0, RHP) took the mound for the Dodgers to start the game and gave up seven hits, three runs, and six strikeouts after pitching 5.0 innings. Shohei Ohtani had four at-bats with one hit and one run against the Cardinals.
Steven Matz, the starting pitcher for the Cardinals, pitched 5.1 innings and gave up five hits, two runs, and three strikeouts.
The Cardinal led 1-0 in the top of the third inning when Paul Goldschmidt hit a single to left field, and Victor Scott II scored.
St. Louis led 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning after Brendan Donovan single to right field, and Scott II scored again.
The Cardinals would score two more runs in the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded, led 4-0 when Stone hit Donovan with a pitch, Wilson Contreras scored, and the Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes was called for interference when Goldschmidt's bat hit his glove allowing him to go to first base, and Jordan Walker scored.
The Dodgers would trail in the bottom of the sixth inning 4-1 when Shohei Ohtani doubled to reach second base, and Teoscar Hernandez hit a double to left field, allowing him to score.
James Outman would hit a ground ball to Steven Matz, pitching for the Cardinals for the out, and Hernandez scored to have the Dodgers down 4-2 to end the inning.
Nabil Crismatt would come into the game in the top of the seventh inning to hold St. Louis scoreless after striking out Contreras and Alec Burleson and getting Jordan Walker hitting into a fielder's choice and Nolan Arenado out at second.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol brought Andre Pallante (RHP) in the game to replace Matz. Hernandez would deliver for the Dodgers again in the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run over the left-center field wall that had the fans standing on their feet cheering, now trailing 4-3.
Pallante would walk Chris Taylor to get on base, and the next batter for the Dodgers was Max Muncy, one of the best clutch hitters in MLB. John King (LHP) came into the game for the Cardinals to replace Pallante to take on the left-handed Muncy.
Muncy did not disappoint, hitting a monster two-run home run over the right-center field wall to give them a 5-4 lead that had Dodgers Stadium rocking.
"I feel relaxed, and that to me that's the most important thing," Muncy said. "When I'm relaxed, I'm not pressing. I'm able to just see the ball and try to get a good swing on it. It is baseball, it's hard. There's not always going to be good results, especially in certain situations. But as long as I'm relaxed at the plate and I'm not pressing, not trying to do too much, I feel pretty good about myself."
Daniel Hudson (1-S, RHP) would come into the game in the top of the ninth inning to get the final three outs to pick up his first save of the season over the Cardinals, and Crismatt would get the win (1-0) and improve their record to (4-2).