If you missed Friday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers, you not only missed an exciting game, you also missed a history-making game.
The box score reads an 8-5 Dodgers win in 10 innings, but a closer look reveals that the Dodgers tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning on a dramatic solo home run to center field by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, and then an umpire-reviewed solo home run to left-center field by Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
That lead was short-lived, as Detroit tied the game with two outs in the top of the ninth and had the go-ahead run called out at the plate on an umpire review. The Dodgers failed to score in the bottom of the ninth.
And then came the top of the 10th inning.
With placed-runner Riley Greene on second base, and after an intentional walk of Tigers infielder and former Dodger Zach McKinstry, Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler roped a two-out triple into the left field corner to make it 5-3 Detroit. Fortunately, Dodgers right-hander Luis García got out of the inning without further damage.
And then came the bottom of the 10th inning.
With things a bit uncomfortable (for the second night in a row) for the 52,029 on hand at Dodger Stadium and the millions more following on television and radio, and with Tommy Edman the placed runner on second base, Dodgers left fielder Michael Conforto led off the inning with a ground-rule double down the left field line to score Edman and make it a 5-4 ballgame. Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages then grounded out to short for the first out of the inning, with Conforto unable to advance … but not for long. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had Will Smith pinch-hit for catcher Austin Barnes, and Smith singled off the glove of Tigers third baseman Javier Báez to score Conforto and tie the game at 5-5.
With one out and Smith on first, Dodgers international superstar Shohei Ohtani singled to right, advancing Smith to third base. Ohtani then took second on defensive indifference.
Didn’t matter.
On the eighth pitch of his 10th-inning at-bat, Betts hit his second home run of the game, a 376-foot shot to left that just cleared the wall, to give the Dodgers the dramatic 8-5 walk-off win.
“That was cool, I’m just really proud of myself for just battling, man, you know, just really battling and came back out here and help these boys that have helped me so much. I’m just happy to contribute,” Betts told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson postgame.
(SportsNet LA)
“That was really fun. I just love being a Dodger,” Betts told AM 570’s David Vassegh postgame.
We love it too, Mookie.
The Dodgers are now 4-0 on the young season, and in case you are wondering, the Dodgers began their historic 1981 season going 6-0.
Play Ball!
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