Friday night was anything but dull for the Dodgers.
What a finish they had!
They started strong, leading by 3 points, but found themselves down by 2 entering the 9th inning. In a dramatic turn, they clinched a 6-5 walk-off win against the Baltimore Orioles, and it ended with a hit from one of their underperforming players.
Catcher Dalton Rushing had a tough eight innings, stepping up to bat with the game hanging in the balance. Until that moment, he was 0-for-4, with three strikeouts. He had a couple of missed opportunities, including a chance to load the bases in the third inning.
Facing Orioles closer Ryan Hersi, he fell behind early, staring down two strikes. After another slider that hit the dirt, he stepped out, visibly frustrated.
Then he glanced toward the Dodgers’ dugout.
Mookie Betts was cheering him on. His teammates were banging on the railing.
“When you’re in the moment, the earlier at-bats don’t matter,” Rushing reflected afterward. “Looking in the dugout, all they care about is the next pitch and the next one after that.”
So he took a breath and focused on his upcoming opportunity, hitting the next pitch, another slider, with determination.
Following that was a fastball that he managed to drive into right field.
“Honestly, after missing that last pitch, I just wanted to adjust,” Rushing joked. “I figured they’d give me another chance, and luckily, I connected and we won.”
What unfolded next was one of the most nerve-wracking moments of the Dodgers’ season.
Pinch runner Alex Cole dashed from second base. Outfielder Tyler O’Neal made a throw that sailed over catcher Samuel Vassallo’s reach. The ball slipped from Vassallo’s glove, allowing the go-ahead run to score and sending Chavez Valley into a frenzy.
“Great way to wrap up the night, especially considering the early struggles,” Rushing said, grinning and soaked from the celebration as he talked to the press afterward.
“Winning feels awesome. Honestly, it was great to snag that win.”
Even with Rushing’s excitement, the game had its share of frustration for the Dodgers earlier on. They found themselves trailing 5-3 by the seventh inning after having lost their initial 3-0 lead.
There was a missed opportunity to load the bases in the third, and at one point, they managed only 3 hits out of 10 opportunities with men in scoring position.
Aki Sasaki had a rocky sixth inning after what started promising (having struck out 6 of the first 19 batters). He ended up giving up three runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Then, Orioles’ No. 9 hitter Jeremiah Jackson sent a two-run homer over the fence off reliever Will Klein in the seventh, putting Baltimore ahead by two runs entering the final inning.
But the Dodgers fought back. Mookie Betts, hitting his third home run of the night, narrowed the gap to one run. With two outs, Rushing’s clutch hit brought them back to a thrilling victory (49-27), marking their fourth straight one-run win.
“Honestly, we shouldn’t have been in that position,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But we keep battling, and at the end of the day, we’re pulling off these wins. It’s a positive sign.”
Who is hot
Before Friday’s game, Rushing had been in a bit of a slump for a couple of months after a strong start to the season. He went from a .385 batting average in the first 12 games to only .209 afterward, hitting just one home run over 30 games since late April.
Despite this, he was notably hard on himself during the game, showing visible frustration in the dugout after failing to connect early on. At one point, he even seemed ready to smash his bat against his knee.
“I’m still figuring out how to manage my emotions,” he said dryly when asked about it.
Roberts emphasized that it’s part of Rushing’s growth and learning experience. Rushing admitted he almost let his frustration bubble over before the decisive pitch, but the presence of Betts gave him the support he needed.
“Seeing Mookie, he reassured me. He knows both the highs and lows, which is special,” Rushing noted.
Betts was right there with the team as they celebrated Rushing’s pivotal hit, making it a joyous moment for everyone involved.
“That was a game-changer for him,” Roberts added. “He tends to regroup quickly, which is impressive.”
Who is not?
It’s worth noting that the Dodgers didn’t need to stage a three-run comeback if they had executed better from the start.
But without key players like Shohei Ohtani (who was celebrating the birth of his second child), Teoscar Hernández (on the mend from a hamstring issue), and Will Smith (dealing with a neck issue), the replacements missed crucial opportunities to capitalize early on.
In the third inning, with the bases loaded and no outs, Ward, Rushing, and Alex Freeland faced a tall order against a low slider, wasting a prime opportunity.
Ultimately, both Ward and Rushing got to redeem themselves during the game.
“Those three at-bats will stick with me,” Roberts said. “They showed resilience and made adjustments.”
To the next
As the series continues, the Dodgers will face the Orioles again on Saturday night, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-4, 2.52 ERA) set to pitch following nearly achieving a no-hitter last week. He’ll be up against Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (3-7, 5.86 ERA).
