Dodgers Highlights: Max Muncy Makes Up for Error with Walk Off vs Kimbrel

The Dodgers are unstoppable right now! LA has rattled off 6 straight wins and are winners of 9 or 10 games. They complete the sweep of the Phillies with an unlikely come from behind win over Philadelphia and they punctuated it with a walk off grand slam off the bat of Max Muncy. By the way, he hit it off old friend Craig Kimbrel.

The game started in a much uglier manner for Max, a booted double play ball in the first inning led to Gavin Stone, a rookie starting pitching making his MLB debut throw more pitches than he needed to. In Muncy’s mind, that threw the kid off his rhythm and he felt he needed to make up for it. For Stone and for his teammates.

After the game, Muncy talked to SNLA reporter Kirsten Watson about everything going through his mind in that final at-bats.

“I was really just trying to get a job done. I made a goof to start the game off, I feel like it kinda got Stone off his rhythm a little bit. So, I like to atone for my mistakes and I felt that that was a good chance to do it.”

Via SNLA

The entire 9th inning is a window into where this team is at as a relatively new roster comes together. Max was the hero of record but it wouldn’t have got to him if it wasn’t for several key at-bats leading up to his moment. Chris Taylor, who has two hits in each of his last three games, started the inning off with a single up the middle. He immediately stole second base. Mookie Betts struck out and Freddie Freeman was walked intentionally. Will Smith came up and took a 5 pitch walk before Muncy lowered the boom.

The third baseman talked about where the team is at as it settles into month two of the season.

“We’re still finding our identity and knowing who we are as an offense, as a pitching staff. That’s just something that you get with time. You can’t build that in spring training, you can’t get that in the first week, it just takes time to get all the guys in the clubhouse — you go on a couple road trips, you hang out with the guys, you start learning who everyone is. Once you do that you start finding your identity as a team and I think we really did that on this homestand.”

The Dodgers head into the off day on Thursday at 19-13 and in sole possession of first place in the National League West. They head to San Diego on Friday to start a highly anticipated series against the third place Padres.