Sports

Dodgers erase 4-run deficit in 9th, beat Blue Jays in 10th

By Chriss Hughes
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LOS ANGELES ― With an ending that combined a flair for the awkward and the dramatic, the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in their final at-bat on Tuesday night, 8-7.

James Outman lofted a fly ball to the center field fence in the 10th inning, just past the glove of leaping center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. Chris Taylor, who was placed on second base to begin the inning, scored easily to set off a game-ending celebration.

While the Dodgers poured onto the field and Outman sauntered awkwardly between second and third base, then trotted home to complete his victory lap, the umpires met to confirm the outcome of Outman’s blast: the ball didn’t quite leave the park.

It didn’t matter.

The Dodgers (58-42) completed a colossal comeback from a 7-3 deficit in the ninth inning to snap a two-game losing streak.

“It’s a tough one to put into words,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “I didn’t expect it. You could tell those guys really wanted it. To our credit, we didn’t quit.”

After the Blue Jays scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 7-3 lead, the Dodgers scored four in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 7-all.

Outman and Miguel Rojas greeted right-hander Erik Swanson with back-to-back singles, putting runners on first and second. Mookie Betts followed with a single down the left field line, scoring Outman with the Dodgers’ fourth run.

After Freddie Freeman flew out, Will Smith reached base on a routine grounder that ate up Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman. The ball was scored a single and the bases were loaded.

Swanson then walked Max Muncy on six pitches to force in Rojas with the Dodgers’ fifth run before J.D. Martinez swung and missed at a two-strike splitter.

Taylor then delivered the decisive hit: a bases-loaded infield single that tipped off the glove of first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. diving to his right. Two runs scored as Smith sprinted home from second, forging a 7-7 tie, before Muncy was thrown out straying off second base.

“When he comes up, good things seem to always happen,” Roberts said of Taylor. “He’s always coming up in big spots and more times than not he comes up big.”

Smith ran through the stop sign of third base coach Dino Ebel to score the tying run.

“You’re thinking ‘score’ right when he hits it,” Smith said. “Two outs, you’re thinking ‘go home.’ Right before I hit third base I saw Dino waving me. I’m like, ‘all right, I’ve got to get there, get third base.’ My head is down. I didn’t see him (signal stop).”

In the top of the 10th inning, an outstanding throw from Betts in right field and an athletic tag at home plate by Smith preserved the tie.

Kiermaier was automatically placed on second base to begin the inning. With Brusdar Graterol pitching, Bo Bichette roped a line-drive single to right field. Betts threw home as Kiemaier rounded third base.

The throw was off-line – Smith had to veer into foul territory to catch it – but the catcher wheeled home in time to apply the tag as Kiermaier slid into the plate.

The Dodgers’ bullpen allowed four runs in relief of starter Julio Urías. Only Smith’s tag prevented a fifth. Most of the announced crowd of 47,069 at Dodger Stadium stayed until the ninth inning, then left immediately after Danny Jansen’s double against Justin Bruihl drove in three runs to give Toronto a 7-3 lead.

One day following an 11-inning loss, Urías tried to bail out his pitching staff by throwing a career-high 104 pitches over six innings. The left-hander allowed three runs, all earned, walked two batters and struck out five.

“We needed six innings from him tonight,” Roberts said of Urías.

Urías didn’t labor until the third inning, when he clipped Kiermaier with a 93 mph fastball then allowed a two-run home run to Bichette.

The Blue Jays turned the lineup over three times before Urías struck out Whit Merrifield to end the sixth inning to preserve a 3-2 lead, stranding runners on second and third. It was the first time Urías has been allowed to face a batter four times in a game since 2021. His called third strike changeup to Merrifield temporarily preserved a one-run deficit.

Freeman and Martinez hit home runs for the Dodgers. Freeman’s 21st home run of the season, in the first inning against Chris Bassitt, was also his longest of 2023 – 442 feet, landing halfway up the right field bleachers. Martinez’s home run pulled the Dodgers within 4-3 going into the final inning.

Jonny DeLuca strained his right hamstring running out a ground ball in the eighth inning and will probably go on the injured list Wednesday, when the Dodgers need to make a roster move to accommodate the addition of Kiké Hernandez.

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Chriss Hughes
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