Kenta Maeda was chased in the third inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers twice blew a lead, but they nonetheless came away victorious against the San Diego Padres thanks to Max Muncy delivering a walk-off double to score Alex Verdugo and Corey Seager.
Muncy had previously given the Dodgers a lead behind his solo home run in the second inning, went 4-for-5 and finished a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Players spilled out of the dugout as Verdugo and Seager scored, and a mob formed around Muncy around third base.
The rookie outfielder fulfilled his responsibility by informing Seager of his need to slide into home plate, though the play ultimately was not close. “I was running and I’ve got the whole play in my eyes, just looking to the left and I’m kind of jogging,” Verdugo began to explain.
“I see Seager busting his butt, so I’m like, ‘Alright, just hit the plate and make sure you let him know to get down.’ It wasn’t really that close, so it was good.”
During the on-field interview that aired on SportsNet LA, Muncy told David Vassegh he was eagerly awaiting the Gatorade bath celebration that typically accompanies a walk-off win; particularly considering the warm temperature at Dodger Stadium.
Unfortunately for the 28-year-old, he was never doused in Gatorade nor ice water. “Honestly, I totally forgot,” Verdugo said when informed of Muncy’s anticipation. “I thought Joc had it, I thought somebody would’ve stepped up. But now I know. I’m there. I’ll be the guy.”
While there would appear to be a statute of limitations on such a celebration, Verdugo lightheartedly left open the possibility of an extension. “I mean, there might be a makeup,” he said.
“Maybe tomorrow, right before BP or something.”
The walk-off win was the Dodgers’ ninth this season, which leads the Majors. Two have come via Verdugo — the first on a sacrifice fly, then a home run. “We’re never out of it,” he said.
“For everybody watching, don’t leave early. We can go do something special at any given moment. Even if we’re down by three, four, and it’s going into the ninth inning, our guys are able to put up a crooked number pretty quick.
“It’s a lot of fun, man. You’re never out of it. Doesn’t matter how the game how the game goes for the first eight innings. That last inning, getting those last three outs, we’ve proved it to be a challenge.”
