On Wednesday, July 26, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the Minnesota Twins with an opportunity to complete a three-game sweep and fifth straight overall win.
Things did not start out as planned, though, as the Twins jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, touching up Dodgers starter Brock Stewart for five hits and five runs in his 3.2 innings of work.
But with the Dodgers being in the midst of one of the best stretches in Major League history, they boasted confidence of essentially being able to overcome any deficit. So, they began chipping away.
Los Angeles scored in the fourth and fifth innings on solo home runs by Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig, trimming their deficit to 5-2. Then in the seventh inning, Chase Utley hit a two-run double to pull the Dodgers to within a run of the Twins.
Four different relievers combined to throw 5.1 shutout innings, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out six, which kept the Dodgers in the game.
Trailing 5-4, Justin Turner led off the eighth inning with a single, putting the tying run on base. Kiké Hernandez later singled to right field, leaving runners at the corners with one out. Turner then scored on a Logan Forsythe’s sacrifice fly to tie the game.
After closer Kenley Jansen tossed a shutout inning in the ninth, the Dodgers came up with a chance at an eighth walk-off win this season.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Austin Barnes’ single put the winning run on base. With runners on second and third and two outs, Turner worked the count full. Twins closer Brandon Kintzler faced the danger of walking Turner to load the bases for Cody Bellinger.
So Kintzler fired a fastball down the middle, and Turner did what he does best, hitting a line-drive single to left field, scoring Barnes, and giving the Dodgers a 6-5 walk-off victory.
To read about the Dodgers’ No. 10 highlight and honorable mentions from the 2017 season, click here.
