Dodger Stadium has hardly been a place of success for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, as they entered Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets just 5-9 at home.
Their home record was the worst worst 14-game start at Dodger Stadium since 2006, when that club also opened 5-9. Los Angeles took an early lead on Jacob deGrom and the Mets on Tuesday, sparked by back-to-back doubles from Chase Utley and Corey Seager in the first inning.
However, the Dodgers struggled to drive runners in after getting them on base, and found themselves locked in a 2-2 tie headed to the bottom of the ninth.
Hansel Robles retired Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford before facing pinch-hitter Trayce Thompson. Robles had Thompson down to his final strike, but gave up a walk-off home run to the Dodgers’ versatile outfielder:
The walk-off home run was the first of Thompson’s young career, and first for the Dodgers since Andre Ethier hit a walk-off homer in August of last year against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Scott Van Slyke was the last player to hit a pinch-hit walk-off home run, doing so in September 2013. Thompson has spent the majority of the season platooning with Joc Pederson in center field, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has refused to call the setup a platoon.
The home run was Thompson’s fourth this season, and second in consecutive games; he’s batting .277/.309/.538 with 12 RBIs.
