The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied late for a second consecutive night to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 5-1, and extend their winning streak to six games thanks to Cody Bellinger providing heroics in the eighth inning.
Bellinger provided the game-winning hit with a grand slam in the eighth inning. “Feels great, you know? Not going to lie, it feels really good,” Bellinger said after the game. “Feels good to put the right swing on the ball and see the results.”
Bellinger’s blast came on an 0-2 count and against a left-hander in Sam Long. “I think it’d be satisfying no matter what,” Bellinger said when asked if he found extra satisfaction winning the lefty-lefty matchup.
“In-division though, that’s more satisfying. Well, you know, I’m sure I’d be satisfied regardless, but in-division, big game, so that feels pretty good.”
Bellinger’s grand slam sent the Dodger Stadium crowd into a frenzy and prompted a curtain call. “Didn’t hear it before,” Bellinger answered when asked if he heard the fans chanting his name before his at-bat.
“And then when I hit it, got back to the dugout, they all said, ‘Curtain call, curtain call,’ and I didn’t believe it. J.T. pushed me up there on the top step. Felt pretty cool.”
The Dodgers allowed Bellinger to soak in the moment by making sure he was the first player to run out to the field in the top of the ninth. “I didn’t know what was going on,” Bellinger said.
“I looked back and I think it was only Freddie out there at first, but that was a cool moment, most definitely.”
Roberts trusts Bellinger in big spots
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t surprised Bellinger came through in the clutch and hopes he can continue building confidence. “Well, this is a guy that’s an MVP, a former MVP. So it’s like he knows the moments and he’s come out on top of moments,” Roberts explained.
“And you just got to keep running guys like that out there and believe that it’s going to turn. So this is something that might continue to build confidence. So I have obviously shown my belief in him. And so it was just really good to see him come through.”
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