The Los Angeles Dodgers took two out of three from the San Diego Padres at Petco Park over the weekend, with rookies Michael Busch and James Outman supplying late-game heroics for an extra-innings win in the series finale.
After Mookie Betts tied the game with a solo home run off Padres closer Josh Hader with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Busch gave the Dodgers a lead in the 10th.
The two-out single scored Freddie Freeman from third base, gave Busch a second career RBI and what ultimately held as his first game-winning hit at the Major League level.
Following the Dodgers’ 5-2 win, Busch shared his excitement over contributing in such a key spot, via Juan Toribio of MLB.com:
“There’s nothing like it,” Busch said. “It’s very sweet to help this team get a win, especially in a place like this. It’s a tough place to win and getting two out of three here, I think that’s pretty big for the team.”
In the very next at-bat, Outman added a clutch hit of his own. He lofted a fly ball to right field that had enough carry to reach the porch area for a two-run homer. Outman wasn’t certain if he’d gotten enough of the ball but was glad to also deliver for the Dodgers, per Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“That was convenient right there,” Outman said. “I didn’t really think I got it. But yeah, that was cool.”
For Busch, the RBI single was only his fourth hit since getting recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He joined the team when Max Muncy went on paternity leave and has remained part of the Dodgers roster due to J.D. Martinez being on the 10-day injured list because of lower back discomfort.
The heroics of Outman and Busch helped the Dodgers win the eighth game out of their last 10, and that was despite going 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position during the Padres series.
The Dodgers’ two wins came after the Padres trolled Clayton Kershaw on their video board at Petco Park.
James Outman continues Dodgers Rookie of the Year bid
Outman’s home run was his eighth of the year, and despite going through a small slump, he is still batting .274/.370/.951 on the season and leads rookies in several categories.
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