After posting a somewhat disappointing 3-4 record on their road trip, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned to Dodger Stadium on Tuesday for the start of a two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The National League West rivals last squared off just over a week ago at Chase Field, when the Diamondbacks took two out of three against the Dodgers.
Looking to redeem themselves, Los Angeles initially struggled early and trailed 3-0 after an inning and a half of play. But as they’ve displayed all season long, it is never wise to count the Dodgers out, particularly when playing at home.
They slowly chipped away at the deficit and completed a stunning comeback in the ninth inning without recording a hit. Down to their final out, the Dodgers strung together five consecutive walks en route to a 5-4 win — their fourth consecutive in walk-off fashion at Dodger Stadium.
Ross Stripling, who lasted 4.2 innings in his start against the Diamondbacks, complimented the Dodgers lineup and opined that the win had a 2017 feel to it, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“It’s more of the same from our lineup. I mean, they’re just relentless in every way. They can slug, they can put together great at-bats, they can walk at any time; that’s what they do night in and night out. Obviously, it gets more and more impressive and feels more and more like 2017, where we’re just expecting to win a baseball game some way or another.”
As Stripling notes, the 2017 Dodgers had a knack for completing late-game comebacks. That year, the club accumulated a Major League-best 10 walk-off victories. For comparison, the 2019 team already has seven to their name.
Stripling isn’t the only player that has noticed the trend. Kiké Hernandez previously compared the 2019 team to the 2017 squad that led the franchise to their first World Series appearance since 1988.
Likewise, Cody Bellinger was reminded of the magical 2017 team after the Dodgers enjoyed a walk-off win against the New York Mets earlier this season.
Tuesday’s win improved Los Angeles to an incredible 35-9 at Dodger Stadium this season. At this current pace, the Dodgers are well on track to post the best home winning percentage in MLB history.
