Max Muncy’s extra-innings heroics may have put the Los Angeles Dodgers' struggles in August behind them for good.
The month of August hasn't been too kind to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they've now won three of their last four games, including two straight against the Kansas City Royals.
Shockingly, this is the Dodgers' first series win since July 28-30. They've needed 10 innings to win a pair of their last three, but at the end of the day, a win is a win.
Ahead of a crucial four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Dodgers' top competition in the National League, Max Muncy delivered a walk-off shot that helped this team continue to rebuild momentum.
A seven-game losing streak could break some teams, but not this one. The back-to-back World Series champions have their eyes on a historic three-peat, and a player like Muncy is undoubtedly going to help get them there.
Breaking down Muncy's walk-off
The Dodgers have now beaten the Royals by one run on back-to-back nights, but again, this team is proving they can win at all costs.
Despite trailing 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Mookie Betts singled home Kyle Tucker as the 33-year-old went 3-for-4 in a night that saw him record a pair of RBIs and runs. For what it's worth, Betts crushed his 14th home run of the year in the second inning.
As for Muncy, the Royals actually set him up for success by intentionally walking Kyle Tucker. Kansas City thought they could get Muncy to ground into a double play and end the inning, but Muncy had other plans.
Thanks to Seth Halvorsen's scoreless top half of the 10th inning, Muncy singled to win a five-pitch battle, one that would score Shohei Ohtani from second to send the fans at Dodger Stadium home happy.
Muncy discusses this team's never-say-die attitude
No moment is too big for the Dodgers. Every team is going to have cold stretches, it's just a matter of how a team rebounds from them. Clearly, manager Dave Roberts lit a fire under this squad, and he stuck to his guns without making everyone change everything.
"I think the results speak for themselves," Muncy said, according to MLB.com's Sonja Chen. "I think one of the big things for us was trying to get everyone back focused on what's happening today and not carrying each day over to the next one.
"There were a lot of us doing that, myself included, and it's just hard to play when you're letting the days kind of compound on you like that. You just have to keep moving forward."
As things stand, the Dodgers are tied with the Atlanta Braves at 72-48, with each team two games behind the Brewers. To no surprise, though, the Dodgers once again have a commanding 8.5-game lead in the NL West.
