Home Baseball Dodgers end fantastic home stand with walk-off victory

Dodgers end fantastic home stand with walk-off victory

Baseball — 09/25/2023

LOS ANGELES — While it remains unlikely that the Dodgers will get home-field advantage throughout the postseason, Los Angeles at least knows that the path to a potential National League Championship Series runs through Dodger Stadium.

Playing at home is an advantage for most teams. For the Dodgers, taking care of business at home has been one of the biggest advantages in the sport. They came into Sunday’s game with the best home record in the National League.

It was only fitting that they closed out their home schedule in 2023 with a walk-off 3-2 win in 10 innings over the rival Giants on Sunday. With the win, the Dodgers finished the year with a 53-28 record at Dodger Stadium, tied with the Rays for the best home mark in the Majors.

  • Games remaining (7): at COL (4), at SF (3)
  • Standings update: The Dodgers (96-59), who clinched the NL West title on Sept. 16, clinched a bye in the NL Wild Card round on Saturday. They trail the Braves (100-56) by 3 1/2 games for the No. 1 seed in the National League. The Braves hold the tiebreaker, as they went 4-3 against the Dodgers in the season series.

 

Lynn escapes bases-loaded jam

Lance Lynn got the start for the Dodgers and gave them necessary length, allowing just two runs over six innings. Lynn did, however, give up his Major League-leading 43rd homer of the season.

But behind Lynn, the Dodgers’ bullpen showed why the team has confidence it can withstand some of the pitching injuries in October. Los Angeles’ bullpen has been one of the best in the second half of the season.

On Sunday, Alex Vesia, Ryan Brasier, Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips and Shelby Miller combined to toss four scoreless frames. In the ninth, Phillips got out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out Mitch Haniger on a sweeper.

Phillips strikes out Haniger

In the 10th, it was Miller’s turn to escape a jam. After Kiké Hernández lost a fly ball in center field, the Giants had the bases loaded with only one out. Miller then induced a grounder right back up the middle, which bounced off Miller’s forearm and right to Chris Taylor, who was backing up at shortstop. Taylor stepped on second base and threw to Freddie Freeman, who ended the double play with a nice scoop.

Miller escapes 10th-inning jam

Taylor then wrapped up the Dodgers’ home schedule with a walk-off RBI single in the 10th off Giants closer Camilo Doval.