The ring was flashy.
The victory was something however.
Earlier than first pitch Monday night time, former Dodgers first base coach and first-year Miami Marlins supervisor Clayton McCullough obtained a heat welcome again to Dodger Stadium. He was greeted by a parade of hugs from his previous gamers throughout batting apply (together with a leaping embrace into his arms from Mookie Betts). He was honored with a pregame ceremony on the sphere to obtain his glitzy 2024 World Collection ring. He obtained the very best of compliments from Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts throughout his pregame media tackle.
“Clayton is a very, very special person, a very special coach,” Roberts mentioned, describing McCullough as “a game changer” for final yr’s championship crew.
That, nonetheless, was as a lot hospitality as McCullough would get in his return to the Southland.
Within the Dodgers’ 7-6 win over the Marlins, McCullough’s previous membership outlasted his new one in a recreation that by no means ought to have been that shut, the Dodgers blowing an early five-run lead solely to stroll it off on Tommy Edman’s successful two-run single within the backside of the tenth.
Monday ought to have been a way more easy win for the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani scored within the first inning on a leadoff single, a steal of second base and an RBI single from Freddie Freeman. Betts doubled the lead within the third with a bases-loaded hit. Former Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas tacked on once more within the fourth, roping a double down the left-field line for his first RBI and extra-base hit of the season.
Then, in what felt like a game-sealing sequence, Teoscar Hernández adopted Freeman’s leadoff stroll within the fifth with a sky-high two-run blast to left — making it 5-0 along with his team-leading ninth lengthy ball of the season and fourth within the final 5 video games.
As a substitute, a half-inning later, the Marlins made it a model new ball recreation.
After 5 scoreless innings, Dodgers right-hander Dustin Could was chased with one out within the sixth, giving up a run on two singles and a stroll to get the hook after 83 pitches. With two left-handed hitters looming, Roberts summoned southpaw Anthony Banda from the bullpen. A wise plan in concept, however with a disastrous consequence two batters later.
Missing any constant command, Banda walked his first batter on 5 pitches earlier than falling behind once more to pinch-hitting righty Dane Myers. Going through a three-and-one depend, Banda tried to climb the ladder with a 96 mph fastball. Myers, nonetheless, was throughout it, clobbering a no-doubt grand slam to left that surprised Chavez Ravine into silence. Identical to that, the rating was 5-5.
The Dodgers squandered probabilities to reply. They put their first two batters aboard within the sixth, had a runner at second with one out within the seventh and acquired a single to steer off the eighth. They couldn’t money in on any of these alternatives, although.
Dodgers pitcher Dustin Could delivers in the course of the first inning Monday towards the Marlins.
(Katelyn Mulcahy / For The Instances)
The Marlins then took the lead on Jesús Sánchez’s two-out double within the high of the tenth.
Ultimately, nonetheless, the Dodgers survived.
Andy Pages led the underside of the tenth with a stroll. Kiké Hernández superior Pages and automated runner Michael Conforto to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Then, after coming off the bench earlier within the recreation, Edman walked it off with a line drive single to proper.
