Max Muncy was the hero for the second time over the Dodgers’ last five games, smashing a two-run home run against Zack Wheeler to make the difference in a 2-1 win on Tuesday.
Muncy continues to climb the franchise home run list, as his blast on Tuesday was the 228th home run hit as a Dodger. His home run against Wheeler now has him tied with former Dodgers All-Star third baseman Ron Cey for the second-most home runs in Los Angeles Dodgers history, only trailing Eric Karros.
Advertisement
Muncy later acknowledged tying Cey on the record list, noting that any time a player climbs up any leaderboard, they’re doing the right thing, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“I always say, any time you’re on any type of leaderboard when it comes to this organization, you’ve done something right,” Muncy said. “So for me, that means a lot.”
After a rough outing for Emmet Sheehan and company on Monday where they combined to allow 10 runs, Justin Wrobleski returned to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday and out dueled Wheeler by allowing just one run over 6 1/3 innings while striking out seven.
Wrobleski started his second half the same way he finished his All-Star level first half, and the southpaw spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA postgame about battling a tenacious Phillies lineup and battling the unforgiving Philadelphia weather.
“I think anytime you get to pitch at these ballparks, it’s fun, it’s a good time. I think for me today, going up against Wheeler was pretty cool. I think he’s a really good pitcher. It’s super fun to have those matchups, and it was raining too, so I was trying to battle the elements.”
As for the right-hander Wheeler, he now has a record of 10-2 on the year. Both losses have come against the Dodgers.
Advertisement
Tuesday produced one of the wildest endings for any Dodger game this season, as a 5-2-6-4 double play thwarted a ninth-inning rally from the Phillies and helped even the three-game set.
Both Tanner Scott, who earned a five-out save, and Muncy recounted the craziness of Tuesday’s final play, with Scott noting it was the first time he yelled on the field, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“I think that’s like the first time I’ve yelled on the field,” Scott said. “I was like, ‘Mookie, two!’ Crazy play.”
“All the work you put in pregame and from the start of the season, you hope that kicks in, just instincts,” Muncy said. “That’s where the experience really matters in those types of situations. With us, we always have a ton of experience out there.”
