Dodgers enjoying more late-inning comebacks this season

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers trailed after seven innings on Sunday, but thanks to a two-run home run by Adrian Gonzalez in the eighth inning the club beat the Brewers 4-3 to finish their homestand on a high note.

It was the fifth win for the Dodgers when trailing entering the eighth inning in 2015, in 30 tries.

"To come back twice against those guys and win two out of three, it speaks volumes of the type of club we have," said Justin Turner, who was 3-for-4 with a double on Sunday. "Last year we weren't very good at coming from behind, but we seem to have done it a lot this year."

In 2014, the Dodgers were 1-53 when trailing entering the inning.

The other comeback this weekend against Milwaukee came on Friday night, when the Dodgers trailed 2-0 after six innings but scored three in the seventh for a win.

They are 9-26 (.257) when trailing entering the seventh inning his season. Among National League teams, only the Padres (12-40, .231) have more wins and only the Cardinals (7-20, .259) have a better winning percentage in that situation this season.

The Dodgers were 2-54 (.036) when trailing entering the seventh in 2014.

"We're a different team. You can't really compare," Gonzalez said. "Every year is a new team."

Not everyone agreed with that sentiment.

"You'd like to think there's something to it, from the standpoint of your guys not quitting playing, and you kind of keep hanging in there, with the pitchers doing the same," said manager Don Mattingly. "Last year we didn't hardly come back at all, ever. It didn't seem very competitive if we got behind."

"You hope it says something to the character of your club, that your club is not going to just roll over, that you'd keep having good at-bats and give yourselves a chance to win. That's what you hope."

In late and close situations, defined as seventh inning or later either leading by a run, tied, or with the tying run on base, at bat or on deck, the Dodgers this season are hitting .245/.325/.411, third in the majors in both OPS and OPS+ (118) in that situation.

In 2014, the Dodgers in late and close situations hit .238/.310/.382, still above average but ninth in OPS and OPS+ (106), not as good as this season.

"It's a group of guys who knows how to put good at-bats together," Turner said. "Over and over and over again we might not get to guys early, but eventually those good at-bats are going to link up and result in some runs."