Five consecutive walks help Dodgers “walk” it off

Chris Taylor was behind 0-2 in the count with two outs in the ninth inning. The Dodgers trailed by a run. Without getting a hit, the Dodgers scored two runs, and miraculously came back to win the game, 5-4.

Wait, how is that possible?

After falling behind in the count to Greg Holland, Taylor saw four straight balls, and took first base, putting the tying run onboard. Russell Martin followed, finding himself in a full-count. He watched a slider bounce in the dirt, taking first, and putting the tying run at second. Unable to find his command, Holland walked Alex Verdugo on five pitches for his third straight walk, loading the bases for Matt Beaty.

Holland took a break, needing a mound visit to regain composure. It appeared that it only made things worse. He threw four straight balls to Beaty, his fourth consecutive walk, bringing in the tying run. Holland was removed from the game and replaced by T.J. McFarland.

Up to the plate stepped Cody Bellinger, looking to cap off an unforgettable comeback. He quickly fell behind in the count 1-2, but saw two consecutive balls, loading the count. On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, he saw a 90 mph sinker fall outside of the zone for ball four and the fifth consecutive walk, as the Dodgers won the game, 5-4. For LA, this is their fourth consecutive walk-off at home.

It’s the first time in franchise history that the Dodgers have had four consecutive walk-off victories. They are also the first team with four straight walk-offs since the Oakland Athletics had five straight back in 2004.

Prior to their ninth inning comeback, the Dodgers were practically playing from behind all game. They fell behind 3-0 early in the game, but slowly chipped away to help them get back in. Helping his own cause, starting pitcher Ross Stripling singled in a run in the second, cutting the deficit to only two.

It was the second start for Stripling since replacing the injured Rich Hill in the rotation. He threw 4 ²⁄₃ innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He also struck out seven.

A two-run homer from Enrique Hernandez tied the game for LA in the fourth. The game wouldn’t be tied for long, as the D-Backs reclaimed the lead an inning later.

The Dodgers struggled the rest of the way, going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position up until the ninth inning. They didn’t need to worry about hitting with runners in scoring position, as their five consecutive walks were more than enough.

Tuesday particulars:

WP: Yimi Garcia (1-2) 1 IP, 0 ER

LP: Greg Holland (1-1) ²⁄₃ IP, 2 ER, 4 BB

Home runs: Enrique Hernandez (14) Nick Ahmed (8)

Box score

Up next

The Dodgers will look to go for the two-game sweep on Wednesday, as Walker Buehler takes the mound for LA. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m.