Do you have your rally cap on?
The Los Angeles Dodgers erased a four-run deficit to steal the first game of a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, on Memorial Day at Dodger Stadium.
"We probably don't win this game two weeks ago," admitted Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts following the game. "I'm very proud of the way we fought back. For our offense to chip away like that. It was a big win."
Following their third consecutive series win on Sunday, the Dodgers got off to a good start to win their fourth straight series as they rallied late off the Phillies bullpen.
The game got off to a wild start as Rhys Hoskins reached base on an easy groundball to short after home plate umpire Ted Barrett called catcher's interference on Yasmani Grandal.
Hoskins was awarded first base, and two walks and a wild pitch later, he scored to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead.
"I had some things go against me in the first inning. It was rough from the get go," said Stewart of the start to the game. "Those walks aren't me. It was pretty rough for me."
Hernandez broke the game open in the top of the second as he crushed a first-pitch fastball from Brock Stewart over the wall in right-center for a three-run homer that give the Phillies a commanding, 4-0 lead.
"In the second inning it went bloop, bloop, and then a blast," continued Stewart. "I threw him [Hernandez] an 0-0 heater right down the middle so maybe I should have placed that one a little better."
Stewart did not last much longer, as he left the game after the fourth inning, surrendering four runs (three earned) on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
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"I did settle in during the third and fourth innings and had better tempo and attacked better," said Stewart. "If I come out with the same tempo I had in the third and fourth inning in the first and second inning I can go deeper into the game."
According to Stats LLC., Stewart has thrown five innings or fewer in each of his first 11 career starts, which is the longest streak by any pitcher to begin his career in the last 105 years.
Vince Velasquez was the most estimable player of the game, throwing five no-hit innings before allowing a leadoff single to Yasiel Puig to start the bottom of the sixth.
"He has a 95 to 96 MPH fastball and a good slider and changeup. He had really good stuff, but if you keep going and going, that's the result. I tried to get the first hit of the game," said Puig. "My team sometimes looks for Puig to do his crazy stuff in order to play better. That's the reason why I tried to do something to give energy to the team to play better."
The Dodgers began to chip away at the lead after Puig broke up Velasquez's no-hitter. He took second on an error by Hoskins, and scored two batters later on an RBI double by Joc Pederson.
Pederson then cut the lead in half after an RBI single by Justin Turner chased Velasquez from the game.
"Joc got behind in the count and had a big double down the left field line that scores Puig," said Roberts. "After that JT [Justin Turner] gets a first-pitch slider base-hit with two outs and that gets us right back in the ballgame."
Velasquez did not factor in the decision, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 5 and 2/3 innings.
"Last time I started here [at Dodger Stadium] it didn't really go that well, so I kind of redeemed myself there," said Velasquez who hails from nearby Pomona. "Throwing on Memorial Day Weekend for my brothers and my dad and all my family and friends who were here it was good. Really good."
The Dodgers completed their biggest comeback of the season as Matt Kemp started the comeback with a pinch-hit double to the gap in left-center that scored Puig from first base in the bottom of the eighth inning.
"Good teams chip away and take runs when they can," said Kemp of the comeback. "Any comeback win is fun. This was a good team win."
Since May 13, Puig has gone 11-for-35 (.314) with eight runs, one double, five home runs and eight RBI.
After Hernandez lost a ball in the lights, the Dodgers tied the game on a soft groundball back to the pitcher that was bobbled by reliever Adam Morgan allowing Max Muncy to reach first base safely.
"If you look at that eighth inning, it was funky," said Roberts of how the rally unfolded. "Velasquez was cruising early and we were just trying to get a hit, let alone a run off him. Then its seeing-eye grounders, balls off gloves, dropped fly balls and things like that. So we had some help."
Two batters later, Grandal brought home the game-winning run with an RBI single to left field.
"These are victories you have to build on," said Grandal of the win. "At the end of the day, it's whomever gets the most guys across the plate and we were able to do that today."
Kenley Jansen quickly warmed up and entered the game after Los Angeles took the lead and recorded his 12th save of the season with a perfect ninth inning facing four different batters.
Hoskins fouled a ball into his face and had to leave the game with a bloody nose in the middle of the Phillies' final at-bat. Pedro Florimon pinch-hit for Hoskins and stuck out to end the game.
The victory was just the third time this season the Dodgers won when the opposing team scored first and the eighth time this year Los Angeles has come-from-behind to win. The four-run deficit was the largest comeback for the Dodgers this year.
Before the game, the Dodgers and Major League Baseball honored and remembered those who lost their lives during their military service to the United States as all games and pregame activities were paused at exactly 3:00PM local time for a moment of silence.
The Dodgers are third in wins on Memorial Day all-time with 107 victories. That puts them behind only the Pittsburgh Pirates (110) and Chicago Cubs (109).
The Dodgers are the only team in Major League Baseball with a losing record and a positive run differential (+23).
The Colorado Rockies, who lead the National League West division, have a run differential of -22 on the season.
Up Next:
Jake Arrieta, who no-hit the Dodgers in 2015, will take the mound for Philadelphia on Tuesday opposite RHP Kenta Maeda for the Dodgers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10PM PST.
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