Dodgers Cap Off Incredible Comeback in 6-5 Victory Over Phillies, 25 Years After L.A. Riots

This will make the hair on your neck stand up.

The Dodgers hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth and walked off on an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez to shock the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-5, on the 25th anniversary of the L.A. Riots. 

Yasiel Puig, Cody Bellinger, and Justin Turner started the bottom of the ninth with solo home runs off Phillies closer Hector Neris to complete a three-run comeback, that felt eerily similar to the Dodgers "four homers" game in September of 2006. 

“Absolute madness.” pic.twitter.com/J2ybjUtpLw— MLB (@MLB) April 30, 2017

As a prime example of just how eerie and cyclical life is, the Dodgers played host to the Phillies at Dodger Stadium on April 29, 1992, the day that a jury in Simi Valley found the four police officers caught beating Rodney King on camera not guilty.

The verdict sparked one of the worst riots in history, and a dark day for the city of Los Angeles. Chavez Ravine was a safe haven of sorts on that night, as players and fans enjoyed a baseball game, unbeknownst to them, the city was crumbling around them.

The Dodgers lost that night, 7-3, and 25 years later, they were about to suffer the same fate until they chose to turn destiny on it's head with one of the more epic comebacks you'll ever see. 

Grant Dayton, who was activated off the 10-day disabled list before the game, picked up the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth. 

"With this team, I never felt like being down three runs was really a big deal," said Dayton after his first win. "Obviously tonight, it wasn't. I just kept saying, 'We can do this!'"

The comeback let starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy off the hook as the right-hander remains undefeated on the young season. 

"The end was nice, for those guys to rally up like that and do what they did in the ninth inning was a good statement for us," said McCarthy of the comeback. "We made a statement that said, 'we're not willing to accept our fate, but we're going to be the ones that dictate it.'"

McCarthy allowed four runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts in five innings.

"I had a really inconsistent night," said McCarthy. "It was a battle from the get go. Everything was a C- tonight. Not enough to get destroyed, but not enough to go deep into the game."

Twenty-five years ago, it was current Dodgers' broadcaster, Orel Hershiser, who only lasted five innings as he took the loss on that historic night.

"I knew the riots were 25 years ago tonight, but I didn't know it was against the Phillies," said McCarthy who grew up in nearby Glendale. "My family was living in Pasadena at the time. I was nine years old, my parents were nervous, it was a crazy time."

Cody Bellinger hit his first Major League home run when he sent right-hander Zach Efflin deep in the bottom of the seventh inning and then added the first multi-homer game of his career to his resume when he clanged one off the right field foul pole in the bottom of ninth. 

"I've never been a part of anything like this," said Bellinger. "I'm speechless right now."

Bellinger became the first player Dodgers player since Yasiel Puig (6/4/13) to have multiple homers in a game in which he hit his first career home run.

"I think I acted more wild on the second one," added Bellinger. "I think I'll remember the second one more because of how it ended."

Efflin's only other run allowed was a leadoff home run to Andew Toles, the fourth big fly of the season for the young outfielder.

Other than those two mistakes, Efflin was superb, allowing just two runs on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts in seven strong innings.

Brock Stassi hit a three-run homer off McCarthy in the fourth inning to give the Phillies the lead, and Andrew Knapp followed up Bellinger's first career blast, with the first big league homer of his career in the top of the eighth inning off Hatcher.

Neris blew the save, and then took the loss, his first of the season, after he allowed a single to pinch-hitter Austin Barnes. Two batters later, Corey Seager singled to left field, putting the game-winning run in scoring position. 

"It was a bad day. It's going to happen," said Neris after the game. "They were all fastballs, but I missed my location."

Gonzalez hit a grounder between third and short, Maikel Franco, couldn't make the play and the Dodgers capped off the comeback for their third win in a row. 

"It was extremely exciting," said Gonzalez of the comeback. "I thought it was a routine ground ball to where the third baseman usually plays me, but when I saw he was playing close to the line, I thought it had a chance to get through. Luckily for us it his glove and trickled away from the shortstop.

The bottom of the ninth inning was the first time the Dodgers have gone back-to-back-to-back since Hanley Ramirez, James Loney and Luis Cruz did it on Aug. 18, 2012 in Atlanta. 

Turner's home run, the third and final of the back-to-back-to-back series, was his first of the season, and extended his hitting streak to a career-high, 15 games. 

Up Next:

Nick Pivetta will make his MLB debut for the Phillies on Sunday opposite Hyun-Jin Ryu is still in search of his first win since 2014. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10PM PST.