When the Dodgers signed second baseman Mark Ellis to a two-year/$8.75 million contract in 2012, they did so primarily for his defense. After all, the 36-year-old real life ‘Money Ball’ star has had one of the best fielding percentages in all of baseball for the past decade and was clearly robbed of a Gold Glove in 2006 by Mark Grudzielanek in spite of having a better fielding percentage (.997 to .994). And even though the Rapid City, South Dakota native has occasionally shown some pop over his eleven-year MLB career, he was definitely never considered a power hitter – not by any margin.

Now this is certainly not to say that Ellis is completely void of power. In fact, in 2005 he hit .313 and in 2007 he hit 19 home runs, but his career offensive numbers are .265/.330/.392 for an OPS of .722 – definitely not Hall of Fame numbers.

But on Wednesday night in Toronto, Mark Ellis hit what was perhaps is hit biggest (and possibly farthest) home run of his career. It was a 10th inning 3-run blast to deep left field estimated at 422 feet and it broke a 3-3 tie to give the Dodgers an eventual 8-3 win and a 3-game series sweep over the struggling Blue Jays.

Mark Ellis’s game-winning 3-run home run in the top of the 10th inning was the 5th of the season for the Dodger second baseman. (Video capture courtesy of KCAL 9)

“I thought we were rock bottom last night, but I guess not,” said Rays manager John Gibbons after the game and after seeing his team blow a five-run lead the night before.

Ellis’s game-winning home run never would have happened had Dodger center fielder Andre Ethier not pulled a rabbit out of his hat in the top of the 9th inning.

Down 3-2 and after a key lead-off 5-pitch walk by superstar phenom Yasiel Puig (who appears to be over of his near month-long slump), followed by strike outs by Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez, Ethier stepped to the plate and quickly found himself behind in the count 1-2. Down to their last strike, Ethier looped a single over the head of Jays second baseman Maicer Izturis and in front of hard-charging center fielder Colby Rasmus, who was hoping to make the game-winning catch. When Rasmus realized that the ball was going to drop, he slammed on the brakes a fraction of a second too late and the ball took an Astro Turf bounce and deflected off his glove and sailed over his head. Puig, who had been running on contact with two outs, raced around the bases and scored standing up, tying the score at 3-3 and giving the Dodgers new life.

“We got a lucky bounce and were lucky old Crazy Legs (Puig) was on base and just kept going,” Ethier said during his post-game interview on KCAL 9.

Exiled Dodger closer Brandon League held the Jays scoreless in the bottom half of the 9th inning allowing the Dodgers the opportunity to bat again in the 10th inning, and bat they did. Ellis’s three run shot was followed by a very quick 1-pitch fly out by Carl Crawford, which was followed by a towering solo home run by Puig, who ended the night going 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, a walk and a triple shy of the cycle. Ethier added two more runs in the inning on a double to right to end his night going 4 for 6 with two doubles and 2 RBIs.

In his past ten games Mark Ellis is 16 for 41 (.390) with 11 RBIs and was a big factor in the Dodgers just concluded 6-game/6-win road trip. The six wins brings the Dodgers road winning streak to 10 games, the longest since 1955 when the Brooklyn Dodgers won 11 in a row on the road en route to the 1955 World Series title – the first in Dodger history.