On Saturday night, a crowd of 53,110 packed themselves into Dodger Stadium … on paper, that is. Truth be told, a good percentage of that sellout crowd – the second of the new season for the Dodgers – had bought their tickets and showed up at The Ravine solely to get their Corey Seager bobblehead and then split long before the first pitch was even thrown.

But for the (roughly) 35,000 or so who did stay, they witnessed one of the most exciting come-from-behind victories at Dodger Stadium since the famous back-to-back-to-back-to-back home run game between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres on September 18, 2006.

You knew it was going to be one of those games when Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run to deep center field.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In this one the Dodgers only managed three consecutive home runs to turn a 5-2 deficit into a tied ballgame. But it’s how and who hit those back-to-back-to-back home runs that make this historic night even more historic.

Down to their final frame, Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig – fresh off his first day off of the season – crushed a 3-2 fastball off of Phillies right-handed closer Hector Neris deep into the Left Field Pavilion to make it a 5-3 ballgame. This was followed by a first-pitch towering shot down the right field line by Dodgers rookie left fielder Cody Bellinger that hit the foul pole for back-to-back jacks. It was Bellinger’s second home run of the night and the second of his young career, and suddenly it was a 5-4 ballgame.

Lo and behold and fresh off the bench enjoying only his second day off of the year, Dodgers pinch-hitter Justin Turner slugged his first home run of the season to straightaway left field that not only extended his hitting streak to 15 games, it also tied the game at 5-5, still with no outs.

Turner’s 413-foot blast was followed by a Chris Taylor strikeout, after which Dodgers replacement second baseman Austin Barnes singled up the middle, forcing Phillies manager Pete Mackanin to bring in left-hander Joely Rodriguez to face left-handed hitting Dodgers center fielder Andrew Toles. And even though Tolsey had led off the game with a solo home run to deep right-center field, he flied out to short right field this time for the second out of the inning.

This brought fellow left-handed hitting Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager to the plate, who promptly lined Rodriguez’s third pitch – a 94-MPH fastball – into left field to move Barnes and the winning run into scoring position with Adrian Gonzalez coming up to the plate. And even though AGon has been struggling of late, there wasn’t anyone that Dodger fans would rather see in this situation than their beloved “butter and eggs man,” as Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully often called Gonzalez.

Seager’s clutch two-out line drive single to left not only moved the winning run into scoring position, it also brought Dodgers “butter and eggs man” Adrian Gonzalez to the plate.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

After taking a called strike and a ball, AGon fouling off the next four consecutive pitches. And then, on a 1-2 count, the 14-year MLB veteran swung at a pitch that appeared to be low and away – perhaps even out of the strike zone – and hit a dribbler deep in the hole to short. Because of AGon’s notoriously slow speed, there was little doubt that had Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco fielded the ball cleanly, the inning would have ended and gone into extras.

Maikel Franco did not field the ball cleanly.

Instead, the ball deflected off of his glove and into short left field. allowing Barnes to score from second base to give the Dodgers the improbable 6-5 come-from-behind victory.

Down to his (and the Dodgers) final strike, this 1-2 / 96-MPH fastball from Phillies left-hander Joely Rodriguez was simply too close for Dodgers slugger Adrian Gonzalez to take. Instead, he squirted it into the hole between third and short where it deflected off of the glove of Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco to give the Dodgers the improbable 6-5 walk-off win.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although first-year Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis did his normal outstanding job during this historic and memorial game, you have to wonder how legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully would have called this improbable/impossible Dodgers win.

“I don’t know where this is going to take us, but sometimes in a season you look back at certain nights, at certain games that you can point to that the team gained some traction and turn things around,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “This might be that day.”

As for 21-year-old Cody Bellinger, this is a game that he will remember for the rest of his life.

“I saw it going foul and I said, ‘Just please hit [the pole] before it goes foul.’ Luckily, it did,” Bellinger said of his second home run of the night and of his career.

“I don’t know what I just saw,” Bellinger added, about the Dodgers come-from-behind walk-off win “I’ve never been part of anything like this, it’s a crazy moment.”

Bellinger was fortunate enough to get both of his home run balls back, which he promptly gave to his mom Jennifer. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Dodgers second baseman Austin Barnes steps on home plate with the winning run on Saturday night.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The Dodgers swarm veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez after his dramatic single to give the Dodgers the walk-off win. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Bellinger sent out this tweet shortly after receiving his first major league Gatorade shower.
(Photo courtesy of @Cody_Bellinger)