Every season, there is a game in which a player gets a hit that ends up being the biggest hit of that season, although we often do not realize it at the time.

On Thursday afternoon and with the score tied 5-5 between the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, one such hit occurred when slumping Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy crushed his team-leading 35th home run of the season – a leadoff two-run blast 440 feet into the river (go figure) behind the center field wall. It was a leadoff two-run home run because of MLB’s mandatory automatic-runner-on-second-base-in-extra-innings rule in play this season (and hopefully it’s last).

“He needed it a lot,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Muncy’s game-winning hit. “He’s grinding, like everyone in September is, so it was good. I tip my hat to him for continuing to work.

“I saw him with Brownie (Dodgers hitting coach Brant Brown) today in the cage and figured something out a little bit,” Roberts added. “So, for it to prove beneficial today with that homer was big for his confidence.”

“It felt really good,” Muncy answered when asked how that swing felt.

Could this be a boost for the team this late in the season with the Dodgers (now) trailing the NL West first-place San Francisco Giants, who lost to the San Diego Padres on Thursday (also in 10 innings)?

“Yeah, absolutely,” Muncy answered. “Something like that can happen that will make… We know we’re a great team, we know we can come back from any situation, we know we can win any game, but sometimes when you have a come-from-behind win like that, it reaffirms it, and it gets it fresh in people’s minds, and it can really affect the next couple games.”

How about the next nine games (and beyond), Max?

Play Ball!

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