Muncy’s three‑homer night

Max Muncy went into Friday night 4-for-26 in April, and by the time the crowd left Dodger Stadium he had hit three home runs, with the last one a two-out, ninth-inning walk-off that gave Los Angeles an 8-7 win over Texas. (espn.com) The game flipped twice before Muncy ended it. Texas led 3-1 after Corey Seager hit a three-run homer off Tyler Glasnow, and Los Angeles later built a 7-4 lead before Edwin Díaz gave up three runs in the ninth for his first blown save in six appearances. (espn.com) Muncy’s first two homers came off Rangers starter Kumar Rocker in the second and fourth innings, both solo shots. The third came 401 feet to right field off Jacob Latz after Will Smith and Freddie Freeman had already made two outs in the ninth. (espn.com) That made it Muncy’s second career three-homer game, not some random first-time fluke. It also moved him into sole possession of sixth place on the Dodgers’ all-time home run list with 212. (espn.com) The timing mattered because Muncy had opened the month cold, and manager Dave Roberts said the difference was that Muncy stayed with the same approach instead of chasing results. Roberts said earlier versions of Muncy might have shown more anxiety, but this version “trusts the process” and stayed confident enough for the results to show up all at once. (espn.com) The Dodgers also got a huge night from Andy Pages, who reached base four times, drove in four runs, doubled in the sixth for the lead, and homered in the eighth to make it 7-4. That cushion disappeared one inning later, which is why Muncy’s last swing instantly became the whole story. (espn.com) This was the opener of a series between the last three World Series champions: Texas in 2023, then Los Angeles in 2024 and 2025. Instead of a clean heavyweight win, it turned into a game where the Dodgers survived a bullpen collapse because one hitter produced three separate turning points by himself. (espn.com) It was also the Dodgers’ first three-home-run game by any player this season. On a roster built around stars like Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, the night’s signature image belonged to Muncy circling the bases after a ball that erased an 0-for-2 ninth inning and ended the game on one swing. (sports.yahoo.com)