The Los Angeles Dodgers have achieved a historic feat, becoming the first Major League Baseball team to hit a two-out, game-winning home run worth at least three runs while trailing in the seventh inning or later in consecutive games. This remarkable offensive surge has bolstered confidence in the team's quest for a third consecutive World Series title.
Mookie Betts delivered the latest game-winning blow on Sunday, crushing a two-out, three-run homer in the eighth inning to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 7-5 victory over the Washington Nationals. This completed a three-game sweep of the Nationals.
The improbable repeat of Saturday's dramatic finish saw Tommy Edman hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to secure a 6-5 win. That rally began with a walk and a single, bringing Edman to the plate with two outs.
These consecutive comebacks come as the Dodgers have won four straight games after a previous stretch of losing six of eight. The team has managed this recent success even with Shohei Ohtani missing four games due to discomfort in his left knee and right biceps.
However, the Dodgers' recent offensive struggles leading into these historic homers against the Nationals, who hold a 67-78 record and sit near the bottom of the National League East, present a potential concern. Washington has now lost four consecutive games and finished the season series against Los Angeles with a 0-6 record. The Dodgers entered Sunday's game holding only a one-game lead over Atlanta for the National League's second seed, having posted a bottom-10 OPS over the previous 30 days.
While facing less formidable opponents like the Nationals, the Dodgers have demonstrated a resilience that could prove valuable in the postseason. The team's ability to mount late-game comebacks, even without ideal circumstances or a fully healthy roster, provides evidence that they are never entirely out of a game as they head toward October.