Max Muncy hit a home run Tuesday that tied Eric Karros' franchise record for the most homers at Dodger Stadium, but it wasn't enough as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6. Shohei Ohtani also contributed a home run for the Dodgers in the slugfest at Chavez Ravine.
The game, played in warm conditions with the ball carrying well, saw both teams utilize the hitter-friendly environment. Ohtani opened the scoring in the first inning with a leadoff home run, snapping a nine-game drought. After the Mariners responded with three home runs against Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski over the next three innings, Muncy hit his solo shot in the fifth. This blast, his 130th at Dodger Stadium, matched Karros' long-standing record.
Despite taking a 5-4 lead after Muncy's homer, the Dodgers could not hold on. Wrobleski surrendered a career-high fourth home run of the game in the sixth inning, and Dominic Canzone later delivered the decisive blow in the eighth. Canzone hit a two-run home run off reliever Alex Vesia to break a 5-5 tie and secure the win for the Mariners.
The Dodgers also struggled with situational hitting and left runners stranded. They had the bases loaded with no outs in the third inning but only managed one run on a double-play. In the fourth, they scored two runs but left the bases loaded again after Ohtani's RBI single. A potential ninth-inning rally fell short when the Dodgers stranded the tying and winning runs in scoring position.
The five home runs allowed by the Dodgers tied a season high, and the four surrendered by Wrobleski marked the most runs he has allowed in a start since May 22. The young left-hander appeared frustrated by the home runs, many of which were hit on pitches on the edges of the strike zone.
Muncy's record-tying home run came after a slump in late May and early June. He had been on a surge in the second half of the season, hitting three home runs on the team's post-All-Star break road trip before matching Karros' mark. Muncy has now hit 21 home runs this season, trailing only Ohtani on the Dodgers.
Notably, Muncy achieved the milestone in significantly fewer games and at-bats than Karros. Muncy reached 130 home runs in 516 games and 1,648 at-bats, compared to Karros' 798 games and 2,879 at-bats. With potential contract extensions, Muncy has an opportunity to further extend his lead in the Dodger Stadium home run record.
Ohtani's performance also eased concerns about a potential knee injury affecting his swing. After a slump on the team's recent road trip, Ohtani went 3-for-4 on Tuesday, including his leadoff homer, an intentional walk, an RBI single, and a double that nearly sparked a game-tying rally.