Max Muncy broke two ties with a pivotal two-run homer in the sixth inning Wednesday night, propelling the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies and securing the series win. The blast, hit off Phillies starter Aaron Nola, gave the Dodgers a lead they would not relinquish. This was Muncy's 229th home run as a member of the Dodgers' Los Angeles franchise, surpassing Ron Cey for sole possession of second place on the club's all-time home run leaderboard. He now trails only Eric Karros, who hit 270 home runs in his Dodgers career.
The Dodgers, after falling behind early, battled back to earn their second consecutive series victory against fellow contenders, having previously taken a series against the Yankees. The team (65-38) reclaimed the top spot in the MLB standings with their win.
Dodgers' starting pitcher Eric Lauer gave up a two-run homer to Alec Bohm in the first inning. Nola, meanwhile, retired the first eight Dodgers batters he faced. The Dodgers' offense began to chip away at the deficit in the third inning with a solo home run by Dalton Rushing, who ended an 0-for-19 slump. Rushing then delivered a two-run double in the fifth, giving the Dodgers a brief 3-2 lead.
Though the Phillies tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, Muncy's go-ahead homer in the sixth quickly shifted momentum back to Los Angeles. Freddie Freeman contributed with his second double of the game before Muncy connected with a first-pitch changeup from Nola. This was Muncy's 20th home run of the season, marking a resurgent performance, and his third homer on the current road trip. He also contributed defensively with a diving stop at third base.
The Phillies' baserunning proved to be a point of frustration for the team. After tying the game in the fifth, a runner was tagged out attempting to advance on a ground ball, squandering a scoring opportunity. This marked another instance of puzzling baserunning decisions for the Phillies, following a game-ending double play the previous night.
Lauer pitched 5 ⅓ innings, allowing three runs. The Dodgers extended their lead in the seventh inning with a four-run rally, highlighted by a three-run triple from Tommy Edman, who had three hits in the game.
The Dodgers are scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday to celebrate their 2025 World Series title before heading to New York to face the Mets. Roki Sasaki is slated to start for the Dodgers against the Mets' Sean Manaea in the series opener.