LOS ANGELES, CA — On Mookie Betts Bobblehead night, with the O’s and Dodgers squaring off in Los Angeles, the future Hall of Fame player hit his eighth home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth inning to make the score 5-4. But then the most unlikely batter to win a game with a walk-off victory, Dalton Rushing, came up to the plate with two outs.
After striking out in all three of his at-bats earlier in the game, the 25-year-old catcher lined a sharp single to right with runners on first and second, scoring Alex Call from second. With Call just steps away from home, Baltimore’s right fielder Tyler O’Neill then made a wild throw to the plate, allowing Ryan Ward to score the winning run.
So, in a game that featured great pitching, clutch hitting, and strong defensive plays by both teams, it came down to the most unlikely player to win it for the Dodgers.
“You’re in that moment right there,” Rushing said of his walk-off heroics in the postgame Friday night. “Nothing that’s happened the first four at-bats, three at-bats, however many you had before, none of it matters.”
LA took an early lead when, in the first inning, with runners on second and third and two outs, Max Muncy lined a single to right that scored Kyle Tucker and Betts to make it, 2-0, Dodgers.
Kyle Tucker and Mookie Betts (on his bobblehead night) got the Dodgers going at the plate first in Friday night’s series opening win vs. the O’s – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
But then, Orioles starter Trey Gibson settled down. After surrendering those three runs in the first two innings, Gibson, in the third inning, with no one out and the bases loaded, struck out the next three batters on 13 pitches, of which ten were sliders. The 24-year-old right-hander would finish with a line of five innings pitched, seven hits, three runs, four walks, and eight strikeouts. He threw 97 pitches, of which 58 were strikes.
But all eyes were on LA starter, Roki Sasaki, giving up a single to the first batter he faced, Taylor Ward, who was thrown out at second by Kyle Tucker.
Roki Sasaki marked his 10th career start at Dodger Stadium Friday night in Los Angeles’ win vs. the O’s and recorded six strikeouts across 5.2 innings of work – Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez/Latino Sports
He then retired the next 14 Orioles until he walked Colton Cowser with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Sasaki was throwing 98-99-100-101 mph fastballs, nasty, unhittable splitters, and sharp breaking sliders.
Everything was looking good for the 24-year-old phenom until he hung an 88 splitter to Gunner Henderson in the top of the sixth inning, who parked it 375 feet into the right field seats for a two-run home run, making it a one-run game. The next batter, Pete Alonso, then launched a 98mph fastball, also 375 feet, into the left field pavilion for his seventeenth HR of the year, and his 11th career home run at Dodger Stadium, tying the score at three each.
Sasaki left after that with a line of 5.2 innings pitched, four hits, three runs, one walk, and six strikeouts. He threw 90 pitches, of which 63 were strikes.
The Dodger bullpen would then give up two runs in the seventh inning, giving Baltimore a 5-2 lead, and just when Baltimore thought the game was theirs, Rushing came to the Dodgers’ rescue.
“You strike out three times, you line out your first at-bat, you’re frustrated, you’re trying to stay in the game, calling games,” manager Dave Roberts said of Rushing coming to the rescue. “And then the game’s on the line, and it’s your spot. And so for him to flush it all and to flip his entire game and help us win a ballgame was huge.”
The win put the 49-27 Dodgers 9.5 games ahead of Arizona and 10 games ahead of the Padres as we approach the midway point of the 2026 regular season.
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