Muncy walks it off as Snell dazzles in Dodgers return

LOS ANGELES — Blake Snell waited nearly three months for his return to the mound. Max Muncy made sure the wait ended with a win.

Muncy delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning, his seventh career walk-off hit, lifting the Dodgers to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night in a back-and-forth game that ultimately gave the Dodgers a second straight win.

The Dodgers loaded the bases in the 10th before the Royals intentionally walked Kyle Tucker to bring Muncy to the plate with nowhere to put the go-ahead run.

Muncy, who had already collected a single, came through again.

His second hit wasn't just another base hit. It was the game-winner.

“One of the biggest things for us was trying to get everyone back focused on what’s happening today and not carrying each day over to the next one,” Muncy said. “We just gotta keep moving forward and that’s one of the biggest things we’ve been doing.”

The walk-off capped a night in which the Dodgers watched Snell look every bit like the pitcher they hoped he would be when they signed him.

Making his first start since May 9, Snell was dominant in his return, tossing six innings of one-run ball while scattering three hits and a walk and striking out 10. He threw 84 pitches, and his command and fastball allowed him to dictate the game from the beginning.

Dave Roberts said before the game that Snell told him this was the best he had felt in a long time. Snell texted Roberts on Monday night to make sure he goes at least six innings, in which he did.

He sure pitched like it.

Snell opened his return by striking out the side in the first inning, getting Nick Loftin, Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone on just 13 pitches.

The first three innings were nearly flawless: nine batters faced, nine retired, six strikeouts and 36 pitches.

He didn't allow a hit until the fourth, when Witt singled with one out. Caglianone followed with another single, putting runners on the corners with two outs.

Salvador Perez then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, bringing home Witt and tying the game at 1-1.

That was the only blemish on an otherwise outstanding return.

“I was more calm than I thought I was gonna be,” Snell said.

And even after completing six innings, Snell felt he had more in the tank.

“I feel like I had more left. I’m excited about that,” Snell said.

Roberts was impressed by how easy everything looked.

“Everything was free and easy,” Roberts said.

“With the talent that he has, that's what can happen,” Roberts added. “He was fantastic tonight, and we pushed him through the 6th just because he was so efficient.”

Snell's fastball was at the center of it all.

“The reason why I am good is the fastball. It has really good characteristics, and I’m able to locate it where I want,” Snell said.

The last time Snell had taken the mound for the Dodgers, the night ended very differently. On May 9 against the Atlanta Braves, he lasted only three innings, allowing six hits and five runs on 77 pitches.

It was his only start of the season.

Snell immediately went on the injured list and underwent arthroscopic surgery on May 19 to remove loose bodies, bone spurs and fragments, from his left elbow.

Almost three months later, he returned and looked like himself again.

The Dodgers gave him a lead to work with after Mookie Betts crushed his 14th home run of the season in the second inning, a solo shot that also marked his 100th career home run at Dodger Stadium.

Kansas City tied the game in the fourth, but the Dodgers broke through against Michael Wacha in the seventh.

Betts began the rally with a one-out double and moved to third on a sacrifice fly by Tommy Edman. With two outs and the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Alex Call battled through an eight-pitch at-bat and slapped a ground ball down the right-field line to bring Betts home.

Call was making his first start since July 21 and had found a way to stay ready despite limited playing time.

Then came Teoscar Hernández.

The struggling outfielder, who had been pinch-hit for in each of the previous two games, came off the bench and doubled in Call for an insurance run. It was Hernández's first pinch-hit of the season and gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.

Wacha's night ended after 6⅔ innings, seven hits and three runs on 96 pitches.

For a while, it appeared the Dodgers would hand Snell a victory in his return.

Instead, the Royals fought back.

After six innings, Evan Phillips stumbled in the eighth, allowing two runs while recording only one out.

An Andy Pages miscue in center field made matters worse. Pages drifted back to make the catch, but lost the ball behind him on the transfer, allowing the go-ahead run to score from second.

Suddenly, Kansas City led 4-3. The Dodgers answered immediately.

Betts came through again, collecting his third hit of the night with an RBI that tied the game at 4-4. It marked his ninth game this season with three or more hits.

The game stayed tied into extras.

Seth Halvorsen, making his Dodgers debut, came out throwing fire balls. He worked a scoreless 10th inning and handed the game to the heart of the Dodgers' order.

Then Muncy finished it.

The Dodgers loaded the bases. Kansas City intentionally walked Tucker to set up the matchup with Muncy.

The Dodgers have spent the last several weeks emphasizing the importance of stacking wins and refusing to let one game bleed into the next. On Tuesday, they did exactly that surviving a game that changed direction several times before Muncy finally ended it.

“All in all, I just loved the way we bore down and competed tonight,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers have now won a series.

And with Snell looking healthy, Muncy delivering in the biggest moment and Betts continuing to set the tone, they head into Wednesday with a chance to finish off a sweep.