Dalton Rushing delivers walk-off hit as Dodgers beat Rockies in extras

LOS ANGELES — Dalton Rushing didn't need to say much after the game. His bat had already delivered the final word.

Just an inning after tempers flared at home plate with Rockies’ Cole Carrigg, Rushing came through with the biggest swing of the night, lining an 11th-inning walk-off single to give the Dodgers an 8-7 victory over the Rockies on Monday night at Dodger Stadium. The win made the Dodgers the first team in Major League Baseball to reach 60 victories this season.

The drama began in the top of the 10th inning when Carrigg attempted to score on a close play at the plate. Rushing applied the tag, and after the out was called, the two exchanged words as both benches emptied. While players spilled onto the field, the situation never escalated beyond a heated conversation.

"I think it was the competitive nature of the game," Rushing said afterward. "You're making a play on the ball, take it the wrong way. I didn't mean any harm by the tag or the way I reacted to the ball."

The Dodgers challenged the safe call during the play and won after replay determined Carrigg was tagged before touching the plate. Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer then challenged for catcher interference, arguing Rushing had illegally blocked the plate, but the call stood.

"Yeah, I thought it was close enough on our side that we should challenge it for sure," Rushing said. "I knew I had got on my hand, obviously I didn't know a look on others on his hand or not. We've done such a great job with the little things, and that's our third or fourth big relay on the hand. Maybe putting a good throw to me gave us a chance there."

Rushing's competitive fire carried into the bottom of the 11th.

With runners on second and third and the infield drawn in, Rushing stayed within himself, shooting a single to bring home the winning run and send Dodger Stadium into celebration.

"It's a team at-bat from the start," Rushing said. "So you're trying to move the ball forward, the infield is in. They're kind of doing you a favor, so move the ball forward, great things happen. It wasn't pretty, but it really worked."

Dave Roberts wasn't surprised by Rushing's ability to respond after the emotional exchange.

"I think he just will himself to make something happen," Roberts said. "I think he was just kind of finding his way to put the ball in play and make something happen."

Rushing finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and the game-winning single, continuing what has been an impressive stretch on both sides of the ball.

"He plays with a lot of moxie, and he definitely doesn't back down to anybody," Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer said. "We love him for that, and he's a great guy that you want on your team. He's a great competitor."

The Dodgers nearly watched a comfortable lead disappear for good.

After falling behind 1-0 on Ezequiel Tovar's sacrifice fly in the second inning, the Dodgers answered immediately. Dalton Rushing doubled to open the third before Shohei Ohtani crushed an 87 mph cutter from Kyle Freeland into the left-field pavilion for his 19th home run of the season, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

The offense kept rolling in the fourth.

Kyle Tucker drew a leadoff walk before Teoscar Hernández singled. Max Muncy drove in Tucker with an RBI single, Miguel Rojas added a sacrifice fly, Rushing collected his second double of the night, and Ohtani capped the four-run inning with a two-run single to center as the Dodgers built a commanding 6-1 advantage.

Ohtani finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two singles, while Tucker added three hits of his own.

Lauer continued his outstanding run since joining the Dodgers from Toronto in late May. The left-hander worked six innings, allowing three runs on six hits while walking two and striking out three over 99 pitches. The Dodgers improved to 7-0 in games started by Lauer.

The bullpen, however, couldn't hold the lead.

Tanner Scott entered the ninth protecting a 6-3 advantage but struggled with his command. Kyle Karros drove in a run with an RBI single before Carrigg delivered a game-tying two-run double, handing Scott his second blown save of the season and forcing the Dodgers into their first extra-inning game of the year.

"I thought tonight, this is the first time in a while that we didn't see that fastball command," Roberts said. "The one thing he's been very good at is command the baseball, and tonight, he wasn't sharp."

It ultimately didn't matter.

Instead, the night belonged to Rushing, whose emotions never boiled over after the confrontation in the 10th inning. Rather than letting the moment consume him, he responded in the most meaningful way possible.

One inning after exchanging words with Carrigg, Rushing delivered the final hit, the final celebration and the Dodgers' 60th win of the season.

The Dodgers will look to secure the series victory Tuesday night when Justin Wrobleski takes the mound against Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen.