Max Muncy Lifts Dodgers to 5-4 Walk-Off Win in 10th, Sealing Royals Series

Q: Did the Royals' risky strategy to intentionally walk two batters ultimately seal their own fate in extra innings?

Yes. The Royals’ decision to intentionally walk Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker in the 10th put the winning run 90 feet away with the bases loaded, and Max Muncy immediately punished it with a walk-off single. The strategy was understandable in context. With Shohei Ohtani starting the inning as the automatic runner at second, Kansas City may have preferred force plays at every base and a potential double-play setup rather than pitching to Freeman or Tucker in open-base situations. Facing a dangerous Dodgers core in extra innings, that is a conventional gamble. But it was still a high-risk choice, and it backfired. By loading the bases, the Royals removed any margin for error against another proven middle-of-the-order hitter. Muncy then lined a 2-2, 98.1 mph fastball from Lucas Erceg into center, scoring Ohtani easily and ending the game. Once the bases were loaded, even a medium-depth single was enough. So while the loss was not caused only by those two intentional walks—the Royals also had to contend with Betts’ three-hit night and the Dodgers’ repeated answers—the extra-inning tactic directly set up the decisive moment. In practical terms, yes, the Royals’ gamble helped seal their fate.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Aug 12

Max Muncy lined a bases-loaded RBI single in the 10th inning to give Los Angeles a 5-4 win, its second straight victory after entering the Royals series on a three-game skid.
Mookie Betts drove the Dodgers' offense with a solo homer, an eighth-inning RBI single and three hits, while Blake Snell returned from the injured list and left with a no-decision after allowing just one run of support.
Kansas City briefly moved ahead in the eighth when Evan Phillips surrendered back-to-back singles and Andy Pages' botched transfer on Carter Jensen's liner brought home the go-ahead run.
Seth Halvorsen then threw a scoreless inning in his Dodgers debut to set up the walk-off, after Edgardo Henriquez had already kept the game tied by working a clean ninth.
The comeback gave the Dodgers consecutive wins for the first time since July 29-30 and offered momentum after a 1-8 stretch that included a season-high seven-game losing streak.