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Dodgers balk all over the Astros to complete comeback win

June 25, 2023

Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve, right, steals second as Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Vargas takes a late throw during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros celebrates his grand slam homerun with Kyle Tucker, Corey Julks and Jake Meyers, to take a 5-3 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros reacts to his bunt single to load the bases past Bobby Miller of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Michael Busch of the Los Angeles Dodgers tags out Yainer Diaz of the Houston Astros attempting to steal third base during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros fields a groundball for an out of Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Bobby Miller of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros reacts as he walks off the mound trailing 3-0 to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Jason Heyward of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his two run homerun with J.D. Martinez, to take a 3-0 lead over the Houston Astros, during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his solo homerun with Dino Ebel, to take a 1-0 lead over the Houston Astros, during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros reacts after a solo homerun from Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to take a 1-0 lead, during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Bobby Miller throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jason Heyward, left, is congratulated by J.D. Martinez after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Houston Astros on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jason Heyward, right, is congratulated by J.D. Martinez after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Houston Astros on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith celebrates as he heads back to the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jason Heyward rounds first after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Houston Astros on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith, right, is congratulated by Jason Heyward after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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LOS ANGELES ― Houston Astros pitcher Ryne Stanek twitched his knee, raised his arms above his head, and stepped off the pitching rubber. He requested a timeout from home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez.

Gonzalez denied the request. Both he and second base umpire Junior Valentine called a balk on Stanek instead. Pinch-runner Jonny DeLuca trotted home from third base with the go-ahead run, and the Dodgers’ comeback was complete.

Stanek’s balk was the tipping point in a series of bizarre events in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 8-7 win over the Astros. The call left Stanek in a tizzy, and Valentine ejected him from the game as he walked off the field, shouting up a storm. Astros manager Dusty Baker was ejected for arguing, too.

“The home plate umpire said something like, ‘timeout,’ but I said no he’s calling balk,” explained Miguel Rojas, who had a foxhole view from the batter’s box. “It’s not ‘time,’ it’s ‘balk.’ Doing whatever we can to score that run right there.”

The Dodgers trailed 7-5 when Bryan Abreu walked Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and J.D. Martinez to load the bases to begin the eighth inning. Jason Heyward hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Freeman with the Dodgers’ sixth run.

That’s when the game took a turn for the strange.

James Outman clobbered an Abreu slider down the middle of the plate to deep right field, and circled the bases believing he had hit a home run that would have put the Dodgers in the lead.

In fact, the ball got lodged in the cyclone fence in right field. The ground-rule double drove in Smith to tie the game 7-7. DeLuca stopped at third base ― a brief layover en route to scoring the game-winning run on the balk.

“You never know what break you’ll get that will be the one to make everybody relax,” Outman said.

The rookie outfielder was recalling something Mookie Betts told him earlier in the week, after Michael Busch hit a chopper off the pitcher and over the first baseman to drive in the winning run Tuesday in Anaheim. That was the first of four straight wins for the Dodgers (43-33).

Phil Bickford (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win before an announced crowd of 49,281 at Dodger Stadium. Evan Phillips tossed a scoreless ninth to record his 10th save.

Home runs by Smith, Heyward and David Peralta accounted for three of the Dodgers’ five hits in the game. Peralta’s pinch hit, two-run homer in the seventh inning against Phil Maton awoke the Dodgers from an offensive slumber.

After allowing home runs to Smith and Heyward in the first inning ― and nearly another by Betts ― Astros starter Ronel Blanco retired the next 12 batters in a row. Meanwhile, the Astros scored seven unanswered runs, including six against Dodgers starter Bobby Miller.

“You fall behind like that, you’re looking for any momentum,” Smith said. “It was Peralta tonight. Huge pinch hit homer got us 7-5, a little belief back in the dugout.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sent Peralta, a left-handed hitter, to the plate to bat for struggling second baseman Miguel Vargas in the seventh inning against right-hander Phil Maton. Peralta responded by hitting his fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot, on the first pitch he saw.

Miller allowed 10 hits, six runs (all earned), and walked three batters in four innings. He faced seven batters in the fifth inning without recording an out. Yency Almonte used a strikeout and a double-play groundout to get the Dodgers out of that inning without incurring further damage to Miller’s ERA.

But the trend line is concerning. Miller was 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA four starts into his career. In the last two outings, the rookie right-hander has allowed 13 runs in nine innings.

This time, he was bailed out by his bullpen, a late rally, and a big balk.

“Obviously in a game like that you don’t want that to be the deciding run in that situation, but they got the call right,” Roberts said. “It’s the letter of the law. We’ll take it.”

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Dodgers balk all over the Astros to complete comeback win

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