Max Muncy stood at the plate one botched swing away from what would have been his third strikeout of the game. But this time, he knew what to do.
In his third at-bat against Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff on Wednesday, Muncy finally understood the pitch mix Woodruff employed. He had tried and failed to hammer Woodruff’s slider four times before.
So when Woodruff hurled the 88.2-mph slider, Muncy shortened his swing. On his fifth try swinging at Woodruff’s slider, he drilled a grounder to left field. The stands erupted as Justin Turner bolted home, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.