The Los Angeles Dodgers finally played a game that went past nine innings on Monday night. It took 11 innings, a Rockies error, and a walk-off single from rookie Dalton Rushing to beat Colorado 8-7. But the fact that this was their first extra-inning game of the season is the weird part.
According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Dodgers had played 92 straight regular-season games without needing extras. That streak ended in the series opener against the Rockies, and it nearly ended in a loss.
LA built a 6-1 lead and watched it disappear. Colorado tied it in the top of the ninth, then took a 7-6 lead in the 10th. Mookie Betts reached on an error to tie it again, and Rushing delivered the game-winner. The Dodgers have won four in a row and sit at 60 wins, the only team in baseball to reach that mark so far.
But the streak is the story. Ninety-two games without extra innings is not normal. It means the Dodgers have been winning decisively or losing cleanly. They haven’t needed extended time to settle things since last season. That kind of consistency is rare, even for a team this loaded.
Why This Matters for October
Extra-inning games test bullpens differently. They force managers to make tough decisions about who gets the ball in high-leverage spots. The Dodgers have avoided that stress all year. Monday showed they can still win when the game goes long, but it also showed they can blow a five-run lead.
The Rockies are not a good team. They’re 34-49 and playing out the string. LA let them hang around, and it almost cost them. That’s a concern if you’re looking for cracks in the armor, but the Dodgers have earned the benefit of the doubt. They won the World Series last year. They know how to close games when it counts.
The real takeaway might be simpler: The Dodgers are so good that their biggest oddity is not having played extra innings until July. Most teams would kill for that problem. LA just keeps winning, and Monday night was proof they can do it the hard way too.
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