The Dodgers returned to home sweet home and kicked off a series against the Rangers, and they fell behind to start as they got the short end of a home run derby that broke out. However, despite frustrating with a bunch of missed chances, they eventually pulled ahead and got insurance thanks to Andy Pages. Out of all the pen guys, it was Edwin Diaz that got roughed up for a blown save, but was bailed out by a dramatic Max Muncy walk-off homer to win it 8-7.
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There’s no other way to put it than to describe this game as a dongfest through the midway point.
For the Dodgers it was Tyler Glasnow on the bump and he looked sharp … aside from the homers. Through the first two innings he gave up just a walk and a stolen base, but the 3rd turned quickly. A pair of singles sandwiched an out, which cornered the runners, and he got a lineout to put him on the verge of escape. However, after getting to a 3-2 count on Corey Seager, he smashed a fastball to left-center for a backbreaking three-run homer to make it 3-1 Rangers.
In a city full of stars, ours shines the brightest. #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/26LeLWYrdZ
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 11, 2026
He seemed to resume cruising in the 4th, only giving up a two-out single, but then after two more outs in the 5th, a homer to Wyatt Langford made it four runs.
Wyatt’s on the board! #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/ruL6NWLoPE
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 11, 2026
He got the last four batters of the game, but the homers just cooked him: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 7 K.
Meanwhile, Rangers starter Kumar Rocker was having a similar day, as through four innings he gave up just a single … and homers to Max Muncy in the 2nd and 4th innings.
Max power! pic.twitter.com/zWWyLFQJRh
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 11, 2026
MAX AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/8Z25MD74zQ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 11, 2026
Still only at 59 pitches after four, Rocker threw 24 in the 5th. A lead-off walk to Andy Pages was followed by Alex Freeland punching a ball through the shift to corner the runners, and Hyeseong Kim followed with a seven-pitch battle that resulted in a sac fly to make it 4-3 Rangers.
Camera almost missed it, but Kim gets the Dodgers back to one with a sac fly after a seven-pitch battle. pic.twitter.com/ghKvNduhck
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 11, 2026
Shohei Ohtani then singled to corner the runners and Kyle Tucker drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. After taking ball one, Will Smith confusingly swung at ball two and grounded into an inning-ending double-play to get Rocker out of the jam.
Kumar Rocker gets out of the jam and preserves the @Rangers lead! pic.twitter.com/TTkyLtZKs2
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2026
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From there it was the pens of both teams, with the Rangers’ facing trouble in the 6th. Freddie Freeman started things with a lead-off walk, and Teoscar Hernandez singled with one down to put a pair on.
Andy MVPages with a go-ahead double. pic.twitter.com/7oMRaEuH49
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 11, 2026
Andy Pages then worked a full count and smacked a double down the line in right to score both Freeman and Teoscar to make it 5-4 Dodgers just like that.
Your NL Player of the Week, Andy Pages! pic.twitter.com/6ypQUghAan
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 11, 2026
Miguel Rojas then hit for Freeland and got an infield single to corner things, but Santiago Espinal hitting for Kim resulted in another double play to kill that threat. Still, damage done.
Almost amusingly, it was the same story in the 7th, as back-to-back singles from Dills and Tuck to corner the runners with one out, and this time it was Freddie who grounded into a double play to kill that off.
Three rally-killing inning-ending double plays. Let’s fucking go, baby. Baseball’s back.
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) April 10, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Thankfully, they did things the easy way in 8th as Max Muncy got a lead-off infield single and then with one out Andy Pages then hit his fourth homer of the year to make it 7-4. That proved key.
They actually had a chance for more, but Miguel Rojas tried to stretch a single into a double despite being old and got thrown out, then a double from Espinal was followed by an intentional walk to Shohei and Tucker couldn’t capitalize.
Andy Pages is unstoppable. ? pic.twitter.com/yODjB51E10
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 11, 2026
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Anyway, the Dodgers pen had cover three innings to close.
First, it was Alex Vesia in the 7th, and he struck out three batters and issued just a weird four-pitch walk in the middle of it.
Not sure how, but Vesia has added an inch more to his IVB (22″ average, topping out at 24″).
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) April 10, 2026 at 6:09 PM
The 8th was given to Tanner Scott, who looked as dominant as ever in a 1-2-3 inning that included a pair of strikeouts.
That’s that old Tanner Scott. That’s that 97-98 MPH Tanner Scott. That’s that BBL Tanner Scott.
— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) April 10, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Amusingly, it was Edwin Diaz that struggled. As a strikeout was overturned and resulted in a groundball single, then Evan Carter smashed a two-run homer to make it 7-6 Dodgers.
Carter closes the gap ? pic.twitter.com/Suh8Afhi1V
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 11, 2026
After a strikeout was earned on a challenge, a pop-out put him on the verge, but another single extended the inning. A stolen base and intentional walk followed, but Diaz hung another slider to Ezequiel Duran for a single to score the tying run and make it 7-7 before he was able to get out of it.
BRAND NEW BALLGAME! #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/NpL2MtRwG3
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) April 11, 2026
Thankfully then, Max Muncy exists.
DON’T MESS WITH MAX, TEXAS. pic.twitter.com/h3YbuqkRyC
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 11, 2026
I came a little. pic.twitter.com/fowVqg6fb6
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 11, 2026
Max Muncy of the @Dodgers is the first player in MLB history to have a game with:
5+ runs4+ hits3+ HRwalkoff HR pic.twitter.com/OijEuhMXWw
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 11, 2026
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Shohei Ohtani extended his on-base streak to 44 games, passing Ichiro Suzuki.
Shohei Ohtani extends his on-base streak to 44 games, passing Ichiro Suzuki for the longest streak by a Japanese-born player in MLB history! pic.twitter.com/Axy8zv9sbD
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2026
Will Smith, ABS challenge king.
He’s coming for his framing runs. pic.twitter.com/4q6nmOUTU8
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) April 11, 2026
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10-3, first team to double-digit wins.
Same teams and same place tomorrow but an hour earlier at 3:10 PM HT/6:10 PM PT/9:10 PM ET with Emmet Sheehan on the bump against Jack Leiter.
