Max Muncy told Dave Roberts he was close. Then came 3 homers and a walk-off

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Max Muncy was in Dave Roberts’ ear in Toronto this week, telling the Los Angeles Dodgers manager that he was getting close to producing hits.

He delivered in a big way.

The 35-year-old third baseman hit three home runs in a game for the second time in his career, including a walk-off shot in the ninth inning, rallying the Dodgers past the Texas Rangers 8-7 Friday night.

“I still think about the first time I did it,” Muncy said. “To get the win on top of it, it’s great.”

Muncy’s power display came on a night when Shohei Ohtani’s bobblehead paid homage to the four-time MVP’s three-homer outing in Game 4 of last year’s NL Championship Series.

“He’s just playing the heck out of third base, he’s taking good at-bats and right now he’s had a good start,” Roberts said.

Muncy’s first homer in the second inning was his 211th as a Dodger. He overtook Steve Garvey for sole possession of third place on Los Angeles’ career list with his second shot in the fourth. He trails only Ron Cey (228) and Eric Karros (270).

“Garvey is kind of a Dodger icon, the way he carried himself, the way he played the game, just a model of consistency,” Muncy said. “He really embodied what being a Dodger was and so to pass him, it’s something that’s really, really special to me. Hopefully, I can keep climbing.”

Muncy is the first player with three home runs, including a walk-off, since Jack Suwinski on June 19, 2022, and the second Dodger since Don Demeter in 1959.

He finished 4-for-5 with five runs and three RBIs in his 20th career multihomer game. His walk-off homer was his sixth such hit and seventh walk-off RBI with the Dodgers. Now in his ninth season, he’s the longest-tenured current player on the roster.

The Dodgers gave Muncy a one-year contract extension in the offseason that keeps him under team control through 2028, which Roberts believes freed his mind and allowed him to focus on playing.

“He knows that we believe in him and we’ve showed that many times over, so I think there’s some peace with that,” Roberts said.

In 2021, Muncy suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and a dislocated left elbow on the last day of the regular season in a collision at first base. It caused him to miss the entire postseason and required a slow rehab process into the start of 2022.

“I just feel healthy, that’s kind of the most important thing right now,” he said. “I feel like I’m moving really well, I feel like I’m getting good reads on the ball. Most important, my feet are moving on every ground ball and that’s something I’ve always struggled with in the past. I just get stuck a little bit and that puts me in bad position on certain hops.”

Muncy came into spring training 17 pounds lighter after watching his diet in the offseason. His biggest sacrifice was cutting back on bread.

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“That’s a hard thing in our family,” he said. “We really love bread.”

Instead of focusing on strength training, he emphasized mobility and running to improve his range.

“I’ve always said when I can drive the ball to left-center, that’s when my swing is at my best,” he said. “That’s telling me what I’m doing is in a really good spot.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb