Yelich gets redemption with homecoming HR

LOS ANGELES -- The game went full circle for left fielder Christian Yelich on Monday. The 23-year-old committed an error that allowed the go-ahead run to score in the seventh inning, but in the ninth inning, he connected on a two-run homer that momentarily gave Miami the lead.

The Marlins ended up losing, 5-3, to the Dodgers on Scott Van Slyke's three-run, walk-off homer off Steve Cishek in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium.

For Yelich, the game had additional meaning because he is playing close to home, and he had family and friends at the park.

"A lot of friends and family," said Yelich, from Thousand Oaks, Calif. "It's always special playing in this ballpark. Hitting a home run is extra special. Unfortunately we weren't about to pull off the 'W' tonight. It's always a surreal thing. This is the stadium where I went to most of my big league games growing up. It's always special for me to come back and play here."

In the seventh inning, Yelich misplayed Van Slyke's single, which allowed him to take second. Joc Pederson's two-out RBI single scored Van Slyke with an unearned run that put Los Angeles ahead, 2-1.

"I was pretty much the reason why we were losing going into the ninth inning," Yelich said. "That's never a good feeling. I was hoping somebody would get on base so we would have a chance for somebody to do something. I was able to redeem myself. I was finally able to put a good swing on the ball."