LOS ANGELES -- Returning home to Chavez Ravine provided the Dodgers with the exact reset they needed on Monday night.
With the Dodgers working through a demanding stretch and searching for a spark to respond after dropping three consecutive series, the stage was set for Max Muncy on his own bobblehead giveaway night -- before Freddie Freeman delivered the decisive blow to secure a 6-5 victory over the Royals.
After Tarik Skubal fell behind early in his Dodgers home debut, Los Angeles battled through six tight innings before finding the dramatic swing it had been seeking in the bottom of the sixth.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Muncy lined a bases-clearing three-run double off Kansas City reliever John Schreiber to right field. The clutch hit brought home Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas and pinch-hitter Kyle Tucker, electrifying the Dodger Stadium crowd and surging the Dodgers to a 5-3 lead.
However, after Kansas City answered with a game-tying two-run home run from Kyle Isbel in the top of the seventh, the Dodgers needed another response in the bottom half.
Shohei Ohtani sparked the rally by lining a single to center and swiping second base. Freeman then stepped to the plate and delivered the go-ahead RBI single off Alex Lange, driving in Ohtani to break the 5-5 tie and put Los Angeles back on top for good.
Tanner Scott ensured that lead held in the top of the eighth, taking over on the mound and inducing a slick inning-ending 1-4-3 double play to escape trouble after a one-out walk, paving the way for Edwin Díaz to lock down the win with a clean ninth inning.
Through clutch hits and answers every time Kansas City made a push, the Dodgers delivered that exact urgency on Monday night -- using a pair of signature swings from Muncy and Freeman to start the homestand on the right foot.