Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Max Muncy provided most of the offense for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their series-opening win against the Texas Rangers, and it came via a historic three-home run game by the veteran slugger.
Muncy became the first player in MLB history to score five runs, tally four hits, and hit three home runs, including a walk-off homer, in the same game, according to OptaSTATS. In addition, Muncy became the first player to hit three home runs with a walk-off since Jack Suwisnki on June 19, 2022, and the second player in Dodgers franchise history to perform the achievement, along with Don Detmer on April 21, 1959.
“I mean, it’s just special,” Muncy said after the Dodgers’ walk-off win. “Anytime you hit a home run in a big geague game is special, let alone three. It’s the second time I’ve done that, and I still think about the first time I did it. So it’s just a special night, and to get the win on top of it, it’s great.”
Muncy hit his first home run in the second inning to put the Dodgers up 1-0. His second homer came in the fourth inning, which cut the Rangers’ lead to 3-2 after Corey Seager had Texas up with a three-run shot.
Muncy singled to start the eighth inning and came around to score on a homer from Andy Pages, which put the Dodgers up 7-4. However, after Edwin Díaz blew the save in the ninth, Muncy stepped up to the plate with two outs in the bottom half of the frame and slugged a walk-off home run on the third pitch he saw.
“Yeah, that was definitely a pretty cool way to get the third one,” Muncy said of his walk-off blast. “And then, especially with it being off a lefty, all in all, it’s a really special night.”
Muncy entered the game hitting .216/.326/.297, but exited batting .286/.375/.571. He raised his on-base plus slugging by .323 points to .946 in the process.
“Well, I’ll tell you, I think where he’s at mentally, and I say that because even in Toronto, when he wasn’t getting hits, he was telling me numerous times that he’s close,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s like, ‘God, I’m really close.’
“And I think in years past, you see a spike and some anxiousness bleed in, where now he’s in a place where he’s really confident, trusts the process and knows that if he’s in a good place and he’s not getting the results, to kind of stay the course and tonight showed the results. And so I really commend him for that.
“And yeah, he’s just playing the heck out of third base. He’s taking good at-bats, and right now, he’s had a great start to 2026. It’s interesting how a night can change that, so he’s off to a hot start.”
With the three home runs, Muncy also posted his 20th career multi-homer game.
Max Muncy passes Steve Garvey
Muncy’s second home run was number 212 in his tenure with the Dodgers, which moved him up the organization’s record books. With that long ball, he passed Steve Garvey to take sole possession of third place on the all-time Los Angeles Dodgers home run leaderboard.
“That means a lot,” Muncy said. “I told (David) Vassegh down on the field that Garvey is one of those guys that is just kind of a Dodger icon. The way he carried himself, the way he played the game, just a model of consistency.
“You know, what was it, 10 straight All-Star games, and the Gold Gloves, I can’t remember the exact numbers. But he really embodied what being a Dodger was. And so to pass him is something that’s really, really special to me, and it means a lot. And hopefully I can keep climbing.”
Muncy baseman is also sixth in Dodgers franchise history in total home runs, dating back to their time in Brooklyn. Ron Cey is fifth on the list with 228, so Muncy could once again move up this season with 16 more homers.
Roy Campanella checks in at fourth with 242, so if Muncy finishes the season with 34 home runs, he would climb even further. Muncy has reached the 35-homer threshold four times in his career, with a high of 36.
Muncy needs 58 total homers to become the all-time home run leader in Los Angeles franchise leader, and he has at least one more season after 2026 to get there.
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