The Los Angeles Dodgers walked off the Colorado Rockies in an 8-7 win on Monday night, and Dalton Rushing was in the middle of all of the action.
Not only did Rushing deliver the walk-off single in the 11th inning, but he also once again had to answer for a controversial exchange during the game. In the top of the 10th inning, Cole Carrigg took exception to Rushing blocking the plate before attempting to apply a tag. Carrigg came sliding into home plate feet-first and ran into Rushing.
He got up and said something, and Rushing immediately stood up and started exchanging words with him. The dugouts began to clear before the two were split up.
"It was the competitive nature of the game," Rushing said after the game. "You're making a play on the ball, take it the wrong way. I didn't mean any harm by the tag or the way I reacted to the ball."
Once again, Rushing chalks up the situation as just competitiveness, but this is starting to become a pattern for him. With Will Smith not having played in over a month, Rushing has gotten more run than many expected. He is playing well, but oftentimes finds himself in headlines for the wrong reason.
However, he is a winning player. He has an .850 OPS and is proving why he was the team's top prospect at one point in time. He is playing well, and it will be hard to keep him out of the lineup when Smith is back.