MAX MUNCY DELIVERS WALK-OFF DAGGER AS DODGERS SURVIVE ROYALS IN 10-INNING CLASSIC

LOS ANGELES — If you blinked, you missed the chaos. Max Muncy played hero Tuesday night, lacing a 10th-inning single into the right-center gap that scored Shohei Ohtani from second base and gave the Dodgers a pulse-pounding 5-4 walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals.

Ohtani, who started the inning as the automatic runner, went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts on the night — but none of that mattered when Muncy connected off Lucas Erceg. Walk-off. Ball game. Dodgers celebrate.

Snell Back With a Vengeance

Blake Snell made his long-awaited return from elbow surgery, and he looked like he never left. The lefty spun three-hit ball over six shutout innings, striking out seven of the first 10 batters he faced. He exited with the lead, but the bullpen made things interesting.

Royals Rallied, Then Mookie Answered

Kansas City stormed back in the eighth, scoring three runs off Evan Phillips. A costly fielding error by Andy Pages on a liner from Carter Jensen allowed Jac Caglianone to score from second and put the Royals up 4-3. But Mookie Betts refused to let the Dodgers go quietly, ripping an RBI single off Steven Cruz in the bottom half to tie it at 4-4.

Muncy Seals It

After Seth Halvorsen tossed a scoreless inning in his Dodgers debut to earn his first win, Muncy stepped in with the game on the line. He didn't miss. The ball landed in the gap, Ohtani sprinted home, and the Dodgers escaped with a much-needed victory.

Royals starter Michael Wacha was solid, allowing three runs over 6 2/3 innings with five strikeouts. But in the end, it wasn't enough against a Dodgers lineup that refuses to stay down.

Next up: The series finale Wednesday, with Daniel Lynch IV taking on Eric Lauer. Expect more fireworks.