On July 2, Dodgerland was hit by a storm. First, Clayton Kershaw struck out his 3,000th batter, making baseball history. Then, Max Muncy fell to the ground, and his pain beneath the lights made the crowd quiver. And now, the Dodgers’ 3B has opened up about his thoughts on that crazy night.

Max Muncy was lying on the dirt at third base, his left knee hurting after a collision with Michael A. And then, there was Kershaw, just one strikeout away from achieving the 3000 Ks of his career. All that rolled in a mixed bag of emotions for Muncy.

In a candid conversation with Foul Territory, AJ Pierzynski recalled that night and asked Max Muncy if Kershaw came in to check on him or “was he all enthralled” about the achievement. A smiling Muncy responded, “Kersh came running up and gave me a big hug… I was telling him, ‘Congrats,’ and he was sitting there saying, ‘Dude, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’ I’m like, ‘What are you sorry for? It’s not your fault!’ He goes, ‘No, I let the guy get on second. I’m sorry.’ And I was like, ‘Dude, it’s not your fault, man!’… But he came up and gave me a big hug.”

And well, as per AJ, it was pretty obvious! “I would expect nothing less from Kersh, by the way, for him to run up and drop everything, and give you a big hug,” exclaimed Pierzynski.

Muncy also shared, “Freddie came running up and gave me a hug. Shohei was looking for me. You know, that made me feel pretty good that the guys were coming up to check on me… And specially for Kersh in that moment to come and give me a hug… that was awesome!” And that continued with Muncy’s regrets. “I wanted to give him a hug on the field, congratulate him, but uh, obviously, I wasn’t out there.” Well, that’s the Boys in Blue for you. In fact, this whole conversation was initiated with Muncy’s regrets only…

Erik Kratz first began the conversation with how he was feeling when he was sitting there on the table, and the staff was helping him off the field. And more than the injury, he was focused on Clayton Kershaw. “Well, it was kind of a wide range… I’m down underneath, getting the X-rays, and I hear the stadium kind of go nuts. So, my first real emotion was, ‘Damn it! I missed Kershaw’s 3000.’ I wanted to be out there for it. I wanted to give him a big hug, and I missed it. Like that was the first thing…,” recalled Muncy. All he could think about was the game and getting out there on the field again.

In fact, he was so invested in everything that was happening on the field that the same night, he couldn’t recall if he felt a “pop” after the injury!

Even though Muncy was happy for his teammate’s success, medical reality couldn’t be ignored. With a bone bruise in his left knee, the 3B will be out for six weeks. He won’t be able to play until about the middle of August.

And maybe, the Dodgers are missing him more than ever, especially after their 6-game losing skid.

Max Muncy down, Dodgers in slump: Six straight losses

The Dodgers have had a hard time getting back on track. Max Muncy got injured in his left knee on July 3. Since then, they have lost six games in a row. Back-to-back sweep first from the Astros and now from the Brewers. And it’s the first time since April 2019 that the Boys in Blue have lost 6 games in a row. On July 9, the Brewers won the game by 3–2.

Milwaukee won the series with a walk-off single in the 10th inning. Even though Tyler Glasnow and others pitched well, the Dodgers’ offense only scored two runs, and their bullpen couldn’t hold the tie late in the game. And it’s not what the Dodgers are known for.

It’s apparent that Max Muncy’s absence has affected both the lineup and the team’s morale. He had been on fire since May, hitting .329/.425/.570 with 8 home runs and 27 runs batted in. LA’s offense is less dynamic and thinner without him.

The Dodgers need to find new ways to put a stop to this stretch. They’ll need to act soon, either by getting younger players to step up or by tightening up the bullpen.