Heisey's grand performance a relief in whirlwind year
On Thursday, Chris Heisey hit a grand slam for his first home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which provided the game-winning runs. How he got there, though, was quite a journey.
After ace Clayton Kershaw argued with Don Mattingly for pulling him out of the game (WATCH HERE) in the fifth inning with the Dodgers trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-0, the Dodgers embarked on a rally in the bottom the fifth.
Following Howie Kendrick's two-RBI single, Heisey stepped to the plate with the bases loaded after an A.J. Ellis walk and gave the Dodgers' a decisive 6-3 lead with a grand slam that just cleared the left-field wall in Dodger Stadium.
"Heis had a big swing of the bat right there. He's such a gamer, I love Heis," Kershaw said. "For him to do that, with the year he's had, it's been unbelievable."
Heisey's journey to that cathartic moment has been filled with uncertainty and constant flux.
The 30-year-old outfielder was initially picked up by the Dodgers in an offseason trade with the Cincinnati Reds.
He began the season in Triple-A and would make four more trips between the Dodgers' major-league club and the minors by the time summer came around.
Then, on Aug. 7, Heisey was cut by the Dodgers and was picked up a week later by the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays never called him up, and he was then picked up by the Dodgers again at the trade deadline in a deal with the Jays.
A month later, a weight was lifted off his shoulders when he played a vital role for the Dodgers on Thursday.
"It was nice to finally feel like I contributed. I haven't played well and it's frustrating, but it's nice to finally help the team get a win," Heisey said. "I haven't been able to find a consistent rhythm with my swing and my mechanics have been off, but that's just really how it's gone."
While he isn't exactly a household name in Los Angeles, Dodgers faithful in attendance at Thursday's game nonetheless cheered for him to ascend the dugout steps for a curtain call after his grand slam.
"I didn't realize they were doing it until Justin Turner told me to go out there and give them what they wanted," Heisey said.
(h/t MLB.com)
