LOS ANGELES-- If in the beginning you don't prosper-- put a runner on 2nd base and keep attempting.

The Dodgers blew leads in the ninth and eighth innings Monday night, fell behind in the 10th, connected it in the bottom of the 10th and won it in the 12th on a walk-off walk by Trayce Thompson. The 9-8 success over the Minnesota Twins extended the Dodgers' winning streak to six video games.

Thompson still doesn't have a hit since April 17, going 0 for 30 ever since. But he worked a two-out, full-count walk with the bases packed in the 12th against Twins reliever Jorge Lopez.

The bullpen had been solid during the winning streak. A run-scoring wild pitch by Caleb Ferguson in the seventh inning snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak by Dodgers relievers. But they allowed 6 runs in a four-inning period, making an early 5-1 lead vanish.

The biggest hero of the night was Dodgers reducer Phil Bickford who pitched a career-high 3 innings (48 pitches), stranding seven baserunners in that time while putting up scoreless innings in the 12th and 11th.

While the Dodgers were rising with 13 wins in their 15 video games prior to Monday, Max Muncy was coughing and sniffling his way through a 6-for-49 slump with just one crowning achievement. A flu bug that really took hold throughout the Dodgers' series in San Diego left him at less than complete strength.

He took two healthy cuts Monday against right-hander Pablo Lopez, driving in 3 runs with 2 crowning achievement as the Dodgers bolted to that early lead.

Muncy's very first crowning achievement given that his walk-off grand slam on May 3 leap-frogged him past the New York Mets' Pete Alonso and back into the MLB lead with 14 this season. It was his 13th profession multi-homer game and his 4th this season.

Add in a two-run crowning achievement by Will Smith and Noah Syndergaard had an early cushion. He wasn't around long to enjoy it.

Beginning for the first time because a bloody blister restricted him to one inning in Milwaukee last week and just the 2nd time in two weeks after being skipped in the rotation, Syndergaard flashed improved speed in the first inning, balancing 93.7 mph on his first seven fastballs (up from an average of 91 mph in his first six starts this season).

That dipped as he got much deeper into the game and the Twins bunched three hits and a stolen base-- the 10th versus Syndergaard this season-- to score a run in the 2nd. Jorge Polanco took Syndergaard deep for a solo crowning achievement in the 4th.

Syndergaard didn't go any farther. He came out of the game after 4 innings and 59 pitches.

Freddie Freeman contributed to the lead with an RBI double in the seventh. In the 8th, though, an inadequate Yency Almonte was strafed for a single, a double and a three-run home run by Trevor Larnach that left the bat at 112 miles per hour and tied the score when it landed in the right field structure.

Miguel Vargas and David Peralta untied it with back-to-back two-out doubles in the bottom of the 8th. The Twins matched that in the ninth against Evan Phillips. Correa drew a walk and pinch-runner Michael A. Taylor scored from first on Byron Buxton's double.

In the 10th, the Twins developed their first lead of the video game without leaving the convenience of the infield. Bickford walked Kyle Farmer to put two runners on then hesitated on Willi Castro's bunt, aiming to third base prior to throwing late to first base.

With the bases loaded, Bickford walked the No. 9 hitter, catcher Christian Vazquez, to push throughout the go-ahead run. Bickford got away with two strikeouts and a fly out.

Smoke-throwing Twins reliever Jhoan Duran balanced 102.1 miles per hour on his fastball over 2 innings but talented J.D. Martinez a curveball that he dropped in center field to drive in the totally free runner from second and connect the score again in the bottom of the 10th.

Bickford stranded 2 more runners in the 11th and once again in the 12th.

More to come on this story.

Will Smith starts the video game off hot! pic.twitter.com/4EpCcbLn7Y

—-- SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 16, 2023

Max sends it to the crowd! pic.twitter.com/3Ds4kWR2aK

—-- SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 16, 2023

Max Muncy, your MLB home run leader. pic.twitter.com/ySmxHqIO68

—-- Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 16, 2023

David clutch! pic.twitter.com/NtFynzlPI8

—-- Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 16, 2023

CONNECT GAME. pic.twitter.com/uxGgqZurWY

—-- Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 16, 2023

VIDEO GAME. pic.twitter.com/ejXnKtVBMj

—-- Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 16, 2023