On Tuesday, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts decided.
A day after Teoscar Hernández returned to the Dodgers’ lineup, activated from the injured listing Monday following a two-week absence due to an adductor pressure, Roberts determined to sit down the veteran slugger for the second of a three-game collection towards the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It was a shock alternative, however with a easy purpose.
Realizing Hernández would play solely twice this week coming off his harm, Roberts wished to make sure he could be obtainable Wednesday to face former Cy Younger Award winner Corbin Burnes.
“I just felt like having him in there tomorrow,” Roberts mentioned Tuesday, “I feel good with.”
Twenty-four hours later, the consequence was even larger than he anticipated.
Within the Dodgers’ 3-1 rubber-match victory over the Diamondbacks, Hernández delivered the night time’s largest swing within the backside of the sixth, taking a wrecking ball to what had been a flawless outing from Burnes with a three-run dwelling run that turned the sport the wrong way up.
Coming into the sixth, the Dodgers (31-19) had managed only one hit towards Burnes, the four-time All-Star and 2021 Cy Younger winner who had simply blanked them over six innings at Chase Area two weekends in the past. They had been in peril of squandering their very own sturdy begin from right-hander Dustin Could, whose solely blemish in a six-inning, eight-strikeout outing got here on a solo dwelling run by Ketel Marte within the fourth. They usually had been staring down a possible collection defeat to the Diamondbacks (26-24), one that might have additional underscored the tight early-season battle they’re going through in a aggressive Nationwide League West.
Second baseman Miguel Rojas stretches out for a ball within the sixth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Occasions)
“Obviously,” Hernández mentioned, “we’re not playing the baseball that we know we can play.”
However on Wednesday, all they wanted was one massive inning to steal one other win.
Miguel Rojas led off the inning with an infield single. Mookie Betts rolled one other base hit by the left facet to place two runners aboard. And with two out, up stepped Hernández, the second-year Dodger who has endeared himself in Los Angeles together with his skill to supply clutch hits and game-changing moments.
“He relishes those spots,” Roberts mentioned. “He’s really in the elite class of the ability to drive in runs.”
After a first-pitch ball, Burnes beat Hernández together with his trademark cutter, dialing up the pitch for consecutive whiffs that put Hernández in a two-strike gap.
Hernández, nevertheless, didn’t panic, despite the fact that he later acknowledged he’s nonetheless working to get his really feel for his swing again.
After his second empty hack, Hernández walked a lap across the hitting circle, referred to as for a timeout and took a deep breath.
Dustin Could gave up just one run in six innings.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
“I chased two out of the strike zone after the first pitch,” Hernández mentioned, “so [I was] just trying to walk around, talking to myself. Stay calm and just try to hit the ball.”
When Hernández dug again in, Burnes fired a slider that didn’t have almost sufficient break. The pitch stayed over the outer half. Hernández barreled it up with a one-handed end. And because the ball sailed out to straightaway middle, he admired all of it the best way, watching his tenth lengthy ball of the season journey each little bit of 413 ft.
“I think that was the only pitch that he missed all night,” Hernández quipped.
It was the one scoring the Dodgers did Wednesday, ending the sport with simply 5 hits.
However between Could’s strong begin (which dropped his ERA to 4.09), a four-out reduction look from Lou Trivino (a latest minor league signing referred to as into motion with the Dodgers woefully quick on right-handed reduction choices), and a bounceback save from nearer Tanner Scott (who gave up two dwelling runs in Tuesday’s come-from-behind win), it proved to be simply sufficient — Hernández’s well-timed time off leading to an excellent better-timed dwelling run.
“It worked out that way, yeah,” Roberts laughed postgame. “It was certainly helpful for him to hit a three-run homer.”
