The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks were in a fierce battle, tied at five with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday. But when Teoscar Hernandez stepped to plate, he managed to send all the Dodgers faithful in attendance home happy.
Hernandez hit a single through the left side of the infield, scoring Freddie Freeman and giving Los Angeles a 6-5 victory. After the game, the Dodgers' social media account had just one request in return for the win.
“Get this man to the All-Star Game,” LA posted on their X account.
That ninth inning single wasn't Hernandez's only impact against the Diamondbacks. He led off the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning and an RBI fielder's choice just one inning later. He ended the game going 3-for-5 with three RBI.
The Dodgers were in pole position through the first three innings, but the Diamondbacks battled back to tie things up at two before taking a 3-2 lead. LA willed themselves back to go up 4-3, but then Arizona scored runs in the eighth and ninth to take a 5-4 lead into the final frame.
But with Hernandez's heroics, the Dodgers won their 53rd game of the season. With their 53-33 record, Los Angeles holds an overall record of 53-33 and holds an 8.5 game lead over Arizona and everyone else in the NL West.
While it was a rollercoaster, the Dodgers still came away with a W. If Teoscar Hernandez keeps hitting how he has, LA will be racking up many more wins without all the drama.
Teoscar Hernandez joins in on Dodgers demolition
The Dodgers were lauded for their offseason which saw them bring in the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. While he signed a $23.5 million contract, Hernandez did not get the same hype as his fellow free agent additions. The outfielder is making sure that everybody is talking about him now.
Through his first 83 games in Los Angeles, Hernandez is hitting .248 with 18 home runs 55 RBI and four stolen bases. While the Dodgers will want him to up his average, they won't be complaining about his home runs.
Hernandez is second on the team in long balls behind just Shohei Ohtani's 26. Power has been Hernandez's highlight quality since 2018, where he has at least 16 home runs every game. In seasons in which the outfielder has played in 100+ games, he has hit no fewer than 22 home runs.
Los Angeles' offense has been a key factor in their rise to the top of MLB. The Dodgers rank third in runs scored (436) and home runs (114) and fifth in batting average (.257). They'll look to close out the regular season reaching those highs before attacking the playoffs with vengeance.
Teoscar Hernandez has now become a key member of LA's World Series pursuit. While they'll have to worry about his free agency after the season, all they care about is winning right now. Their matchup against the Diamondbacks proved why the Dodgers' Hernandez deal was worth it.
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