The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the middle of a highly-anticipated series with the New York Yankees, and through two games, the player who has stepped up in the biggest way has been Teoscar Hernandez. After hitting what would eventually end up being a game-winning two-run double in the series opener, Hernandez again powered the Dodgers to victory on Saturday night with a two-home run, six-RBI performance.
Hernandez has played against the Yankees quite a bit throughout his career, but in what many fans believe could end up being a World Series preview, this regular season series has had a different feel to it. That was something that Hernandez ended up noting after his latest heroics for Los Angeles, and it's not too hard to see why he feels this way.
Teoscar Hernandez continues to deliver in a big way for the Dodgers
On a team with sluggers like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, it's been interesting to see Hernandez stepping up and delivering in the biggest moments for Los Angeles in this series. That goes to show just how deep, and really how scary, this Dodgers lineup is when they are firing on all cylinders.
Hernandez signed with LA in free agency, and has promptly put together a strong start to his first campaign on the west coast (.262 BA, 15 HR, 47 RBI, .831 OPS). There's no doubt that Hernandez has benefitted from batting in the same lineup as the aforementioned superstars, but in some ways, he's been better than advertised so far for LA.
With a 41-25 record now, the Dodgers are cruising through the National League West, which is pretty much what they were expected to do this season. Sure, they have some holes on their roster just like every other team, but with guys like Hernandez stepping up in a big way, that is going to make them even tougher to beat, especially once the postseason rolls around.
In some ways, Hernandez's strong start to the season has been overlooked due to how good Ohtani and Betts have been, but make no mistake; he's a crucial piece when it comes to their championship quest this year. It's been great to see him come through in the clutch against the Yankees, and the hope is that he will continue to do so throughout the remainder of the year.
The Dodgers will now look to complete their sweep of the Yankees on Sunday night, and it would be a big statement victory for them to take down one of the top title contenders in the American League in this sort of fashion. And after he's stepped up in the first two games, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Hernandez once again make a big play to help the Dodgers pick up yet another win.
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