The Los Angeles Dodgers overcame a 3-0 deficit against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night to take the first game of the NLDS.
Before Teoscar Hernández played the role of playoff hero and launched a 394-foot three-run home run in the seventh inning, he was very briefly close to being considered the game’s villain. A second-inning triple from Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto brought in a pair of runs, but many believed that Hernández could have made a play on the ball and at least lessen the blow.
The All-Star right fielder spoke after the game regarding his thought process in that moment.
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“I was playing straight in. I didn’t get a good angle,” said Hernández. “He hit it pretty good. I tried to get it, so he can’t go all the way to third or they can score two runs in that situation. It went by me.”
After the bases-clearing triple, a sacrifice fly would bring Realmuto home and the Dodgers deficit would sit at three runs.
After Kiké Hernández brought in two runs of his own via a sixth inning double, Hernández would step up to the plate an inning later and seemingly make up for his past mistake in the outfield.
“Yeah, at the end of the day, for me, anything that happened before a big moment like that, it’s in the past,” said Hernández. “I try to put it in the trash and just focus on the things that I need to do in that at-bat and especially in place on defense and just trying to help my team.”
This mindset likely contributed to Hernández’s third home run in as many games, and helped the Dodgers take a game in statistically the most difficult environment to win a postseason contest among active MLB stadiums.
Citizens Bank Park held a .659 winning percentage for the Phillies in the postseason since 2004 going into this year’s NLDS. In addition to leading active MLB home fields, it also holds the third-highest winning percentage for a home park in MLB history with a minimum of 20 games played.
More news: Dodgers Beat Phillies in NLDS Game 1 Behind Teoscar, Kiké Hernandez, Take 1-0 Lead
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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