NEW YORK —
The Dodgers are on the verge of their second World Sequence championship in 5 years. They might be on the verge of their third title in eight years however (insert trash can banging sound right here).
The 2017 Houston Astros will endlessly dwell in infamy. Simply ask Clayton Kershaw.
You would possibly say the Astros’ championship rings are tainted. The Dodgers’ left fielder owns certainly one of them.
Teoscar Hernández performed one recreation for the 2017 Astros. He received known as up from the minor leagues at some point, received harm the identical day, and later returned to the minors. Three months later, the Astros traded him for pitcher Francisco Liriano.
In Hernández’s dwelling within the Dominican Republic, he proudly retains his Astros championship ring. He stated Jose Altuve pushed for the Astros to award him a hoop.
On Tuesday, Hernández will get the prospect for which he has waited, about which he has dreamed, for seven years now: to play for a championship workforce within the championship sequence, to get pleasure from that dogpile, to earn a hoop in recognition of a World Sequence wherein he participated.
“That,” he stated Monday, “would be huge.”
On Monday, an evening wherein the Dodgers confirmed off their defensive prowess in shifting inside one recreation of a sweep of the New York Yankees, Hernández delivered the play of the sport.
Within the fourth inning, with the Dodgers main, 3-0, Hernández threw out Giancarlo Stanton, who was making an attempt to attain from second base on a two-out single.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith catches a throw from Teoscar Hernández to tag out Yankees runner Giancarlo Stanton at dwelling plate within the fourth inning of Sport 3 of the World Sequence.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
“As a player, you anticipate those kinds of plays,” Hernández stated. “I got the perfect line drive, one hop, and I could make a good throw.”
If Stanton had scored, the Yankees would have introduced the potential tying run to the plate. From that time on, they by no means did.
“That play was huge for us,” Kiké Hernández stated. “If that run scores, that team gets a lot of life. That stadium gets a lot of life. It was very important for us. Zero runs at that point.
“I would say that play, if we do what we’re trying to do, we’ll look back at what happened in the series, and that’s going to be a very underrated play.”
At shortstop, Tommy Edman saved pitcher Brusdar Graterol by leaping excessive to catch an ill-advised throw and descending to nick second base for a power play. In proper subject, Mookie Betts robbed Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a nifty diving catch.
“The Mookie play was interesting,” pitcher Walker Buehler stated. “Obviously the ball is spinning a little weird, and [he] kind of stepped back for a second and made the play. He’s won a few Gold Gloves out there, so that’s something we kind of expect from him.
“Teo threw Stanton out at home and I got in the dugout and I said, ‘They don’t know about you in New York.’ ”
Betts has six Gold Gloves. The Dodgers eliminated Hernández for defensive functions within the eighth inning of Monday’s recreation.
Aaron Boone, the Yankees’ supervisor, stated after the sport that his workforce needed to problem Hernández, notably since he needed to hustle to his proper to subject the ball.
Though Hernández may not be probably the most acrobatic fielder, he led American League outfielders in assists final 12 months. In 4 of the previous six years, he has ranked among the many prime three.
The throw with which he nailed Stanton was clocked at 94 mph, his quickest throw of the season. He didn’t know that till after the sport, however he smiled when he heard about it. The World Sequence is all palms on deck, and Hernández stated he might even pitch an inning if needed.
“If they need me to so we can win, yeah,” he stated.
Hernández, 32, who signed a one-year contract with the Dodgers final January, made the All-Star workforce and hit 33 dwelling runs, not counting all those he hit to win the house run derby. He would very very like to stick with the Dodgers, for a very long time.
“Just because of the group,” he stated. “This group is really special. They don’t play for themselves. They play for the whole group. Everything that we are going to do together, we do as a group. There’s not anybody thinking about their numbers. It’s just about winning.”
The New York Put up reported Sunday that the Dodgers “have interest” in signing Yankees star Juan Soto, 26, who presumably would displace Hernández in left subject. Right here’s the factor: The Dodgers have curiosity in nearly each nice participant. They’ll afford to signal whoever they need. They could significantly entertain Soto, or they won’t, however they definitely would love brokers and rival groups to assume they might.
Free company begins the day after the World Sequence ends, and the Dodgers would love the World Sequence to finish Tuesday. There isn’t a hurry. Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, prefers to take his time in free company.
That might take months. For Hernández and the Dodgers, there might be a parade this week.
