The Los Angeles Dodgers played their quickest game of the spring on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Seattle Mariners, 2-0, at Camelback Ranch in a game that lasted just over two hours.
The story of the afternoon was the Dodgers pitching staff, who shut the Mariners down and limited them to just four hits. Kenta Maeda made the start and got things rolling with three perfect innings.
Offensively, the Dodgers could only muster four hits of their own, although two of them were big ones off the bat of Kiké Hernandez.
Getting his first opportunity to bat in the leadoff spot, Hernandez did not waste any time getting his team on the scoreboard as he launched a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning off Mariners prospect Erik Swanson. The long ball was Hernandez’s first of the spring.
Leadoff man: @kikehndez pic.twitter.com/v3PBJzLbFu
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 9, 2019
Hernandez followed up that home run with another one in his second at-bat, accounting for the only two runs of the game.
Second homer of the day? That's light work for @kikehndez. pic.twitter.com/m0pt89krOZ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 9, 2019
This spring has been a monster one for Hernandez to this point as he is hitting a blistering .435 with a 1.288 on-base plus slugging percentage in nine games.
Whether it be as the team’s starting second baseman or as a utility player that moves around positions, Hernandez will likely get an opportunity to play just about every day this season for the Dodgers if he continues to swing the bat like this.
