Another loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks would’ve offset progress the Los Dodgers made over the past week and put pressure on them to come up with back-to-back wins to split the four-game series at Dodger Stadium.
Despite Hyun-Jin Ryu putting together another strong start, the Dodgers were headed toward a second straight loss to the National League West leaders. Kiké Hernandez changed some of their fortune when he pinch-hit for Ryu with two outs in the seventh and slugged a game-tying home run.
Greinke curiously was allowed to bat for himself in the eighth, and he laid down a sacrifice bunt. Then, despite a high pitch count, Greinke took the mound in the bottom of the inning with Justin Turner, Manny Machado and Cody Bellinger due up.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was quickly put in hot water as Turner crushed Greinke’s first pitch halfway up the pavilion in left field for a go-ahead home run.
While that proved to be the difference for the Dodgers, Turner was more excited for what Hernandez did than his own home run, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“I think I was more excited for Kiké’s homer. Pinch-hitting, hitting a two-strike opposite-field homer, pretty impressive. I think that got everyone pretty fired up.”
The home run was Hernandez’s 19th of the season and second as a pinch-hitter. Meanwhile, the blast was Turner’s 11th this year.
His power has been slow to return because of a fractured left wrist suffered during Spring Training, but Turner finished August as MLB’s leader in batting average and on-base percentage. He’s steadily rounded into form at the plate and is proving to be his usual self in clutch situations.
