The Los Angeles Dodgers went into Monday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins playing their best baseball of the young season, as winners in six of their last seven games.
They were able to extend that to seven of eight, defeating Miami, 2-1, on the night of top prospect Walker Buehler’s first career Major League start. Buehler tossed five shutout innings, giving up four hits and striking out five while walking three.
He got some help from his defense early, as Kiké Hernandez robbed Miguel Rojas of a hit to end the second inning and then came back and made another web gem in the third.
“They don’t do those very much in Low-A ball,” Buehler said of the leather Hernandez flashed. “These guys are really good. I was lucky to have them behind me tonight, especially when I wasn’t getting guys out. They saved me.”
Hernandez, who has already played six different positions this season, has proven that he is capable of filling in anywhere needed, and Monday night that was at shortstop with Corey Seager not in the starting lineup.
Something else that Hernandez proved on the evening was that he is not only known for his glove. He took Marlins starter Jarlin Garcia deep to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. It also was the team’s first hit.
Take a bow, @kikehndez. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/7tPPQjTEY9
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 24, 2018
Hernandez later had an opposite-field single and a bunt single on a sacrifice attempt in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The winning run for the Dodgers came across in that eighth inning when Cody Bellinger hit a rocket to right field, resulting in a sacrifice fly to give Los Angeles the 2-1 victory.
🔥 #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/msDRh6xydl
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 24, 2018
