The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak in improbable fashion against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday evening at Chase Field.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, one of the club’s more reliable starting pitchers in thus far, recorded just four outs before being removed from his outing with a left groin strain.
This, after the Dodgers recently lost Corey Seager for the remainder of the season due to his need to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL. In the face of adversity, the Dodgers’ bullpen put forth its best performance of the season.
The group allowed just one run over 7.1 innings to cement a much-needed victory. Defense also played a major role in the contest, and that was evident in the eighth inning with Josh Fields on the mound.
With runners at the corners and one out, Kiké Hernandez, at shortstop, turned a terrific double play to end the Diamondbacks’ scoring threat.
After the win, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offered high praise for Hernandez’s defensive gem, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“Up to this point,” Roberts said, “it’s the play of the year. I count on him a lot, and that backhand play was unbelievable. Josh was beginning to get stressed, and for [Hernandez] to bail him out for two outs on one pitch, he’s a special player.”
Had Hernandez misplayed the hard ground ball off the bat of A.J. Pollock, or even took an extra second on his delivery to second base, the Diamondbacks would’ve cracked the scoreboard an inning sooner and potentially strung together a rally.
Not only that, but Hernandez’s stop allowed the Dodgers to carry their 2-0 lead into the ninth inning. That’s nothing short of significant, as the extra cushion enabled Kenley Jansen to record his fourth save of the season despite allowing the Diamondbacks’ lone run of the game.
