The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a series win over the San Francisco Giants in the final game of the four they played, and it was an unlikely hero who fueled them to victory.
With a tie game in the eighth inning, Nick Ahmed blasted his second homer of the season and first with the Dodgers to put them ahead, 5-4. Ahmed was just signed by the club one day prior, and hewas facing the team who released him roughly two weeks ago.
“I mean, it’s fun,” Ahmed said of getting some revenge. “I’ve got a lot of great friends and teammates over there that I love. Those are good guys, but now I’m trying to beat them. So it’s a lot of fun. It’s funny how the timing worked out and just excited to help us win a game today.”
Ahmed has never been known for his bat, which made his late-inning heroics all the more unlikely. From March 28 to July 24, he hit just one home run.
Still, Ahmed has been a quality defender at a premium position, and that has earned him a long career in the Majors. With Miguel Rojas out for the foreseeable future and Mookie Betts still on the injured list, Ahmed is expected to be the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop moving forward.
“That’s what I’m here to do, I’m here to play my game, help us win games,” Ahmed said. “I love that we’re a winning team here, bring a championship hopefully in a couple months here. So just doing my job, going out and playing defense and trying to compete at the plate.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was also happy to see Ahmed contribute and noted the quick production with his new team could help the veteran shortstop moving forward.
“It was big. We needed it,” Roberts said. “Just to have essentially a Gold Glove shortstop fall in our lap, and we lose Chris Taylor the same night we acquire him, and for him to come out there and hit a go-ahead homer against his old team, I’m sure that felt good for him.
“And he knows this division inside and out. He’s a Major League player, he’s a winning, championship-caliber player, and so we just got better. I’m happy for him. And I think also, a new ball club, regardless of familiarity, you feel good that you contributed.
“So I think that it makes him feel like I’m a part of this group that wants me, that needs me, and he can kind of take off from there.”
Ahmed now has three hits in seven plate appearances for the Dodgers and two runs scored. While that is a very small sample size, Ahmed feels he’s made some progress with his swing that has potentially unlocked some extra offense for him.
“Honestly, right before the Giants let me go, I feel like I was in a good spot,” he said. “Came back from an injury. I didn’t feel great right away, but made some adjustments the day before I actually got let go, and then kind of carried that into the two weeks that I was down.
“So I feel like the swing’s in a good spot. I always kind of hit a midseason stride I feel like, and summer is usually my best months. So excited to just keep rolling with that and I keep things simple at the plate.”
Nick Ahmed happy to be teammates with Clayton Kershaw
Ahmed has spent all of his career in the National League West, starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks and staying there until he joined the Giants this year. With 11 years of experience in the division, he has faced the Dodgers, and specifically Clayton Kershaw, plenty of times.
But as Kershaw made his return to the mound on Thursday, Ahmed finally had the chance to be his teammate, and he was thankful for that.
“Yeah, I got a lot of at-bats off of him, faced him for a lot of years, but I’m glad I don’t have to hit that slider anymore,” Ahmed said. “Just watching him compete over the years, it’s been really special. To play behind him is an honor.”
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