Teoscar's impact on Dodgers goes beyond big postseason hits

LOS ANGELES -- As the Dodgers popped champagne after Friday’s Game 5 win over the Padres to advance to the National League Championship Series against the Mets, the club kept talking about the key moments of that series.

Most of those highlights, of course, came during the three games the Dodgers won. But just about every player and executive pointed to a series-shifting moment that happened during the Game 3 loss.

After the Padres landed a big punch with a six-run second inning that sent Petco Park into a frenzy, most people expected the Dodgers to fold. Landing a counterpunch is something Los Angeles hasn’t done the past two postseasons.

This time, however, Teoscar Hernández wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again. Down five runs, Hernández stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded, an opportunity to do damage. He quickly fell behind, 0-2, in the count. He never panicked.

Hernández fouled off a couple of pitches and worked his way back into the count. Then, when Michael King left a sweeper up in the zone, Hernández was ready for the moment, smashing a grand slam to straightaway center field to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run.

The Dodgers went 1-for-21 the rest of the way and lost Game 3, making the grand slam go more unnoticed than it should’ve. But inside the clubhouse, that at-bat stood out more than most.

“We had been in a little bit of a [Division Series] funk, and for the guys that have been here, they could feel that when we got down 2-1. The new guys wanted no part of that,” said Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “Teo hitting that grand slam, even though we lost that game, was meaningful to our dugout.”

Being underrated or having his impact fly under the radar aren’t new to Hernández. All throughout the offseason, the Dodgers made splashes. Their first was landing Shohei Ohtani with a 10-year, $700 million deal. After that, the Dodgers were able to trade for Tyler Glasnow and signed him to an extension. Days later, they secured Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a record $325 million contract.

By the time January rolled around, the Dodgers were already being called a super team. Amidst all that praise, it’s easy to forget Hernández was one of their last, but perhaps most meaningful, acquisitions. Instead of signing a multi-year deal with the Angels or Red Sox, Hernández picked the Dodgers on a one-year deal. He wanted to prove to everyone he was still at the top of his game. Well, mission accomplished.

Hernández hit a career high 33 homers this season and recorded 99 RBIs. He played in 154 games, giving the Dodgers a much-needed healthy bat in the middle of their lineup. In the postseason, he has hit two key homers, including a solo homer in the seventh inning on Friday.

“It feels like every time he’s up with two outs with guys in scoring position, that he’s going to get a hit,” said second baseman Gavin Lux. “He always comes through and he’s been huge. He’s an RBI machine.”

Off the field, Hernández has also been a key piece. In a series against the Mets in late May at Citi Field, Hernández, a Dominican Republic native, huddled up with about five Latin players to share the ups and downs of his baseball journey.

“He’s helped me a ton,” said Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages. “What I love about him is that he’s always happy and positive, no matter what. He’s always giving me advice on how to improve and how to get out of my tough situations so it doesn’t happen to me again. I can’t describe how much he’s helped me.”

Hernández, a pending free agent, has made it clear that he prefers to stay with the Dodgers beyond this year. There were no extension talks during the season, but the outfielder is optimistic the two sides will come together this winter and figure out a deal that works for both sides.

For now, both Hernández and the Dodgers are focused on winning eight more games. If this season has been any indication, Hernández is sure to have his imprints on many more big moments the rest of the way.

“Right now, I’m more worried about what I can do to help this team win,” Hernández said. “Not thinking about what’s going to happen tomorrow. For me, what is the priority is what Teoscar Hernández is going to do to help the Dodgers win today.”