Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — I’ve always like Kike Hernandez and Alex Verdugo. They both brought a fire and enthusiasm to the Dodgers’ lineup that I have missed in their absence. Mookie is great, don’t get me wrong, but he is not a rah-rah guy like those other two players are. And while I’m absolutely glad we traded for Mookie Betts, Alex Verdugo showed tonight how Boston didn’t do so badly in that deal either.
Hernandez with the glove
Technically, Kike Hernandez was NOT part of the Mookie Betts deal. He just happened to end up on the Red Sox through free agency at the end of last season. However, he too made an impact on the American League Wild Card game as well. Hernandez’s most important contribution on the evening was with his glove, as he played solid centerfield and got a lot of business the way Nathan Eovaldi was dealing on Tuesday night.
But Hernandez was also responsible for starting the key defensive play of the game. With Aaron Judge on first base in the top of the sixth, Giancarlo Stanton hit a smash high off the face of the green monster in left centerfield. Hernandez scooped it up and drilled a perfect one-hop strike to relay man Xander Boegarts, who turned and whipped the ball home just in time to nip Judge at the plate. What could have been a lead cut to 3-2 now remained at 3-1, and the Yanks were quickly running out of time.
Verdugo with the bat
Verdugo, on the other hand, made a huge impact with his bat. He went 2-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI on the night, and almost single-handedly put the game on ice for the Bosox. With Boston leading 3-1 in the sixth, Verdugo barreled up a pitch from Luis Severino for a double to right to score a run. Then, in the next inning, Verdugo put a dagger through the Yankees’ heart with a two-out, two-run single that made the score 6-1.
Congrats, Kike and Alex. No go beat those Rays for us! Here are the full highlights:
