It has been a stretch to remember for Teoscar Hernandez, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ power hitter will be out for more on Tuesday in the second contest of a four-game series against the visiting San Francisco Giants.
Hernandez belted a home run to go along with a pair of RBI singles to give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the rival Giants on Monday. The effort came a week to the day that Hernandez won the Home Run Derby at Arlington, Texas.
On his go-ahead single in the eighth inning Monday, Hernandez slammed his bat, thumped his chest twice while running to first base and roared toward the Dodgers’ dugout after reaching the bag.
“In big moments, I try to calm myself down so that I can do my job and that’s what I did today,” Hernandez said on the SportsNet LA broadcast. “I didn’t change my swing in the derby. I tried to go nice and easy; I know I have power. … I think that fixed my swing, honestly, to get the ball in the air.”
A day after Dodgers right-hander River Ryan made his major league debut by allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings, Los Angeles will send another rookie to the mound in right-hander Landon Knack.
Knack (1-2, 3.23 ERA) has been effective in eight outings (seven starts) this season. He had a start at San Francisco on June 28 and gave up one run on five hits over 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision. The Dodgers lost the game 5-3.
It could be his last chance to contribute for some time. Knack’s outing comes one day before Tyler Glasnow comes off the injured list to start against the Giants and Clayton Kershaw makes his season debut one day later following shoulder surgery.
“It’s a big week,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Getting our pitching back in line, it’s just starting to look more like our ballclub.”
The Giants are set to send right-hander Jordan Hicks (4-6, 3.79) to the mound Tuesday. Hicks has not earned a win in any of his last nine starts, going 0-5 with a 5.57 ERA in that stretch. In two July starts, he is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA (9 1/3 innings).
Hicks has a 1.23 ERA without record a decision in nine career appearances (two starts) against Los Angeles.
Like the Dodgers, the Giants are in the midst of a rotation adjustment. Left-hander Robbie Ray is set to make his San Francisco debut Wednesday after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Logan Webb will move ahead of Kyle Harrison and start in the series finale Thursday.
The Giants could benefit from some offensive consistency after going 1-3 since the All-Star break. Rookie Tyler Fitzgerald is doing all he can with a home run in each of the four games. It is the longest San Francisco home-run streak since Brandon Belt also went four games in May 2018.
But San Francisco went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position during the one-run loss Monday.
“I’m feeling pretty good and just trying to hit their mistakes,” Fitzgerald said of opposing pitchers. “Taking a lot of swings and getting here early and preparing the right way and going about it the right way. Just taking advantage of how I feel right now because in this game it never lasts. Just try to see it and take good swings.”
–Field Level Media
