It looked like the Blue Jays were poised to at least force extra innings on Friday night, but then the scariest play of all happened.
With one out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth inning, Kike Hernandez made a running catch on a line drive off of Andres Gimenez’s bat. From there, he threw to second base, where Miguel Rojas made an impressive pick to double off Addison Barger.
The game finished 3-1 for a Dodgers win, and we have a Game 7 on Saturday night.
Hernandez talked to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal after the game and explained how he put himself in a position to make that play.
Kiké Hernández turns incredible double play from left field to send Dodgers to Game 7 against Blue Jays
Kiké Hernández turned a double play from left field that sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
With the potential tying run on second base, Hernandez said he wasn’t playing his normal depth in left field to make sure he had a play at the plate on a hit in front of him.
“I was playing a little more shallow than the card wanted me to,” Hernandez said. “… If he hits it over my head, kudos to him, but his pop is more to the pull side.”
After Gimenez made contact, it wasn’t a routine play for Hernandez, whose sight of the ball wasn’t clear.
“Somehow I was able to hear that the bat broke, even with that crowd,” Hernandez said. “The crazy thing is I had no idea where the ball was ’cause it was in the lights the whole time.”
The catch was relatively routine, given the impressive jump Hernandez got on the ball, but the most impressive part of the play may have come from Rojas.
Rojas was making his first start since the National League Division Series against the Phillies. The veteran showed off the leather when Hernandez gave him a less-than-perfect throw at second base.
“I thought I long-hopped it, but I gave him a really hard throw to catch,” Hernandez said.
Rojas made the pick, Barger was out, and that double play meant we have a Game 7 on Saturday night in Toronto.
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