Overview
- On Thursday night Hernández ripped a full-count sinker into the left-center gap for a two-run walk-off double that gave the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the Cardinals and prevented a three-game sweep.
- Hernández had returned from a left hamstring strain in late June and struggled through a long slump, hitting about .210 with a .592 OPS over 47 games before showing signs of recovery in recent contests.
- Manager Dave Roberts said the club had considered a left-field platoon after Hernández’s struggles but declined to add another outfielder when rosters expanded because he wanted to give Hernández more runway.
- The walk-off was the Dodgers’ lone hit with runners in scoring position that night and ended a stretch of multiple hitless RISP opportunities, delivering a rare clutch result from a lineup that has been uneven since July.
- The win moved Los Angeles to 83-57 and preserved a 9½-game NL West lead, but Roberts stressed that playing time will be driven by performance and Hernández’s recent surge could influence roster decisions as the postseason approaches.