June 12th, 2017 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka It is an at-bat that is still considered one of, if not the greatest at-bat of all time. It is, of course, Alex Cora‘s famed 18-pitch at-bat in which the former Dodger and current Houston Astros bench coach fouled off 14 consecutive pitches off Cubs right-hander Matt Clement before finally ending the epic battle with a home run into the visiting bullpen at Dodger Stadium on May 12, 2004, and it remains the single greatest at-bat that Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully ever witnessed.
On Sunday afternoon, there was another epic at-bat by a Dodger. And while it only lasted 13 pitches, featured only eight foul balls and eventually ended in a walk, it was perhaps an even greater at-bat than that of Alex Cora 13 years earlier. It was the 13-pitch at-bat by Dodgers utility infielder / outfielder Kiké Hernandez in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Dodgers trailing the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 7-3.
The inning began with Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor grounding out routinely to third off Reds right-hander Austin Brice. This was followed by a towering solo home run by Dodgers rookie phenom Cody Bellinger, his second of the afternoon and team-leading 15th of the season, to make it a 7-4 ballgame. Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal followed with a sharp single to center, prompting Reds manager Bryan Price to pull Brice and call upon his right-handed closer Raisel Iglesias for a five-out save.
…or so he thought.
Iglesias immediately issued a four-pitch walk to Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig to put runners at first and second, still with only one out. This brought Hernandez to the plate, who worked a 1-2 count into a 3-2 count by fouling off eight pitches, including seven in a row during the at-bat. Two of those foul balls were near home runs down the left field line. And though the at-bat ended exactly eight minutes later with the 13th pitch being called a ball by home plate umpire Pat Hoberg that was very close, it loaded the bases and brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate in the form of 38-year-old / 15-year MLB veteran Chase Utley.
Even though the final pitch of Kiké’s outstanding 13-pitch at-bat was very close and a difficult pitch to take, home plate umpire Pat Hoberg called it ball four. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
It was clear to everyone that Iglesias was having a tough time finding the strike zone; clear to everyone except Reds manager Bryan Price.
“I don’t understand why Bryan Price doesn’t have anybody warming up behind Iglesias,” former MLB manager and current Dodgers color commentator Kevin Kennedy said during the radio broadcast. “Just because he’s your closer doesn’t automatically mean that he’s going to finish the game for you. You have to be ready to remove him if he is struggling, and Iglesias is really struggling right now.”
But Bryan Price did not have anybody up in his bullpen and he did not remove Iglesias. Instead, the visibly rattled and obviously tired 27-year-old Isla de la Juventud, Cuba native walked Utley on six pitches to make it a 7-5 ballgame, with Saturday night’s walk-off hero Corey Seager coming to the plate.
As if by fate or destiny or whatever you want to call it, Seager launched Iglesias’ first pitch – an 88-MPH change-up – deep into the Right Field Pavilion for a grand slam home run to give the Dodgers a 9-7 lead and eventual final score.
Without Hernandez’s outstanding 13-pitch at-bat, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager may not have hit his first career grand slam home run on Sunday afternoon. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
“I don’t know the answer but I know there is no quit in our team. We say it every night, our guys play 27 outs,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters after Sunday’s exciting come-from-behind win. “That Kiké at-bat right there, [Iglesias] is a kid that had a microscopic ERA, 95 to 97, devastating slider, and for [Hernandez] to hang in there and continue to win pitches. We talked about continuing to win 90 feet and we can slug as well as anybody, but in that inning right there, the ability to kind of win pitches, win 90 feet.
“You can go down the list of at-bats and the exclamation mark with Corey hitting the homer was just typical great team offense,” added Roberts.
Although most Dodger fans will forever remember Seager’s first career grand slam and his second game-winning hit in as many days, it was Hernandez’s outstanding 13-pitch at-bat that helped set the stage for the reigning 2016 NL Rookie of the Year.
Well done, Kiké. Well done indeed.
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I was out most of the afternoon with Claudine (following the games on her phone). I got home in the 6th inning while the situation was still pretty bleak. I have to say that, that was one of the best Dodger comebacks I’ve seen in a while. I agree, Kike’s at bat had a lot to do with it, possibly tiring Iglesias out.
You’re right that Kike’s plate appearance was the key to that inning, therefore the Dodgers’ victory. That kid was was obviously frustrated by the time Kike took his stroll to first. He can be more frustrated looking at his ERA, which approximately tripled in 2/3 of an inning.
I suppose you remember, back in the day, when a relief pitcher came in there would be somebody else already warming up, just in case. I also don’t understand why Iglesias was left in, but I’m sure not complaining.
I remember being at Dodger Stadium as a youngster – always in the LFP – hearing more than watching relievers warm up AND rarely was there only one doing so. That sound of the ball smacking the glove is just one of the many sights and sounds of the game that I have cherished my entire life.
Like Kevin Kennedy (and you), I’m surprised that no one was up in the pen and even more surprised that there was little mention of it anywhere. But also like you, I’m not complaining.
Not only would there (usually) be someone else warming up, but also, the bullpens of the day seemingly did it with half the personnel used in today’s game.
When I attended games back then, I would often head down before the game to watch one of the starting pitchers warm up. The baseball smacking the catchers glove is a sound unlike no other. My favorite as a kid was watching Don Sutton. He really seemed to have that extra pop in the glove… kind of like a firecracker going off in the catcher’s mitt.