It was a night not unlike May 25, 2008, when a then 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw made his major league debut as a Dodger. It was preceded by the same type of hype, hoopla, and media buzz, although in this case, the young rookie making his first major league start was 23-year-old Walker Buehler, who had already appeared in eight games in a Dodgers uniform late in the 2017 season, but had done so out of the Dodgers bullpen from where he had posted a 1-0 record and less-than-stellar 7.71 ERA.

But on this night, April 23, 2018, Buehler would take the mound not in a jersey number in the 60’s, 70’s, or 8o’s usually associated with a minor leaguer just passing through before being sent back down, although this is a distinct possibility for Buehler with veteran left-hander Rich Hill expected to be activated from the disabled list in the next few days. Instead, the 6′-2″ / 175-pound Lexington, Kentucky native wore the jersey number of the guy who he grew up idolizing and who he is often compared to physically and in pitching style – number 21; that of former Dodgers co-ace and fellow right-hander Zack Greinke, who still wears that same jersey number but as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

When all of the hype, hoopla, and media buzz finally crescendoed and it was time to ‘play ball!’ all Buehler did was allow no runs on four hits while walking three and striking out five in his 5.0 innings of work, having made a total of 89 pitches, of which 55 were strikes.

Of his five strikeouts on the night, Buehler said that the one of Marlins right fielder JB Shuck to end the first inning with the bases loaded was his biggest. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But wait, there’s more!

Among those 89 pitches were several that topped the 100-MPH mark.

But for as big as Buehler’s debut was, and it was significant, it was Dodgers super utility player Kiké Hernandez who stole the show … and it wasn’t even close.

Hernandez, who was spelling Dodgers regular shortstop Corey Seager for a much-needed night off, made two absolutely impossible defensive plays, both of which saved runs and the second of which even he doesn’t know how he made.

“I made two good plays,” Hernandez said. “The first one was kind of one of those … a sliding play, a routine sliding play, and the second one, don’t ask me how I made it ’cause I have no idea. I threw the ball, I didn’t even know where I threw it, and I just heard the crowd and I didn’t even want to look anywhere because I had no idea how I did that.”

And then there was the long and short of it.

After three innings of what was an outstanding pitching duel between Buehler and Marlins left-hander Jarlin Garcia, Hernandez led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a line drive home run into the Left Field Pavilion to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead and put the young Dodgers right-hander in a position to win his debut start.

But it wasn’t to be.

After two scoreless / hitless innings by Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling in relief of Buehler, normally reliable Dodgers right-hander JT Chargois hit Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto to lead off the eighth inning. This was followed by what should have been a step-and-throw double play by Hernandez, but instead Kiké flipped the ball (three feet) to Dodgers second baseman Austin Barnes to get the force at second. Barnes then air mailed a throw over Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger‘s head that went into the photographers well, thus awarding Marlins second baseman Starlin Castro second base. Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson then singled home Castro and promptly stole second base off of Chargois. The Dodgers righty then walked Marlins left fielder Cameron Maybin.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had seen enough and brought in left-hander Adam Liberatore, who induced a force out at second and then got Marlins center fielder Lewis Brinson to ground out to second to end the brutal inning with the score now knotted at 1-1.

Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to left bringing (wait for it…) Kiké to the plate. To the surprise of everyone, the fan-favorite dropped down what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt that Marlins closer Kyle Barraclough simply could not handle, allowing Taylor to take third and Hernandez to reach first without a throw.

Although it was Kiké’s home run in the bottom of the fourth inning that gave the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead on Monday night, if was his perfect bunt single in the bottom of the eighth that put the eventual winning run at third base. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Seager then struck out while pinch-hitting in Chargois’ spot, bringing the always-dangerous Cody Bellinger to the plate with one out and runners at the corners. Although the popular young Dodgers first baseman didn’t give Dodger fans the Cinderella home run they were hoping for, he did hit a fly ball to right field deep enough to allow the speedy Taylor to tag up and score what would prove to be the eventual winning run in the 2-1 hard-fought contest.

Bellinger’s fly ball to right field was deep enough to allow Chris Taylor to tag up and score the eventual winning run from third base. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

“Walker threw well but I think tonight was Kiké’s night,” Roberts said, after the game. … “A really big night for him.”

Big indeed.