Thirty-one-year-old Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández has struck out 51 times in his 155 at-bats thus far this season, most on the team.

Thirty-one-year-old Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández has also homered 11 times thus far this season, tied with international superstar Shohei Ohtani for most on the team. He has also driven in 33 runs, most on the team.

But what separates Hernández from Ohtani – and every other Dodger regular – is his uncanny ability to hit his (usually mammoth) home runs in the most clutch of situations … like his grand slam home run it the top of the sixth inning on Saturday evening in front of the largest crowd in Petco Park history (46,701), to power the (now) 27-14 National League West first place Dodgers past the (now) 21-21 second place San Diego Padres by a final score of 5-0.

“I kinda like was looking for something in the middle of the plate that I could put in play with 1-0 (score), trying to, you know, get something going, and he (Padres right-hander Enyel De Los Santos) missed that one over the plate and I put a good swing on it,” Hernández told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson postgame.

To be fair, Hernández’s granny wasn’t Saturday’s game-winner. That honor went to Dodgers first baseman and future Hall of Famer Freddie Freeman, who launched a 79.3-mph Matt Waldron knuckleball into the Petco Park seats down the right field line on the 12th pitch of the game in the top of the first to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead.

That 1-0 lead and eventual 5-0 shutout win was the result of yet another steller outing by 35-year-old/11-year MLB veteran left-hander James Paxton, who pitched 6.0 innings of shutout baseball, limiting the Friars to only four hits, while striking out four and walking none.

“I thought James was good again, all of his pitches were working,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “He was on the attack all night long, kept ’em off balance, the fastball played all night long, and it was just good to see.”

Messrs. Gus Varland, Ryan Yarbrough, and J.P. Feyereisen were also steller (again) out of the Dodgers bullpen, allowing no runs and only two hits, while striking out two and walking none in their combined three innings of relief of Paxton

And then there’s that James Outman fellow. Although the extremely popular 26-year-old Sacramento, CA native and Dodgers seventh-round draft pick in 2018 out of Cal State Sacramento is currently struggling at the plate slashing an ugly .153/.252/.276/.528, he continues to make impossible plays as the Dodgers (almost) everyday centerfielder.

Keep on keeping on, Teo, Freddie, James, James – etc., etc., etc.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *