Dodgers: Enrique Hernandez & Joc Pederson Among Former LA Players Shining in October
On an October day when the Dodgers bats struggled in the playoffs, two former Dodgers shined. Joc Pederson and Kike Hernandez both recorded the game winning RBI for their respective teams on Monday. Hernandez hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to eliminate the Tampa Bay Rays. Joc Pederson smacked a pinch-hit three-run homer to give the Braves a 3-0 victory over the Brewers.
Kiké Hernandez
Former Dodgers utility man Kike Hernandez left in free agency to pursue regular playing time. He has rewarded the Boston Red Sox with an electric postseason. Hernandez is batting .435 with a 1.266 OPS and a pair of home runs.
He set a Red Sox postseason record with seven straight hits. The Dodgers fan favorite went five for six in Game 2 of the ALDS with three doubles and a homer.
How are we feeling about Kíke Hernandez going off for the Red Sox this Postseason?
Are you following/rooting for Kíke and Dugie? How much do you miss Kíke in Dodger Blue?
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 10, 2021
Joc Pederson
Pederson’s three-run shot against the Brewers was another great October moment for the feast-or-famine hitter.
Seeing Joc Pederson in Joctober for another team got me feeling some type of way. ? #Dodgers
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) October 11, 2021
Joc had his highs and lows in his Dodgers days, but always produced in the playoffs. He clubbed home runs in both the Dodgers Game 4 and Game 6 World Series wins against the Houston Asterisks. Pederson would have received MVP consideration (three doubles, three home runs, and five RBI) had the Dodgers won the Series.
In the 2020 World Series, Pederson smashed a solo shot off of the Rays Tyler Glasnow in Game 5 to give the Dodgers a 3-0 in the third inning. The Dodgers would go on to win the game 4-2.
Great piece of hitting here by Joc Pederson with two strikes, going the other way on a 99 MPH fastball up and away. It was a decent enough pitch from Tyler Glasnow, but Joc just went with it and generated enough power to hit it out. pic.twitter.com/ONbBIycez0
— Positive Residual (@presidual) October 26, 2020
Pederson owns a career .886 postseason OPS compared to .794 in the regular season.
Alex Wood, Jake McGee, and Alex Verdugo
Unfortunately, two former Dodgers pitchers played big roles in the Giants 1-0 win on Monday night against Los Angeles. Lefty starter Alex Wood shut out the Dodgers through 4 2/3 innings.
Reliever Jake McGee came in in the seventh inning with two runners on to record the hold. To be fair, McGee was a few inches away from disaster had Betts line drive avoided the glove of Brandon Crawford and allowed Steven Souza Jr. to score from second.
Finally, former fan favorite Alex Verdugo is playing alongside Kiké on the Red Sox and has 7 hits in 19 at-bats (.368).
A bad night to be a Dodger. A good day to be a former Dodger.
NEXT: Clayton Kershaw Dodges Questions About Future in Los Angeles
Eric, word. Anyone reading any of my comments know I had been posting frequent updates on those that got away. Andrew Friedman for all the good moves he’s done, this postseason’s troubles lay squarely on his and the Front Office’s shoulders!! No other way to put it.
Both Joc and Kike were fan favorites because of their clutch hitting and their enthusiasm for the game. All season long I was bemoaning that we could have used them both.
Kike had made it clear that he wanted an everyday job. He had earned it, but the outfield was packed and second base was thought at the time to belong to Lux. By early summer the Dodgers might also have regretted having let Kike go.
Joc couldn’t find a way to hit southpaw pitching. Dodgers worked with him for years and apparently he couldn’t take instruction. They saw him as a player who would start in only half the games. The problem with that thinking is that the numbers he was capable of putting up were about equivalent to a full time player. And, with the Dodgers more than projected to getting to the postseason without him, his value was in winning those postseason games.
Really sorry to have seen the both of them go.
Verdugo leaving was a necessity in order to get Betts and Price.
Water under the bridge now. Friedman’s biggest mistake this offseason.
Paparulez, excellent insight! Kirk, all true.
Unless the boys show up tonight, it’s going to be a tough off-season. Lots of changes coming next year.
One of the saddest things to report about last night’s dismal performance…1 of the 5 hits the dodgers could muster last night belonged to Steven Souza jr!
Start Souza at 1st lol.
Forgot to mention that of the 4 hits not accumulated by that playoff beast Souza lol, 2 of them belonged to an AARP member! Pujols. The other two were Smith and JT. Truly sad. I expected more from a talented group.