Dodgers’ Hernandez Acknowledges Mistake on Double Play: What It Means for the Team

Teoscar Hernández had a wild moment during the National League Championship Series. He only needed to watch the replay of a strange double play once. No need for a second look.

“I realized I just messed up,” he said after the 2-1 win over the Dodgers. During the fourth inning, Hernández walked and found himself on third with the bases loaded. Max Muncy hit a ball that looked like it was going over the center-field wall. Sal Frelick, from Milwaukee, tried to catch it but ended up tipping it off his glove. The ball hit the wall and was caught in mid-air.

With Frelick’s catch, all the Dodgers’ runners went back to their bases. Hernández figured he had time to score, but he didn’t head home quickly enough. Frelick threw the ball to Joey Ortiz at shortstop, who relayed it to catcher William Contreras for an out at the plate. Contreras then tagged out Will Smith at third, completing a rare double play.

Hernández reflected on that moment. “If you had asked me two days ago, I would have said I’d go as soon as the ball touched the glove,” he admitted. In the heat of the moment, he froze and didn’t react as quickly as he should have. “There’s nobody to blame but myself,” he said.

Ortiz joked about the situation, noting Frelick’s funny expression during the play, which quickly went viral on social media. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented that Hernández simply had a moment of confusion. “He owned it. After that, there’s nothing else you can do,” Roberts said.

This bizarre play marked a statistical milestone. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first 8-6-2 double play recorded in the postseason in 35 years. The last one happened in 2004 during a regular-season game with Cubs star Sammy Sosa.

Mistakes happen, especially in high-pressure situations like these. In sports, every player learns that the game can change in an instant. It’s all part of the journey.



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