Another Hernandez HR lifts Dodgers over Phillies

PHILADELPHIA -- Teoscar Hernandez rallied the Los Angeles Dodgers with a three-run homer successful the seventh inning that bailed retired Shohei Ohtani, some connected the mound and astatine the plate, and led his nine to a 5-3 victory implicit the Philadelphia Phillies successful Game 1 of their National League Division Series connected Saturday night.

Ohtani struck retired 4 consecutive times astatine the plate, the last clip successful the seventh with nary outs and 2 runners connected against Matt Strahm.

No worries, astatine slightest for the reigning World Series champions.

Following a Mookie Betts popout, Hernandez, who deed 2 homers successful the chaotic paper round, silenced a roaring Phillies assemblage with an opposite-field thrust to close disconnected Strahm for a 5-3 lead. The seasoned slugger gestured successful chaotic solemnisation successful his trot astir the bases.

His chapeau off, Ohtani roseate from his dugout spot to articulation successful the fun, and exhale erstwhile helium was connected way for the win.

A three-time MVP, Ohtani recovered from a three-run 2nd successful his archetypal vocation playoff pitching commencement to unopen down the Phillies and decorativeness with 9 strikeouts implicit six innings.

Alex Vesia retired pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa with the bases loaded successful the eighth to sphere the lead. Roki Sasaki worked the ninth for his archetypal vocation save.

Ohtani had admitted to nerves astir playing successful beforehand of a assemblage that voraciously tried to unrecorded up to its 4 hours of hellhole moniker -- helium was jeered arsenic helium stepped connected the tract during warmups -- and helium ne'er recovered his footing astatine the plate.

Ohtani walked successful the ninth.

Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez struck retired Ohtani 3 times, included a called onslaught 3 successful the 5th inning that sent a towel-waving assemblage into delirium.

Sanchez was adjacent fired up connected that one, and punched his fist successful the aerial arsenic helium near the mound.

The Oh-4 became but a specified footnote -- though Ohtani is the archetypal subordinate to onslaught retired 4 times arsenic a batter and onslaught retired 9 batters arsenic a pitcher successful the aforesaid postseason crippled -- successful an exhilarating comeback for a Dodgers squad riding precocious aft thumping the Reds successful 2 games successful the Wild Card Series.

Game 2 is Monday successful Philadelphia.

Sanchez was thrust into the ace relation erstwhile Zack Wheeler was ruled retired for the play successful August with complications from a humor clot. Wheeler was successful afloat azygous and received a roaring ovation successful the pregame introductions.

Sanchez pitched aboriginal similar a No. 1 starter. He fanned Ohtani connected 3 pitches to commencement the crippled and breezed done 5 scoreless innings.

Kike Hernandez chased Sanchez successful the sixth erstwhile helium ripped a two-out, two-run treble down the left-field enactment that made it 3-2. David Robertson retired pinch-hitter Max Muncy to extremity the threat.

Robertson, the 40-year-old late-season pickup, allowed a azygous and deed Will Smith with a transportation to unfastened the seventh earlier yielding to Strahm.

While catastrophe struck precocious for the Phillies bullpen, Vesia saved Read Entire Article