Enrique Hernandez (L.A. Dodgers) played a decisive role in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against San Diego at Dodger Stadium on the 12th (Korea time). Both teams were responsible for the final hit of the day by hitting a valuable first solo shot in a match where they had to pack their bags if they lost.
Hernandez, one of the leading “Autumn Men” whose slugging power is upgraded in the postseason, led the Dodgers’ game atmosphere by hitting a solo shot off San Diego’s starting pitcher Darvish Yu in the second inning. Considering that Darvish displayed good pitching on the day and that the Dodgers actually scored an additional run in the seventh inning, Hernandez’s shot had a really important meaning. The Dodgers beat San Diego 2-0 thanks to Hernandez’s solo shot in the seventh inning.
However, Hernandez was talked about after the game. It was because he used words that were not supposed to be used during a live interview. It was an expletive. It was a language that a professional baseball player should not use in an official interview, and controversy arose among countless fans who were watching Hernandez’s interview on live television.
Hernandez apologized after the game. “He was so excited after playing an unbelievable series with the San Diego Padres in the interview after last night’s game,” Hernandez said in an interview with local media including the Major League’s official website (MLB.com ). “I said something that I deeply regret. I said something that I should not have said on a live broadcast.”
There was another incident surrounding Hernandez. He said that the home run ceremony is obscene depending on the viewer’s view. Hernandez had a ceremony with Gavin Lux, who was waiting at the batter’s box after hitting the homer. They say that facing each other, jumping, and bumping into each other’s lower body were frowned upon depending on who was watching. As the video clip has become widely distributed through social media, fans’ opinions are also being divided.
The New York Post, a local media outlet in New York, said, “Many fans are expressing their thoughts that the Dodgers’ strange home run ceremony is obscene. It was an unacceptable ceremony for many people.” The Daily Mail said, “The performance of Dodgers players hitting their crotch is dividing the opinions of fans. There are opinions that the ceremony is terrible, and there are opinions that it is a different team chemistry.” TMZ Sports also looked interestingly, “Some people think it is fun and great, while others think it is strange and inappropriate.” The ceremony was similarly staged during Gavin Lux’s home run in Game 4.
However, not all players do the home run ceremony like that. Theoska Hernandez’s ceremony, which hit a home run on the day, was nothing special. “I don’t know if other players will do the ceremony, but if Shohei Ohtani gets very excited with a home run, will he do it?” said Tokyo Sports in Japan. Ohtani, who has a strong image of a decent living man, is also drawing attention by showing his emotions unfiltered when he enters the post season.
Anyway, the Dodgers, who sank San Diego with two home runs and advanced to the Championship Series, will enter the Championship Series with the New York Mets on the 14th (Korea Standard Time). The Dodgers excluded left-hander Alex Vesia, who was injured in the Division Series, and shortstop Miguel Rojas from the Championship Series roster. Instead, they registered left-hander Brent Honeywell and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier. Tommy Edman, an internal and external utility player, is expected to settle as a shortstop, and instead veteran and well-defended Kiermaier is expected to help in the outfield.
The Dodgers announced Jack Flaherty as the starting pitcher for the first game, and Sena Kodaly will start for the Mets. Ohtani, who was beaten by Yu Darvish in the Division Series, will meet with a Japanese pitcher again. Sena made a soft landing in the Major League last year due to his outstanding performance, but played in only one regular season game this year due to shoulder and calf injuries. However, he has elevated his condition ahead of the postseason, and now he is in a condition to pitch 30-50 pitches at full capacity. The Mets plan to use the Sena for two to three innings to beat the Dodgers’ salary. 먹튀검증
Ohtani has a not-so-good-or-not-so-bad-case record against Senga. When he was a Japanese pro baseball player, he recorded a total of five hits (.227) in 22 times at bat, two homers and one walk from 2013 to 2017. He also had 13 strikeouts. However, in their showdowns with the Major League in 2023, he recorded one hit and two walks from one at-bats, overwhelming Senga, and one hit was a double that flew to the right fence.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers had the highest probability of winning the World Series with 36.2 percent, followed by the New York Yankees with 31.8 percent, according to the statistics website “Fangraph.” Cleveland had 16.6 percent, and the New York Mets had 15.4 percent. Attention is also focusing on whether the Dodgers and Yankees will be able to have a showdown with each other in the World Series.
