Kiké Hernández keeps finding the same stage and the same answer: October.
When the Dodgers needed a spark in Game 3 of the NLDS, manager Dave Roberts went to the veteran to start against left-hander Chris Sale after Los Angeles had stalled offensively in Game 2. Hernández, who barely factored into the regular season, came through anyway.
He launched a two-run home run off Sale to get the Dodgers on the board and give Yoshinobu Yamamoto some breathing room. Freddie Freeman later added a solo shot, but Hernández had already set the tone.
For a player now 35 years old, it was another reminder that postseason pressure seems to sharpen him rather than shrink him.
“He’s a big-time player,” Roberts said. “We needed a little bit of that Kiké dust.
He’s always prepared and he loves moments like this. … Having him in the lineup in the postseason just adds that extra sort of urgency, that kind of grit that you need.”
Freeman, who has seen plenty in his own career, echoed that sentiment and said he wished there was a way to bottle what Hernández does in these spots.
“I wish there was a recipe for that so we can all take it from him,” Freeman said.
“He’s incredible. He shows up when you need him.
He hasn’t had a start in a while, and he goes out there and does what he did. … He’s a Swiss Army knife, and he’s ready to go at all times.”
The homer was the 17th of Hernández’s postseason career. He is now the only player in MLB history with at least 10.0% of his career home runs coming in the postseason, while also having at least 100 career home runs.
“That’s probably something that, once I’m done playing, I’m going to look back and be really proud of my career because of how I find myself each and every year in October,” he said.
For now, the Dodgers can keep leaning on the same thing they always do with Hernández: keep him ready, and wait for October to do the rest.
In Other News...
Braves May Have Exposed A Costly Dodgers NLDS Problem
Miguel Rojas exited Game 3 of the 2026 NLDS after fouling a pitch off himself in the eighth inning and feeling low back pain, a development the Dodgers confirmed on their official social media. The stopgap infielder had already appeared to be working through something earlier in the night, with his back first bothering him after he fielded a ground ball in the fifth inning.
For a Dodgers club trying to navigate October with as little disruption as possible, the timing is the real concern. If Rojas cannot continue in the series, Los Angeles may be forced to make a postseason roster change, a move that would test the teams infield depth at a point when every available defender matters even more. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Miguel Rojas Problem In The NLDS
Miguel Rojas night ended early in the Dodgers National League Division Series game against the Braves after he fouled off a pitch and started showing signs of discomfort with a low back injury. Tommy Edman came on as a pinch hitter in his place, leaving Los Angeles to sort through an immediate issue at a spot where Rojas has helped steady things throughout the postseason run.
The bigger concern now is what this means for the rest of the series, because the Dodgers do not yet know how available Rojas will be moving forward. Any lingering limitation could force roster and lineup adjustments at a critical point, and for a team trying to keep its infield options intact in October, even a short-term absence would matter. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Made One Dodgers Gamble Look Brilliant In Game 3
Dave Roberts spent Game 3 pushing the right buttons, and the Dodgers benefited from nearly every one of them. He shuffled the batting order and got Kike Hernandez into a spot where he could make an impact, then watched Hernandez deliver a key two-run homer that helped set the tone. It was the kind of lineup tweak that can look minor before first pitch and inspired once the game starts bending your way.
Roberts also managed the night with a steady hand on the mound, letting Yoshinobu Yamamoto work seven innings before turning to Tanner Scott and Edwin Diaz to close the door. The sequencing mattered as much as the names themselves, giving Los Angeles a cleaner path through the late innings and underscoring how much this team can gain when its manager is willing to be aggressive at the right moments. [Read more 🡒]