Kiké Hernández added another postseason moment to his growing legend Tuesday night, hitting a two-run home run in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.
Hernández’s fourth-inning blast came against Braves starter Chris Sale and gave the Dodgers a lead they would not surrender. The win moved Los Angeles ahead 2-1 in the best-of-five series and left the Dodgers one victory from another NL Championship Series appearance.
The homer also added another number to a postseason résumé that has earned Hernández the nickname “Mr. October.” According to OptaSTATS, he is the only player in MLB history with at least 10% of his career home runs coming in the postseason, among players with at least 100 total homers.
Hernández entered the postseason after a difficult regular season. He underwent offseason elbow surgery and later suffered a significant left oblique tear that sidelined him for much of the year. The Dodgers activated him in late July after he completed a minor league rehab assignment.
He finished the regular season with four home runs and a .222 batting average in 41 games, according to Baseball-Reference. That production made his postseason impact even more striking, particularly for a player whose value has often come from his versatility and experience.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Hernández’s Game 3 homer was his 17th career postseason home run. That tied him with Aaron Judge, David Ortiz and Jim Thome for 18th on MLB’s all-time postseason home run list, while his 12 postseason homers as a Dodger rank fourth in franchise history.
The Dodgers entered the postseason with a 100-62 regular-season record and the NL’s No. 2 seed. Atlanta finished 94-68 before defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series, setting up the matchup with Los Angeles.
Now, Hernández and the Dodgers have a chance to finish the series Wednesday in Atlanta. Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to start for Los Angeles, while the Braves will turn to Tyler Mahle as they try to force a deciding Game 5.
