Kike Hernandez reveals details of the Dodgers' agonizing victory in the World Series
Toronto Blue Jays had the tie in the ninth inning. Hernandez was the hero with a double play that takes the World Series to Game 7
The Rogers Centre SkyDome was the setting for Game 6 of the World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1. In the ninth inning, the visitors had the opportunity to tie the score. But a double play executed by Kike Hernandez and Miguel Rojas keeps the Dodgers alive.
In the ninth inning, Roki Sasaki complicated Game 6 of the World Series. The Japanese pitcher started the inning by hitting Mexican Alejandro Kirk with a pitch. Then Sasaki allowed a ground-rule double to American Addison Barger. The fact that the ball hit the wall allowed the Dodgers to stay in the game and avoid further damage.
With runners on second and third, and no outs, Tyler Glasnow was called upon to get the save. Glasnow got Ernie Clement to fly out to the infield and then came the decisive at-bat against Venezuelan Andres Gimenez.
“With Glasnow’s pitches, I expected him to hit the ball to the left side of the field. I was playing short with the tying runner on second base,” said Kike Hernandez after the game.
Enrique Hernandez’s positioning was well thought out. The Puerto Rican didn't cover much ground in left field. Glasnow's pitches were designed so that, in case of a hit, the runner on second wouldn't have enough time to reach home plate. Hernandez detailed how he was focused on preventing each possible runner advance. "I wanted to make sure that if he got a hit through the gap between sixth and first, I would be close enough to the plate to keep the tying run on second base, keep him on third, and keep the batter on first," he explained. Kike Hernandez and Miguel Rojas: On the second pitch, Andres Gimenez hit a pop-up short enough to trouble Kike Hernandez. However, the Puerto Rican was ahead of the plate and used his speed to cover a lot of ground in left field.Hernandez caught the fly ball and, with the same momentum he had gained, threw to second when he saw that Addison Barger had gained a lot of ground. The Dodgers closed out Game 6 of the World Series with a dramatic double play. “In the end, the ball went out of the field lights and into my glove. I felt that the runner on second, when he made contact with the bat, thought the ball was going to drop. So I felt he was a little far from the base, but I was coming at full speed, so I didn't want to throw hard because I probably would have thrown it over his head,” he added. A bad throw to second could have allowed the runners to advance, and Toronto would have been just one run away from tying the game. In fact, the throw wasn't the best, but Miguel Rojas was able to handle the bouncing ball that landed in his glove. Rojas controlled the bounce, and the rest is history. Tonight everything is decided at the Rogers Centre SkyDome in Game 7 of the World Series.
“What an interception by Miggy! I didn't throw him the best ball, but he held firm and forced a seventh game,” he concluded.

