NEW YORK — In the playoffs, Enrique Hernandez transforms from a slightly below-average hitter into a Shohei Ohtani-esque force.
On Wednesday, Ohtani himself joined the postseason party.
Hernandez and Ohtani hit multi-run homers to provide the Los Angeles Dodgers plenty of insurance in an 8-0 win over the New York Mets in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Hernandez belted a two-run shot in the sixth inning and Ohtani added a majestic three-run blast in the eighth for the Dodgers, who lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday night, also in New York.
“I always talk about momentum in the playoffs, whether it’s an inning or a game or a series,” said Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler, who tossed four innings of three-hit ball. “And this is definitely a big momentum win for us. But if we don’t do something with it, then it doesn’t really matter a whole lot.”
The shutout was the second of the series for the Dodgers, who cruised to a 9-0 win in Game 1 on Sunday night. The two losses are the most lopsided shutout postseason defeats in franchise history for the Mets.
“We got beat 9-0 the first game, then we came back and won Game 2,” Mets reliever Reed Garrett said. “I don’t see why there’s a reason why we can’t do that tomorrow.”
The Dodgers hit just one ball into the outfield — a sacrifice fly — while scoring two runs off Luis Severino (1-1) in the second inning. Los Angeles left five runners on base over the next three innings before mounting a two-out rally against Garrett in the sixth.
Tommy Edman singled and went to second on a balk before Hernandez capped a six-pitch at-bat by homering just beyond the reach of a leaping Brandon Nimmo in left field.
“We found a way to get lucky and score a couple of runs in that second inning,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But for (Hernandez) to have that at-bat — (six)-pitch at-bat, get the ball up in the zone and hit a homer, that was huge.”
The home run was the second this postseason for Hernandez and his 15th in 78 playoff games. He is tied for 10th (with Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Nelson Cruz and Carlos Correa) on the all-time playoff homer list.
Hernandez averages one homer per 29.1 at-bats in the regular season and is hitting .238 since his debut in 2014. But he is hitting .280 while averaging one homer every 13.3 at-bats in the playoffs.
“I do a lot of visualization at night, the night before the games, and I try to put myself in every position, every situation that you can come up with during the game,” Hernandez said. “The fact that I’ve had a pretty good track record in October — (it) can’t help but bring me confidence. And it just makes you believe that you take your game to another level.”
Hernandez singled with one out in the eighth ahead of Ohtani’s 397-foot blast that stayed just fair as it sailed high over the foul pole and into the second deck in right field. The likely NL MVP, who this year became the first player in history to record 50 homers and 50 steals in the same season, has collected a hit in 17 of his past 20 plate appearances with runners in scoring position.
“I’m glad I was able to contribute and then glad I was able to get on base for Shohei to hit that ball that still hasn’t landed,” Hernandez said with a grin.
Los Angeles’ Max Muncy reached five times via a single, a ninth-inning homer and three walks. The homer was Muncy’s 13th in the postseason, tying him with Corey Seager and Justin Turner for the most playoff long balls in franchise history.
Muncy also scored the Dodgers’ first run on an infield single by Will Smith. Edman followed with a sacrifice fly.
Michael Kopech (1-0), the second of the Dodgers’ five pitchers, earned the win with a perfect fifth inning after relieving Buehler, who walked two while striking out six.
The Mets recorded just four hits, all singles, and were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position but hit into some tough luck while the game was still close. Francisco Lindor flied out twice on balls hit at least 100 mph. In the fifth, Lindor and Mark Vientos hit consecutive fly outs to the warning track on a windy night in which the first pitch temperature was 51 degrees.
Severino took the loss after allowing two unearned runs on three hits and four walks while striking out three over 4 2/3 innings.
–Jerry Beach, Field Level Media
