Yamamoto is dominant again as Dodgers ride homers from Hernández and Freeman to win over Braves

In Game 3 of the NL Division Series, Dodgers utilityman Kiké Hernández delivered a crucial blow as he hit a two-run homer off Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale. Playing third base and batting ninth, Hernández opened the scoring in the fourth inning, giving the Dodgers a lead they never relinquished. The Dodgers went on to secure a 3-1 victory over Atlanta, currently leading the series 2-1. With this win, the Dodgers have a chance to advance to the National League Championship Series on Wednesday.

Hernández explained that he aimed to avoid hitting into a double play with a runner on first and one out, allowing him to turn over the lineup to leadoff man Mookie Betts. Sale felt he did his best against the Dodgers' lineup but regretted the changeup that Hernández connected with. Sale's outing saw him pitch five innings and give up three runs on seven hits.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Hernández's postseason success, describing him as always prepared and embracing these key moments. Hernández's 17th postseason homer in 104 games puts him on a 26-home run pace over 162 games, a 16 per 162 games rate in his 13-year career.

Hernández has the unique distinction of having at least 10% of his career home runs come in the postseason, a statistic topped only by Houston Astros' Jose Altuve. The veteran's career OPS is .706 in the regular season and .826 in the postseason, and he has 12 postseason homers for the Dodgers, ranking fourth in franchise history.

Despite facing Sale in the 2018 World Series, Hernández downplayed any notion of seeking revenge, focusing instead on maintaining his pride in his career performance during crucial October moments.