Teoscar Hernández was back in the Dodgers lineup Monday, and he made it count right away. He had his first game in a month after a hamstring injury, then started a second-inning rally with an infield single as the Dodgers beat the Athletics 9-4.
Teoscar Hernández sparks second inning
The return came with immediate action. Hernández reached on that infield single in his first at-bat since the injury, and the Dodgers then put together four hits in the top of the second inning.
The Athletics answered with four hits of their own in the bottom of the second and took a 3-2 lead. Colby Thomas added a home run in that inning, but the Dodgers controlled the rest of the game and finished with a 17-hit attack.
Dodgers spread the offense
Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy and Andy Pages each homered for the Dodgers. Every Dodger in the starting lineup had two hits except Mookie Betts, who had one.
That kind of balance gave the Dodgers a result they could absorb even while the lineup was still missing Will Smith, Kiké Hernández, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Edwin Díaz. Hernández’s return does not solve every absence, but it adds another established bat to a team that already had the major league’s best record at 55-30.
Eric Lauer holds the line
Eric Lauer worked six innings for the win. He gave up three runs and four hits in the second inning, then allowed no runs and five hits over the other five innings.
He is 3-0 with a 2.88 earned-run average in six starts for the Dodgers, and Dave Roberts said he has been “nothing but impressive for us.” Roberts also said, “Eric coming over here knew that this was the deal, right?” and added, “Until they get back. We just don’t know when. He’s just got to stay focused on doing his job. Then when that time comes we’ll see what happens.”
The Dodgers had pushed their National League West lead to 11 games and were on pace to win the division by 21 games. They now have 999 career wins for Roberts, while Hernández’s return gives the lineup another regular presence after a month away.
