The Los Angeles Dodgers are just one win away from their third consecutive NLCS appearance after a fierce Game 3 duel against the Atlanta Braves. But a scary moment with second baseman Miguel Rojas in their 3-1 victory has put his availability for Game 4 into question.
Rojas’s Back Lights Up The Question Board For Game 4
During Tuesday’s nail-biter, Rojas made an off-balanced throw to first, snagging Ronald Acuña Jr. for the final out of the bottom of the sixth inning. The dude was grinding. Then, while batting in the top of the eighth against lefty Dylan Lee, Rojas fouled off a pitch and immediately grimaced after his follow-through. He had to exit the at-bat right there, with Tommy Edman stepping in to pinch-hit and take over at second. Speaking with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA after the win, Rojas admitted his back started to tighten up on that earlier throw. He said, “The tightness started to happen after the play at second base when I kind slid right there with the grass. I wasn’t able to bounce back from what I was feeling on my hip, and my lower back tied up.” That’s a gut punch for any team, even if Rojas did say he was feeling good enough to prepare for Game 4. He’s looking forward to being ready if they need him, but you gotta wonder if he’ll be 100 percent for the next one.
Yamamoto Was Absolute Fire on the Mound
Despite the Rojas drama, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was flat-out brilliant on the mound against the Braves. Rojas himself heaped praise on Yamamoto, and honestly, who wouldn’t? The right-hander tossed seven incredible innings, giving up only four hits, one earned run, and one walk while striking out a whopping 10 hitters. That’s a dominant performance when the stakes are sky-high. Rojas even declared, “He’s becoming one of the best pitchers in this stage. Obviously he hasn’t won a Cy Young here or hasn’t been the best pitcher in the league, but we feel like every time he takes the mound, he’s the best pitcher for us. … And I know he will do whatever to help us out.” When your own guys are talking like that, you know he brought the heat.
Kiké Hernández Delivers the Clutch Bomb
Talk about stepping up! Kiké Hernández came out swinging on Tuesday, and man, did it make a difference. In his second at-bat against Chris Sale, Hernández absolutely mashed a two-run home run, his 17th career postseason shot. That clutch bomb ultimately sealed the 3-1 victory. Hernández described his mindset facing Sale the second time around, saying, “My mentality was to grind out an at-bat, get a good pitch to hit, and if not, just be patient. He doubled up on the changeup. So he showed me where the changeup was going to start for a ball, and then the next pitch my eyes recognized, it popped. I’m lucky that I put a good swing on it.” “Lucky” might be an understatement, that was pure power and patience right there.
The Dodgers are now just one win away from punching their ticket to the NLCS. Can they close out the series in Game 4? All eyes will be on Rojas’s back and whether he can suit up to help them finish the job.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
Leave a Reply