The Dodgers on Monday had two Hernándezes in their starting lineup and two days later they were without both players, losing Kiké Hernández for six to eight weeks with an oblique strain and expected to miss Teoscar Hernández for about a month with a strained hamstring.
As the Dodgers turned things around in the middle of May, the one thing that took a while to return was power. But that all came back in spades this week, hitting 15 home runs in six games at Dodger Stadium, after just 11 home runs in their
previous 13 home games.
Couple that with excellent pitching, the Dodgers mostly had their way with the Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies. They took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on Wednesday, and flirted with a no-no into the sixth inning on Friday. Only a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run off Tanner Scott in the eighth inning on Saturday prevented the Dodgers from a perfect week.
Five wins in six games will have to do, and a 5.5-game lead in the National League West, four games wider than the gap at the start of the week.
Batter of the week
Andy Pages was in the middle of things all week, leading the team in hits, extra-base hits, and runs scored. Plenty of others had cases, with six regulars posting a .911 OPS or higher. Honorable mention goes to catcher Will Smith, who homered twice with a 1.383 OPS, and to Kiké Hernández, who made the most of his four at-bats with two doubles, a home run, and a single, entering the John Hale Zone for the next several weeks.
Pitcher of the week
Just about the entire starting rotation were candidates this week. Eric Lauer impressed in his Dodgers debut, Shohei Ohtani didn’t even allow a hit. Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 10 in a scoreless outing. But we’ll go with Justin Wrobleski here, allowing only a solo home run and no other hits in seven innings, with a career high nine strikeouts, finding some extra oomph and success with his four-seam fastball.
Week 10 results
5-1 record
40 runs scored (6.67 per game)
17 runs allowed (2.83 per game)
.827 pythagorean win percentage
Year to date
38-21 record
314 runs scored (5.17 per game)
185 runs allowed (3.17 per game)
.725 pythagorean win percentage (43-16)
Miscellany
New savers: Kyle Hurt earned his first major league save on Wednesday, closing out a 4-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. That was eight days after Will Klein garnered his first save, a 5-4 win over the Padres in San Diego on May 19. Both have been excellent additions to a deep Dodgers bullpen this season, with Hurt coming back from Tommy John surgery in 2024 and Klein building off his late-season success last year and unforgettable World Series outing.
During the previous homestand, I asked Klein what clicked for him late last season, when he had a 41-percent strikeout rate over his final six weeks in Oklahoma City before getting called back up.
“I just kind of said, ‘Fuck it,’ and I stopped caring if guys put it in play. I’d rather them get a single than me walk,” he said. “You’ve got to go out there thinking you’re the best player in the world. I’m going to make you prove you’re better than me and hopefully, most of the time you’re not. Other things happen, like guys make good swings, but more often than not they put it in play. It’s a better outcome than straight-up walking.”
Klein and Hurt this season have combined for a 1.50 ERA in 42 innings, with 46 strikeouts against only eight unintentional walks.
Going deep: Ryan Ward got his second call to the majors this week, and his first time playing as a big leaguer at Dodger Stadium. The 28-year-old played 696 games in the minors before making his major league debut in April, and has 156 minor league home runs under his belt, including 96 home runs in Triple-A for the 2025 Pacific Coast League MVP.
On Sunday, Ward launched a ball 400 feet into the right field bullpen on Sunday for his first major league home run.
Transactions
Monday: Kiké Hernández was activated off the 60-day injured list after missing 53 games, and Santiago Espinal was designated for assignment.
Wednesday: Kiké Hernández landed on the IL, and Alex Freeland was recalled. Espinal cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A; he elected free agency.
Friday: Teoscar Hernández was placed on the injured list, and Ryan Ward was called up to the majors for a second time. Espinal re-signed, and Hyeseong Kim was optioned.
Sunday: Left-hander Jack Dreyer returned from the IL after missing the minimum 15 days, and Paul Gervase was optioned.
Game results
- Monday: Dodgers 5, Rockies 3
- Tuesday: Dodgers 4, Rockies 1
- Wednesday: Dodgers 15, Rockies 6
- Friday: Dodgers 4, Phillies 2
- Saturday: Phillies 4, Dodgers 3
- Sunday: Dodgers 9, Phillies 1
Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9
Up next
May is done, and the Dodgers begin June with the Barry Enright gauntlet, playing four games against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the desert, followed by returning home for a lone weekend against the Angels. The Angels broadcasts of next weekend’s games are all available on over-the-air television, with Friday’s game on KTTV channel 11 followed by Saturday and Sunday on KCOP channel 13.
