MLB WORLD SERIES: YANKEES VS DODGERS

October 26, 2024

Teoscar Hernández

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Dodgers - 4, Yankees - 2

Q. What was the reaction in the dugout when Ohtani came off the field holding his shoulder? Did it dampen the result of the game?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: Not only the dugout, but the whole stadium went silent. You know how big Shohei is for this team. Hopefully he's okay, and the day off tomorrow will help him get back on the field Monday.

Q. What was the initial reaction to the injury?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: A lot of things go through your head, but you just have to stay positive and think like maybe he jammed his hand and he'll be back on Monday when we start the game in New York.

Q. Teoscar, you've always talked about how you wanted to play in the World Series. Obviously getting your first World Series home run, what did that moment kind of feel like for you?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: It was special, not only for me personally, but because I put the team in front. For me, I always say it, I don't care how I do as long as the team wins. That's what matters for me. In this World Series, just trying to do the things that I know how to do and just help the team.

Q. Walk us through that home run. Walk us through the at-bat and when you saw it go over the fence and also just the feeling of the crowd, of what it feels like in Dodger Stadium for the last two nights.

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: It's amazing. My first at-bat, I missed it a little bit, fastball, up and away. Then I go to my next at-bat, and just stay above it and just trying to hit it to right center, hit a line drive to right center. It went a little farther than that, so I'm grateful for that.

Q. What message maybe to Dodger fans or the feeling of being in here?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: It's great. Nothing but love for this fan base, and I always said this is one of the greatest ones. It's an amazing feeling just to do that in front of those fans.

Q. You've been the best team in baseball against left-handed hitters this season. What has allowed you guys to do that, and what allowed you to have success against Rodón tonight?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: We didn't know that. We just go and try to do our job, have a good plan before every game, and stay together with one plan. Not have different plans. Just go through a lot of videos and statistics, and then just go and have some fun.

Q. Yamamoto during the DS was pretty open about how guys sort of came up and reassured him, especially after that first postseason start. What have you seen from him since then especially on a night like tonight?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: Yamamoto, he was made for those moments. He was doing it in Japan before he got here, and as soon as he got here, he was doing it here.

We trust in him. Earlier today I told him it's going to be a good night for him, and he did. He gave us a chance to score some runs. He put some zeros on the board, and we won the game.

Q. Congratulations on the home run. I wanted to ask you one more question on the Shohei situation. Obviously this is a talent-laden team. Is this team confident -- I think I know the answer -- if you need to play a game or two without Shohei in the lineup?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: Oh, yeah, a thousand percent. We were battling throughout the year with a lot of injuries. First was the starting pitcher and then Mookie and then Freddie. And hopefully not Ohtani in this case. It's not going to be a good feeling, but if he can't go on Monday, we just have to keep doing the thing we've been doing for the past couple weeks.

Q. Teo, how did you feel the momentum swing in the game from the top half of the inning when Soto hits the home run to the bottom half when you and Freddie hit back to back?

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ: You don't want that to happen when you score one and the other team come back and score, tie the game, or just score more than one run. But we just have to keep pushing. That's what we put in our minds. It doesn't matter how many they score, we can score, and we know that.

You just go, fight your at-bat, try to get on base for the guy behind you.