PHILADELPHIA — A single swing from Teoscar Hernández sucked the air out of a raucous Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night.
Hernández launched a fastball into the right-field stands for a three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. The Phillies, who jumped to an early 3-0 lead, did not take advantage of offensive opportunities.
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Dodgers’ lineup construction pays off
As last October neared, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts rearranged his lineup. He started to slot Hernández ahead of Freddie Freeman in the order when facing a left-handed starter, hoping to give opposing managers a conundrum when it came to mid-game pitching changes: That strategy gives Freeman the platoon advantage or allows Hernández another crack at the left-handed pitchers he’s historically crushed. The “Teo Tax,” as Roberts calls it, came into play as Phillies manager Rob Thomson looked to get out of trouble in the seventh inning.
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