by Cary Osborne
There was a mention on Monday night that if the Dodgers are going to win the World Series this season, they are going to do it with starting pitching.
But then there’s the offense. They’ll need that, too. And they’ll need it outside of the top of the lineup.
The thunder in the middle of it is a good place to start.
Max Muncy, absent for a month due to a knee bone bruise, and Teoscar Hernández, whose offense diminished after an injured list stint in the first half of May, were loudly present on Tuesday.
Muncy, the №4 hitter in the Dodger lineup on Tuesday, and Hernández, the №5 hitter, each hit two home runs and drove in four runs in the Dodgers’ 12–6 win against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers had scored a combined 12 runs in their last five games.
Muncy said on Monday that it might take a few games for him to return to form. He wasn’t just right. He was bullseye right.
In his second game back since July 2, Muncy unloaded on two Miles Mikolas pitches. He sent a middle-middle sinker in the first inning into the Right Field Pavilion for a solo home run. He walloped a letter-high four-seamer into the Right Field Pavilion in the third inning for a two-run homer in the third inning.
Muncy’s two home runs give him 15 on the season and 205 for his Dodger career.
“I was getting to the pitches at the top of the zone. You guys have heard me say before as long as I’m doing that, I feel my swing is in a really good spot,” Muncy said.
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He now ranks fourth in Los Angeles Dodgers history in career home runs after breaking a tie with Matt Kemp (203 homers as a Dodger). Up next is Steve Garvey, who hit 211 home runs as a Dodger.
Muncy drove in four runs on the night. He knocked in a run with a single in the seventh inning.
Muncy has five games this season with at least four RBI.
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Speaking of return-to-form, Hernández — who was one of the top offensive performers in the Majors until he had an injured list stint in the first half of May — had his second 10 total-base game of the season.
Hernández hit home runs in the third and seventh innings. He also doubled in the first inning. He drove in four runs.
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Hernández is batting .326/.370/.674/1.044 in his last 11 games, dating back to July 21 when he was at a season low .247 batting average and .727 OPS. Hernández is now up to .259/.772.
“He’s hititng the fastball. I think he’s showing some patience. I really like the last couple of nights in particular, in the sense of to the pullside gap, hitting it hard for the doubles,” said manager Dave Roberts. “I really like that. Teo is one of those guys you just got to put him in a lineup, and then the numbers are going to be there, and he just doesn’t panic.”
At the front end of the lineup, Mookie Betts took a step toward getting right.
Betts reached base four times on the night with three hits and a walk.
After Betts grounded out in the first inning, he doubled in the third and scored on Muncy’s homer, and he singled in the fifth inning. It broke a 0-for-22 slide. He also walked on the seventh and singled in the eighth.
It was the second straight game that Betts stepped in the batter’s box each time with the Dodger Stadium crowd firmly behind him and willing him to break through.
“It’s been a beautiful thing. So thank you to all the Dodger fans for that,” Betts said. “It’s super special. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten anything like that.”
Muncy and Hernández provide middle-of-the-order mashing was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.