LOS ANGELES — It was becoming that Enrique Hernandez would have a terrific sport on a day when former Lakers nice Kobe Bryant was honored at Dodger Stadium.
With followers sporting particular jerseys honoring Bryant, Hernandez — who wears No. 8 for the Dodgers, as a result of Bryant was his favourite participant — made a terrific defensive play after which hit a house run within the fifth inning of a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
“When nowadays are taking place and I am sporting No. 8, I really feel like not a number of issues can go improper,” Hernandez mentioned.
Followers obtained black Dodgers jerseys with No. 8 on the entrance and No. 24 on the again. The Dodgers script was trimmed in gold, and the jerseys had a “KB” patch on the sleeve.
Earlier than the sport, 7-year-old Bianka Bryant threw out the ceremonial first pitch and 5-year-old Capri Bryant had the honors for the “It is time for Dodger baseball” announcement as Vanessa and Natalia Bryant seemed on.
Sunday capped a weekend of festivities honoring the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash together with Gigi Bryant and 7 others in January 2020.
“Kobe liked baseball. So for the connection with town and the Lakers and the Dodgers, to maintain that flame burning is nice,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “With the household right here was superior and to see these jerseys was enjoyable.”
With a runner on first within the prime of the fifth, Hernandez made a giant defensive play when he robbed Tampa Bay’s Ben Rortvedt of an extra-base hit with a operating catch close to the wall in left-center for the primary out.
Then he led off the Dodgers’ fifth by lining a cutter from Jacob Lopez simply over the wall in left-center.
“I used to be in a position to benefit from the second and put a superb swing on the ball,” ” Hernandez mentioned. “To do it in entrance of the Bryant household right here at this time was fairly particular.”
It was Hernandez’s second homer of the collection and No. 9 on the season. He hit a three-run shot Friday, which might have been Bryant’s forty sixth birthday.
It was the second time that Hernandez homered on Aug. 23. The primary time was in 2020, in a principally empty ballpark as a result of followers weren’t allowed to attend video games as a result of coronavirus pandemic.