Saturday, February 21, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Tempe, Arizona, the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Los Angeles Angels 15-to-2.

Before the third inning, Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, and Andy Pages were 4-for-6. Hyeseong Kim had an important two-run single in the first.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto looked great in the first when he used 12 pitches. After a long break because the Dodgers’ offense erupted before the bottom of the second, he struggled. He allowed two runs with help from a Teoscar Hernández error. Since Yamamoto reached his desired pitch count, he didn’t finish the second inning. He will appear on Friday, February 27^th before joining Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

While the Dodger offense took advantage of the Angels’ pitching, Teoscar Hernández had a nice day.

Teoscar Hernández wants to rebound from a disappointing 2025 season. He began the 2025 season, but in May, he suffered a groin injury. While Hernández returned from the IL quickly, he was never right.

Hernández had three hits on Saturday afternoon. Since the Dodgers signed right fielder Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal, Hernández has to transition from right field to left field. Never known as a good defensive outfielder, Hernández must learn how to read fly balls better. His defense in left field won’t hurt the Dodgers as much as it did in right field.

Coming into Camelback Ranch, Hernández looks more athletic than last year. During the offseason, he dropped twelve pounds. He should be faster than in 2025. Hernández is a significant cog in the Dodgers’ lineup.