‘Too bad I sent him a good bottle of wine’: Red Sox tip their caps to Kiké Hernández on his big day in loss to Dodgers

Hernández celebrated 10 years of service in MLB on Saturday before hitting two game-tying hits.

Saturday was a special day for Kiké Hernández for more reasons than one. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, they were on the wrong side of it.

The Dodgers utilityman celebrated 10 years of service in MLB on Saturday. As the Red Sox tipped their cap to a former member of their organization before the game, Hernández wound up repaying them by handing them two devastating hits.

First, Hernández hit a solo home run in the ninth inning off former Dodgers and current Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen in the ninth to tie the game, 4-4. After Tyler O’Neill hit a two-run shot in the top of the 10th, Hernández stepped up in the clutch again, hitting a game-tying single off Greg Weissert to send the game to the 11th inning.

Hernández didn’t need to perform any more heroics again, with Will Smith hitting the game-winning single in the 11th to give the Dodgers a 7-6 win. But Hernández’s two late-inning hits were enough to prevent the Red Sox from picking up a key win as they make a push for the playoffs.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora shared with reporters that he sent a gift to Hernández prior to Saturday’s game as he saluted him for 10 years of service time and for his clutch hits.

“Not surprised,” Cora said via MLB.com. “Ten years in the big leagues today. Too bad I sent him a good bottle of wine over there so now he can celebrate. But he is who he is. Even when he’s struggling, he’s a threat. He did it against us last year when we traded him. He’s done it throughout his career.”

Saturday was just the second time that Hernández has faced his former teammate, Jansen, at the plate. In his first meeting against Jansen, Hernández hit a flyout and said he jokingly told his former teammate to “stop cheating on the cutter.”

Well, Hernández got a cutter in his second career at-bat against Jansen that he sent into the left field bleachers to tie the game. With the home run, Jansen had given up just his second blown save in 21 tries this season.

“Nothing you can do about it,” Jansen told reporters of his blown save. “Just one pitch. He kind of got it and [there’s] nothing you can do about it. I just tried to keep the team in the game, and that’s it. It’s one hit.”

Hernández, meanwhile, was too busy enjoying the moment to see if his former teammate said something to him as he rounded the bases.

“If he did [say something], I didn’t hear it because the stadium was loud and I was kind of blacked out because it had been a while since I did something in a big moment in this stadium,” Hernández told reporters. “It was a little bit of a blackout and enjoying the moment, but I’m sure he might have some words tomorrow.”

Hernández was a member of the Red Sox for three seasons before getting traded back to the Dodgers in July 2023. He started off his career in Boston well, hitting at the top of the lineup and stepping up several times in the team’s run to the ALCS.

By the time Hernández’s stint with the Red Sox ended though, his production had fallen off. He struggled at the plate, hitting .222 with .599 OPS during the 2023 season. He also had 14 errors at shortstop in just 64 games as he played the position on a full-time basis for the first time in 2023.

Hernández had a rejuvenation when he joined the Dodgers last season, hitting .262 with a .731 OPS to close out the regular season. But he’s struggling again at the plate in 2024, hitting .198 with a .584 OPS.

As his career has hit some skids over the last two seasons, Hernández couldn’t help but feel appreciative as he hit his 10 years of MLB service.

“It’s been a day of a lot of reflection,” Hernández said. “It’s hard to sit back and appreciate what you’ve done or what the game has done for you. … It’s funny how things work. Obviously, I’ve played for four teams and two of them have been the majority of my career, and I get to celebrate my tenure here at Dodger Stadium playing in a Dodger uniform, even though it looks a little different.

“It’s a beautiful thing.”