LOS ANGELES — In a game where Mookie Betts didn’t play and Shohei Ohtani had just two singles, the Dodgers crushed the Yankees 18-2 on Saturday afternoon.
There was a common theme in L.A.’s series-clinching victory against the Bronx Bombers. And unlike Game 1 where the reigning NL MVP showed the world who the best player in the sport was with two homers, Saturday’s victory showed the other side of what makes the Dodgers so dangerous.
Their uncanny depth.
Because of Betts missing his second game due to a fractured toe, it opened the door for Hyeseong Kim to get his first start of the season at shortstop. Kim, who signed a three-year, $12.5 million deal this offseason, is another versatile player, something the Dodgers have coveted in recent years.
Filling the shoes of Betts isn’t easy, but Kim did his best impression. After starting his afternoon with a walk, he delivered one of the game’s big blows, crushing a two-run homer as part of a six-run second inning for the Dodgers. The South Korean utilityman would go on to add two singles and a double finishing the game 4-for-4.
“His nickname is ‘The Comet’ for a reason,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said.
Hyeseong Kim smashes a two-run home run off reliever Brent Headrick in the second inning on Saturday. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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It was Kim’s sixth career multi-hit game and the first four-hit game of his career.
He also did well defensively. First, he turned an unassisted double play diving to beat Austin Wells to second base while playing shortstop. He later headed out to center field and threw out Yankees superstar Aaron Judge attempting to stretch a single into a double in the sixth inning.
“There’s just something about him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That youthful enthusiasm, that joy, he’s just happy to be out there. Happy to be on the team, and guys feed off the energy. And he takes really good at-bats. He competes.”
It wasn’t just the Dodgers’ 9-hole hitter who provided L.A.’s spark Saturday. The bottom of the order was a driving force in routing the Yankees.
Muncy has come alive over the past three weeks. In the Dodgers’ victory over the Yankees, the third baseman continued his recent hot streak. Muncy had one of the best games of his career, hammering three-run homers in the second and fifth innings, and finishing the game with seven RBI. The first homer was the 200th of his career.
“It’s pretty cool,” Muncy said of his milestone. “To hit as many as I’ve hit in a Dodger uniform … it’s a blessing for sure. It’s a number that I’m definitely proud of. Hopefully I still got a lot more in me.”
Not only did the Dodgers superstars not have to do the heavy lifting in their rout of the Yankees, the combination of Kim, Muncy, Andy Pages and Tommy Edman went a combined 12-for-19 with four homers, nine runs and 12 RBI.
The Dodgers will go for the sweep of the 2024 World Series rematch on Sunday with an opportunity to make a statement not only to the Yankees, but to baseball that they’re still the team to beat, even if they don’t own the game’s best record.
“That’s a good club. Good club over there,” Roberts said. “So I’m just happy with the process and how we’re taking the field and going about playing baseball.”
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