Kike Hernandez’s mother went to great lengths to see her son’s shining moment.
The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder hit three home runs Thursday night at Wrigley Field in his team’s 11-1 National League Championship Series-clinching win over the Chicago Cubs, and his mom watched the game live in Puerto Rico on a television powered by a generator, according to The New York Daily News’ Jake Becker.
While much of Puerto Rico still lacks power due to damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, some residents of the island have accessed electricity through generators, and Hernandez’s grandparents are among them.
“Three minutes before I came down to the cage to get ready for the game I texted her and I said, ‘Hey, where are you going to be watching the game?’ ” Hernandez said. “And she said, ‘I’m going to go to your grandparents, they got the generator going on and we’re gonna power on the TV and we’re gonna watch that game there, I saw the game at home last night and you guys lost, and the games that I watched at your grandparents’ you guys have won so I’m gonna go watch it there.’ ”
Hernandez then revealed he called at least one of his home runs prior to the game.
“I said, ‘Alright, well make sure you get there before the game starts ‘cuz I’m gonna hit a homer,’ and she goes, ‘Well, don’t think about hitting a homer, just think about putting the ball in play,’ ” Hernandez said. “I was like, ‘Nah, mom. I was thinking about doing that the first two games and that didn’t work, so I’m just gonna try and hit a homer. Who cares about making contact? Everybody just wants homers.’ I said it joking and, man, I hit more homers in the game than I did in BP.”
Hernandez later said he’s thrilled to have given his family and Puerto Ricans “something to cheer about.” He also gave his mother a reason plan at least four more visits to his grandparents’ house out of practicality and superstition.
Thumbnail photo via Jim Young/USA TODAY Sports Images
