Alex Cora Ribs Kiké Hernández After Ex-Red Sox’s Clutch Hits

An old friend helped prevent the Red Sox from evening up their weekend series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

The National League West leaders were down to their last three outs Saturday when Kiké Hernández blasted a game-tying home run in the ninth inning off ex-teammate Kenley Jansen. Hernández came up clutch for the Dodgers again one frame later when he laced a game-tying single, which set the stage for LA to walk off with a 7-6 win in the 11th.

The vibes in the Dodgers clubhouse after such an exciting victory surely must have been through the roof. And as Boston manager Alex Cora noted after the game, he might have inadvertently assisted with the celebration.

“Too bad I sent him a good bottle of wine over there, so now he can celebrate,” Cora told reporters, per MLB.com. “Even when he’s struggling, he’s a threat. He’s a guy that, he likes the big moments.”

Thanks in large part to Hernández, the Red Sox are in jeopardy of suffering only their second three-game sweep of the season. Boston will try to avoid another loss to Los Angeles on Sunday night when the clubs wrap up their weekend set in primetime.

First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.