MLB

Dave Roberts proves he’s a playoff wizard again as Dodgers erupt in 4th inning against Braves

October 6, 2026

Dave Roberts’ strategic lineup tweak for the Dodgers paid off handsomely in Game 3 of the NLDS, as Los Angeles exploded for a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning against the Braves. The manager moved Freddie Freeman up to the second spot and Kiké Hernández to ninth, a bold shift that saw both players deliver clutch postseason power.

Hernández led the charge with a towering 406-foot, two-run homer off Chris Sale’s 89 mph changeup, while Freeman followed with a 399-foot shot—his 96 mph exit velocity obliterating a Sale sinker for a solo homer. The pair’s combined heroics underscored their October dominance, with Freeman (career .268 in playoffs) and Hernández (career .272) each adding to their postseason résumés, now sitting at 17 and 16 homers respectively.

Sale, one of baseball’s most elite pitchers, was rocked early but managed to escape further damage after Teoscar Hernández’s hard-hit 108 mph line drive fell just short of another homer. With the Dodgers now up 3-1, Roberts’ lineup adjustment has already proven pivotal in their push to extend their postseason run.