The Dodgers were tied 8-8 heading into the ninth. They took the lead and brought in Kiké Hernández as a pinch hitter with two men on. A group of hecklers near the on-deck circle had been trash-talking every batter, and Hernández heard it all. He stepped to the plate in a tight 2-2 count and responded with a loud three-run homer that busted the game open. As he rounded the bases, he remembered the chirping fans and made sure they felt it. He playfully mocked them, pretending to blow kisses and clearly enjoying the moment.
After the home run, the same group started yelling, proudly claiming the credit for the trash talk that fired him up. “It was us!” they shouted, joking and half-celebrating the fact that they got a reaction. Hernández didn’t engage much after that but the damage was done. He put the game out of reach and left the hecklers with nothing but their own voices.