Spanish-speaking coach's defensive mistake leads to defeat! The Dodgers' locker room falls eerily silent after the game

The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a walk-off loss today to the league's last-place Colorado Rockies, with two defensive errors by right fielder Teoscar Hernández cited as a key factor in the defeat. After the game, six-time Gold Glove winner Mookie Betts met with manager Dave Roberts and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers' clubhouse was utterly silent after the loss. Amid this quiet, however, a significant conversation took place. The report states that after the walk-off hit caused by Hernández’s two errors, Betts, Roberts, and Friedman held a private meeting in Roberts’ office. Betts is a six-time Gold Glove winner in right field.

Roberts spoke about Hernández, saying, “He has to perform better in the outfield, there’s no other way to put it. It’s not a matter of effort, but we have to improve, we really do.” He added, “This is a game we should have won; it’s really hard to accept.”

One possible adjustment is moving Betts back to right field and having Alex Freeland or Miguel Rojas play shortstop. Freeland has played nearly 300 games at shortstop in the minors, while Rojas has appeared in over 940 major league games at the position.

Hernández is tied for second on the Dodgers with 74 RBIs and 20 home runs, and the team needs his offensive production. However, his defense is increasingly becoming a source of frustration for Roberts.

In this game, the Rockies’ starting pitcher exited in the fifth inning due to a blister, while Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched seven strong innings. But Hernández helped the Rockies tie the game in the third. Kyle Karros walked, and Brenton Doyle singled to right. Hernández mistakenly threw to third base instead of second, allowing Doyle to advance. Ryan Ritter then singled to bring in two runs.

Roberts commented, “I don’t know if you can catch that ball, but it shouldn’t have been a second-and-third situation. One hit shouldn’t have let them score two runs.”

The Dodgers took the lead in the sixth, but the Rockies tied it again with a solo homer in the seventh. In the bottom of the ninth, Ezequiel Tovar hit a shallow fly ball to right, which dropped between Freeland, running from second, and a slowly moving Hernández.

Hernández initially caught the ball but couldn’t secure it, allowing Tovar to reach second base and setting up the walk-off hit. Hernández said, “That was a play that needed a great defensive effort, but I didn’t make it. I got to the ball, I caught it, but it slipped out of my glove.”

For Roberts, the most painful part was losing to the league’s weakest team, especially after Yamamoto pitched seven strong innings while the Rockies’ starter lasted only four. Roberts said, “Our starter went seven innings, theirs went four, and we still lost. It’s really hard to put into words.”

Moving Betts back to right field and shifting Hernández to left, replacing the struggling Michael Conforto, might be a solution. Roberts said, “Defense is crucial for playoff and winning baseball. He must keep improving.”