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Marwin Gonzalez has been one of the unsung heroes for the Houston Astros this season, and his game-tying home run against Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen sparked a late Houston comeback to take Game 2 and even the World Series at one game apiece.
The home run also shined a light on the versatility and depth of both rosters in this Fall Classic.
“Marwin Gonzalez kicked it all off,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’re not here if Marwin Gonzalez doesn’t hit a ball to centerfield against the best closer in baseball.”
It has been a struggle this postseason for Gonzalez, who is hitting just .163 (7-for-43) with two doubles in addition to that home run. But he was a huge cog on the Astros’ wheel and part of the best offense in baseball.
Gonzalez hit .303/.377/.530 with 23 home runs and 34 doubles during the regular season, but where he stood out was his ability to play all over the diamond. He has only played left field so far in the playoffs, but he filled in at shortstop when Carlos Correa was on the disabled list, and he started at least 14 games at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and left field.
“It’s like having multiple players in one. Not just that he can do it, he can do it well. He can fill in admirably to where there’s not a lot of offensive slippage, there’s no defensive slippage, and there’s no gap in the performance,” Hinch said. “As a manager, he’s a winning player. Helps us shape a lot of wins.”
One inning after Gonzalez homered against Jansen in Game 2, Kiké Hernandez drove in the tying run for the Dodgers. That came against right-handed pitcher Ken Giles, but for the most part Hernandez has been one of LA’s main weapons against left-handers, hitting .270/.367/.579 against them during the regular season.
The big postseason moment for Hernandez came in Game 5 of the NLCS, when he hit three home runs and drove in seven runs against the Chicago Cubs in the Dodgers’ pennant-clinching victory.
Like Gonzalez, Hernandez has been the jack-of-all-trades for the Dodgers, starting games at every position but catcher and pitcher.
“It’s a testament to Andrew [Friedman, president of baseball operations] and Farhan [Zaidi, general manager] and those guys who put this team together,” said Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling. “I think it’s just them knowing their guys, getting pitchers who can get righties and lefties out and hitters who can hit in multiple spots in the lineup and play multiple spots in the field. That’s what makes us difficult.”
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Hernandez isn’t alone among versatile players on the Dodgers. Their starting center fielder is Chris Taylor, a career infielder who also has played in left field this season in addition to shortstop, second base, and third base. Cody Bellinger is a slick-fielding first baseman in addition to having power — he hit a team-leading 39 home runs, setting a National League record for rookies — but might also be the Dodgers’ fastest player and has started games in all three outfield spots this year as well.
“During BP, me, Kiké and those guys we do work in the infield and outfield. It’s harder work, but it needs to be done,” Bellinger said. “It’s why we’ve been so successful. When people go down that are huge assets to our team, we have guys that can fill the void.”