What struggles? Teo, Tucker continue resurgence, come out swinging in NLDS Game 1

LOS ANGELES -- If you spent any time around Chavez Ravine this summer, you heard the hum surrounding Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández.

In a city where championship expectations are non-negotiable, Tucker and Hernández endured two of the most heavily scrutinized regular-season stretches on the roster. Neither outfielder hid from it.

Tucker struggled through a grueling campaign in his first year as a Dodger, finishing with a .592 home OPS. Hernández fought through a midseason injury setback that derailed an otherwise strong start, leaving him, as he said, "fighting for his life" to contribute.

• Braves-Dodgers NLDS Game 2 FAQ

Neither offered excuses for their numbers. But as September arrived, both began to find their footing. And on Saturday afternoon, in the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, they showed how quickly October can rewrite a story.

Tucker slashed .262/.354/.536 with an .890 OPS, six homers and 13 RBIs in September, while Hernández’s torrid final month saw him slash .341/.420/.545 with a .965 OPS, four homers and 18 RBIs.

“For me, whatever's in the past is in the past," Hernández said after the game. "There's nothing I can do about the things I couldn't get done. ... It's not about the regular season anymore. It's not about the September that I had. It's about what I can do in an at-bat, pitch by pitch, to help this team win 10 more games."

Tucker echoed that same sentiment when asked about turning the page.

"I mean, you’ve got to have a short memory in sports in general, but in baseball, you just have to move on to your next at-bat or next play, next pitch," Tucker said. "So just try and do your best at that."

While the Dodgers went with their Trade Deadline prize, Tarik Skubal, to start Game 1, Atlanta opted for a bullpen game to open the series.

"Bullpen games are always tough because you never know what direction it's going to go in or who's coming in," said Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who also went deep. "It's hard to be prepared for it, but you just have to keep going out there, having good at-bats and passing the baton."

That baton was passed in the bottom of the fourth inning after Braves reliever Victor Mederos issued a one-out walk to Freddie Freeman. Then, Hernández stepped into the box and jumped on a 92.4 mph cutter, driving it deep into left-center to break a scoreless tie. He punctuated his blast with an epic bat fling toward the Los Angeles bench.

It was Hernández’s 11th career postseason home run – and his ninth with the Dodgers.

"I think Teo is good in big moments because he's not afraid to fail," said manager Dave Roberts, whose club has now won the last seven postseason games in which Hernández has homered. "I think he has a short memory in the sense of, if something doesn't go well, he has a way to just kind of reset, recalibrate. I think he just focuses a little bit more."

Yet Hernández’s biggest contribution of the afternoon may have come two innings later, setting up the moment that turned the spotlight onto Tucker.

After Atlanta pulled within a run in the top of the sixth, Hernández jumpstarted L.A.’s response by lining a single to center off Braves reliever AJ Smith-Shawver.

Cue Tucker.

Tucker turned on a 97 mph fastball and launched a soaring two-run shot into the right-field pavilion, pushing L.A.’s lead to 4-1. Tucker almost never lets his emotions show, but a rare beaming smile cracked across his face as he crossed home plate to meet his teammates.

Tucker hadn’t enjoyed many such moments at Dodger Stadium this season, his first of a four-year, $240 million contract with the club. Tucker’s .592 OPS at home was the fourth-lowest in MLB (min. 250 plate appearances).

"I think I was more happy than him," Hernández smiled afterward. "We've been going through a lot this year, but we stayed together. We have each other's back."

"I give him a lot of credit for grinding through it, not running from it, always posting and getting to the other side of it," Roberts said of Tucker. "Our fans, they really remember what you do in the postseason. So this is certainly a way to change the story."

Two batters later, Muncy provided the exclamation point, crushing an 86 mph splitter to right field for a solo shot, extending his franchise record with his 17th career postseason home run. The swing moved him within one of tying Reggie Jackson, Carlos Correa and Bryce Harper for 10th on MLB’s career postseason home runs leaders.

"The thing that means the most is that it means I've had a lot of opportunities to play in October," Muncy said. "You want to have a chance to win the World Series, and we've been able to make the playoffs every year that I've been here."