LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers had spent most of Thursday night searching for the same thing they have been searching for much of the past few weeks: one big hit.
They finally got it when they needed it most.
With the Dodgers down to their final three outs and the Cardinals one run away from completing a sweep at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium, Teoscar Hernández lined a two-run double into the gap in the ninth inning, sending the Dodgers sprinting out of the dugout and the crowd into a frenzy.
The Dodgers walked off the Cardinals, 3-2, at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium, avoiding what would have been a frustrating three-game sweep and, perhaps more importantly, giving an offense that had been stuck in neutral a desperately needed jolt.
"It feels great," Hernández said. "The results, personal, they're good. But everyone knows that I'm a player that likes to win."
It was Hernández's seventh career walk-off hit and the Dodgers' eighth walk-off victory of the season.
For eight innings, however, there was very little to celebrate.
The Dodgers entered the night coming off a 1-for-18 performance with runners in scoring position Wednesday. The struggles followed them into Thursday, as they repeatedly put themselves in position to score only to come away empty-handed.
They stranded the bases loaded in the third inning. By the end of the frame, they had already left six runners on base and were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
The Dodgers eventually fell behind 2-0 before finally getting on the board in the fifth inning, when Tommy Edman scored on a wild pitch.
Edman had been one of the few consistent offensive bright spots throughout the series. He collected four hits Thursday, including a double, and finished the series 9-for-15.
But even with Edman setting the table, the Dodgers could not deliver the big blow.
They entered the eighth inning still trailing 2-1 and had another opportunity to change the game.
Kyle Tucker drew a two-out walk with runners on first and second, loading the bases.
Then came Dalton Rushing.
Rushing, who had pinch hit for Alex Call in the sixth inning after Dave Roberts opted to start Call at designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani out of the starting lineup, represented the Dodgers' latest chance to break through.
Instead, he struck out.
The Dodgers were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position at that point and had stranded 10 runners.
It looked like another night where the opportunities would pile up without the results.
Then Hernández changed everything.
The Dodgers finally got their hit with runners in scoring position, and it was about as big as one could be.
Hernández laced the ball into the gap in the ninth, bringing home the tying and winning runs and setting off a celebration that had been building for much of the night.
"It was fun to watch those guys run around those bases," Tarik Skubal said.
For Hernández, the moment was a continuation of what he believes has been a gradual turnaround at the plate.
He said a flyout during the Dodgers' series in Detroit helped him unlock something in his swing. Since then, his confidence has continued to build.
And when the game was on the line Thursday, there was no panic.
"I don't know if I'm ever nervous about playing baseball," Hernández said. "I try to take every at-bat the same way."
That mentality has been particularly important as Hernández has dealt with questions about his performance and his playing time in left field.
Roberts recently acknowledged that the Dodgers could consider platooning Hernández if his production did not improve. Hernández said the possibility did not put additional pressure on him.
"Not really," Hernández said. "I'm a player that if I'm not doing what I'm supposed to do, and somebody else is doing the job and helping team win, I told Dave, if you feel like you have to put somebody else in there, just do it. Know that I'm gonna keep working. I'm gonna try to be ready for the times that you need."
Roberts said Hernández responded exactly as the Dodgers needed.
"I give him all the credit," Roberts said. "I wouldn't say it's a challenge, but we're better when he's in the lineup. Performance matters. This series was really good."
And it wasn't only the production that Roberts noticed.
"This series was really good, his energy, his joy," Roberts said. "Just another really good night from Teo."
The walk-off also rescued what had been a strange night for Skubal.
The left-hander made his sixth start since joining the Dodgers and his fourth at home, allowing 10 hits, all singles, over 5⅔ innings. He gave up two runs, walked one and struck out six on 102 pitches.
The 10 hits matched the most Skubal has allowed in a start since joining the Dodgers.
Yet somehow, the Cardinals scored only twice.
"Weird, weird game," Skubal called it.
The lack of run support made his margin for error razor-thin, leaving the Dodgers needing their offense to find a way late.
Eventually, it did.
The Dodgers finished the series just 6-for-41 with runners in scoring position, a glaring reminder of how badly they needed Thursday's ninth-inning breakthrough.
Edman said the Dodgers had been "trying to do too much in the big spots."
Hernández's at-bat was different. He did not need to manufacture anything. He simply delivered.
"It was huge to finally get that big hit," Edman said.
Now the Dodgers head into Friday with something they desperately lacked entering Thursday: momentum.
The Dodgers improved to 83-57 and maintained its 9½-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.
The sweep was avoided. The offense finally came through with runners in scoring position. And Hernández, after weeks of searching for his swing, provided the kind of moment that can change the feel of an entire clubhouse.
For eight innings, Thursday night was another frustrating chapter in a season that has produced more than its share of offensive inconsistencies.
Then Hernández stepped into the ninth inning and turned it into a night the Dodgers won't soon forget.
The Dodgers will now turn their attention to the Washington Nationals, who arrive in Los Angeles for a three-game series beginning Friday night.
For once, the Dodgers won't have to spend the night wondering when the big hit is coming. They already got it.
