There’s something about blowouts that brings out the weird in baseball. While one team scrambles to avoid total humiliation, the other gets to experiment—maybe with a position swap, a rookie trying his luck on the mound, or sometimes… something far more absurd. Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins was one of those games. A full-on demolition job where the scoreboard begins to feel like a video game glitch. However, just when it looked like the noise had peaked, a Dodgers star turned a boring inning into a once-in-a-century moment. That too while rocking a pitcher’s helmet.

Let’s start with the numbers—because no exaggeration does it justice. The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ ever-versatile Enrique Hernández just etched his name into the history book of MLB. According to OptaSTATS, the Dodgers’ $6.5 million outfielder became “the only MLB player in the modern era to score multiple runs, play multiple positions and have a scoreless outing on the mound all in a game he did not start.” That’s not quirky trivia—that is a historic territory. He didn’t crack the starting lineup, yet somehow delivered the most remarkable box score of 2025.

So, how did Hernández get there? The team had already cracked the game wide open against the Marlins. They dropped 15 runs across 18 hits. With the score at 15–2, Dave Roberts did what a versatile manager does when the game is in hand—he got inventive. Out came Hernández as a substitute for Freddie Freeman, and then the fun began.

But this wasn’t just a participation trophy moment. Hernández scored twice and played multiple positions, including first base and the pitcher’s mound. Hernández casually took the mound in the ninth, wearing a pitcher’s helmet, and tossed a scoreless frame. No runs and no drama, just clear pitches from a player who had delivered more than enough. It was not a joke—it was performance art.

That’s exactly what catches everyone’s attention. He did not just fill time in garbage minutes; instead, he bent the unwritten rules of MLB, smashed a modern-era record to remind all why the Dodgers’ roster is a cheat code. He is not a headline star every night and does not carry the superstar payroll. Give him a weird game, and he just might walk out with history in his back pocket.

The team’s $6.5M utilityman proved that in baseball, it’s not always about who starts the game—it is about who makes it unforgettable.

Injuries mount for Dodgers, but depth keeps the engine running

While Hernández was racking up history and his teammate Blake Snell was cracking jokes about his “What a stance” moment on social media, a less amusing reality is looming behind the scenes—the Dodgers’ rotation is hanging by a thread. With almost 13 pitchers currently placed on the IL, including elites like Snell and Tyler Glasnow, it is a full-blown issue that would harm most teams. Snell, going through shoulder inflammation, has no clear return date. In addition, Glasnow has just been placed on the 15-day IL. That’s your top two pitchers out.

Just when it looked like the team was running on duct tape, Ohtani reminded everyone what happens when talent meets raw momentum. Despite the Dodgers enhancing IL, the two-way Japanese star delivered his first HR since becoming a father. He set the tone in a 15–2 demolition of the Marlins. This was a signal that, with an IL-prone rotation, the Dodgers’ offense still carries the vibe.

Ohtani’s resurgence with a batting .467 in the last four games could not have come at a better time. In the game against the Marlins, where the bullpen was not needed until Hernández took the helmet, Ohtani’s “Dad Strength” provided the Dodgers with a much-needed boost. Because when the MVP is heating up and the utilityman is setting records, maybe you don’t need a full rotation to keep winning.

Tuesday night was not just a victory—it was a Dodgers manifesto. Ohtani got his swing, Hernández made history, and Roberts transformed the blowout into a showcase of versatility. Despite a large medical bill, the team is not just surviving—they are thriving. With elite power up top, the Dodgers keep identifying ways to turn chaos into momentum.