Red Sox

‘Oh Lord’: Dusty Baker reacts on camera to Kiké Hernández solo homer in Game 1

"I'm going to blame you guys."

Boston Red Sox's Kiké Hernandez watches his home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez during the third inning in Game 1 of baseball's American League Championship Series. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

By Tom Westerholm

October 15, 2021

As Astros manager Dusty Baker spoke with the FOX announcing crew during Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday, Red Sox centerfielder Kiké Hernández hit a monstrous fly ball to left center.

“Oh Lord,” Baker said as the ball traveled far over the wall, chuckling slightly.

No words….

Kiké Hernández is NOT HUMAN right now! pic.twitter.com/zlOpA10ESF
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 16, 2021

Baker — who was conducting a mid-game interview in the top of the third inning — had just finished telling the FOX crew that starting pitcher Frambers Valdez was laboring.

“Right now, he’s struggling a little bit,” Baker was saying as Valdez wound up to pitch to Hernández. “He’s struggling a little bit, but he’s making the pitches when he has to.”

Then Hernández detonated.

“He hung a breaking ball,” Baker said, gamely talking through the moment as Hernández rounded the bases. “Usually he doesn’t hang them. He was having trouble finding his release point because he was bouncing some of them, and then he hung that one. Got to flush that one too and start all over again.”

Joe Buck noted that Hernández is having the best week of his life.

“I don’t know about the week of his life, but he’s having a pretty good first three innings,” Baker said.

Mercifully, Buck let Baker go back to his dugout.

“I’m going to blame you guys,” Baker quipped as he departed.

Unfortunately for Baker and the Astros, Valdez wasn’t quite able to flush Hernández’s homer. The Red Sox tacked on two more runs in the frame — one courtesy of an error by José Altuve, and a second thanks to an RBI double by Hunter Renfroe.

The Red Sox led 3-1 after three innings.