PHILADELPHIA -- In the first inning of Wednesday's game, Cesar Hernandez put together what appeared to be a textbook leadoff at-bat. The Philadelphia Phillies second baseman fouled off three straight fastballs from Colorado Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood, then eyeballed a curve before jumping on a 90 mph cutter and lined it up the middle where it landed in the glove of a perfectly positioned Trevor Story at shortstop.
The month of May has been a slog for Hernandez and his team, and it would have been understandable if his mind lingered on his misfortune and he took his bad luck onto the field with him.