Chase Utley mentored Kiké Hernández, who made an Utley-esque play to keep the World Series alive

Kiké Hernández was still sprinting Friday to chase down the line drive while he was already planning his throw to second base. His instincts were in overdrive to put in motion the double play that ended Game 6 of the World Series.

It was an incredible finish to an excellent game as the Dodgers forced Saturday night’s Game 7 in Toronto. And it was the type of heads-up play on baseball’s biggest stage that certainly got the approval of Chase Utley, who mentored Hernández years ago when Hernández was finding his way in L.A.

Utley had his signature October defensive play in 2008 with the Phillies. And now Hernández has his.

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Hernández positioned himself perfectly in left field, standing more shallow than his positioning card instructed because the tying run was on second base. He told reporters that he heard Andrés Giménez’s bat break, immediately charged forward, lost the ball in the lights, still made the grab, and fired to second.

“Anticipating was the most important part of the game,” Hernández said.

Miguel Rojas made a great play at second to grab Hernández’s throw and send the World Series to Game 7.

Utley faked his throw in 2008 and fired home. Hernández lost the ball in the lights on Friday and kept the World Series alive.

“He is one of my favorite baseball players to watch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s one of the headiest baseball players I’ve ever been around. And even just getting off on the ball, the awareness to get to his arm, get the ball into second base. He’s just a heck of a baseball player. Heck of a baseball player, heck of a play.”

Hernández, then with the Marlins, first met Utley in 2014 when Utley was still with the Phillies. Hernández said hello to Utley after reaching second at Citizens Bank Park and Utley stared at him.

“I gave him a smirk and started smiling,” Hernández said in 2018. “And I don’t know if he got pissed or what, but he just mean-mugged me and gave me a death stare.”

They became teammates a year later with the Dodgers but didn’t become close until 2016 when Hernández struggled while his father battled cancer. Utley, he said, was there for him.

“He didn’t treat me differently regardless if I was hitting .300 the year before or hitting .190 like I did that year,” Hernández said. “He never treated me differently. He was always there for me with anything I needed.”

The relationship continued to grow as Utley — in the twilight of his career — allowed Hernández to follow him everywhere.

Hernández sat with Utley in the video room, watched how Utley studied opposing arms, and learned how to see if a pitcher was tipping.

“The only thought I had was that I didn’t know how long I was going to have him around for,” Hernández said. “So I wanted to learn as much as I can.”

Hernández stayed in L.A. after the 2017 season instead of returning home to Puerto Rico for the winter. He worked out every day with Utley at Dodger Stadium. Hernández modified his diet to how Utley ate and trained like him in the weight room.

They had breakfast every morning in spring training at 6:30 a.m. before working out at 7. In the regular season, Hernández and Utley arrived at Dodger Stadium at the same time for home games and rode together to away games.

Hernández, who is 12 years younger than Utley, took batting practice every afternoon in a T-shirt with Utley’s photo on the front.

“I started calling him ‘Dad’ because I was following him everywhere,” Hernández said. “It’s a relationship that I never take for granted. Not a lot of people that played with him or saw him play have gotten to see the side of Chase that I’ve gotten to see.”

The Blue Jays are managed by a former University of Delaware catcher, have players from South Jersey, a star pitcher from Boyertown High, and an outfielder who was named for Darren Daulton and John Vukovich. The Dodgers have a player who learned from Utley and thought the way his mentor would have with the game on the line.

“If there’s one way to describe him, it would be that he’s a true professional,” Hernández said. “If there’s a definition in the dictionary of professionalism with an image, it should be an image of Chase.”