Kike Hernandez delivered an instantly iconic moment for Dodgers fans during his postgame interview.
In an NLDS clash where both teams have given it their all, it was the Los Angeles Dodgers that came out on top against the San Diego Padres, advancing to the NLCS with a 2-0 victory in the decisive Game 5. In a game where runs were scarce, it was utilityman Kike Hernandez who broke the deadlock in the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run off a 95-mile per hour fastball from former teammate Yu Darvish.
Hernandez has made a habit of showing up for the Dodgers when they need it the most. The veteran utilityman thrives under the bright lights of playoff baseball, and it’s because he feeds off the entire team’s single-minded approach to winning. In fact, he could not have put better why he thought this Dodgers team was different from previous iterations during his hilarious postgame interview with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
“Are we live?” Hernandez asked before dropping an iconic expletive that will live with Dodgers fans for years. “The fact that we don’t give a f**k.”
Kiké Hernandez when asked what's different about this Dodgers team:
"The fact that we don't give a fuck" pic.twitter.com/DGOm6dTwAP
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 12, 2024
There has been plenty of talk about how the Dodgers are once again wilting under the pressure of being the best team in the MLB. At the conclusion of Game 3, it certainly seemed as though the Dodgers were going to fall prey to their past demons yet again.
Instead, the Dodgers’ pitching corps buckled down and held the Padres scoreless for the final 24 innings of the series, and in Game 5, the Padres’ bats stood little chance as LA took a second-consecutive shutout victory. All LA needed was to score some runs, and it was Hernandez that came through for the team in October, as he has done in the past.
It was indeed a good night to have “Hernandez” as one’s last name, as it wasn’t just Kiké who went deep for the Dodgers in their win. Teoscar Hernandez also went yard to give the team an added cushion that they wouldn’t end up needing in the end.
Moving forward, the Dodgers will need to embrace more of this kind of nonchalance amid adversity as they head towards an NLCS matchup against the New York Mets.
Kike Hernandez looks to win second World Series title with the Dodgers
This 2024 playoff run marks Enrique Hernandez’s eighth with the Dodgers. He has been such a vital member of the team for so long, but the competitive fire in him evidently has not run out yet. After all, the Dodgers have endured their fair share of playoff heartbreaks with Hernandez on the roster, only managing to break through once (and that was during the COVID-shortened season).
Hernandez may not be the flashiest player in baseball, but he somehow gets the job done during October. Throughout his Dodgers career, he has hit nine home runs and driven in 21 runs. For a man who made the conscious decision to don the same number as the legendary Kobe Bryant (8), he sure is making himself worthy of such acclaim with his continued postseason heroics.
