Kiké Hernández Says Dodgers 'Don't Give a F--k' in Viral Video After Clinching NLCS
The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the NLCS on Friday night, beating the San Diego Padres 2-0.
Kiké Hernández, when asked what separated this year's version of the team from the groups that fell short in recent playoff appearances, offered a blunt—if not somewhat cryptic—assessment:
It's unclear whether Hernández meant the Dodgers didn't care about any outside noise regarding their past failures, were simply playing a more carefree and loose brand of baseball, or perhaps a combination of both.
Offseason additions like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto certainly helped.
The former was 0-for-4 on Friday and is hitting just .200 this postseason, but his epic 2024 campaign—he hit .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBI, 134 runs, 59 stolen bases and a 1.036 OPS, easily making him the frontrunner for NL MVP—helped to ensure that the Dodgers earned homefield advantage throughout the postseason, meaning the pivotal Game 5 against the Padres was played in Dodger Stadium.
And Yamamoto was fantastic on the mound on Friday, throwing five scoreless innings while only allowing two hits and a walk, striking out two. Dodgers pitchers, believed to be the team's potential weakness heading into these playoffs, held the explosive Padres offense scoreless for the final 24 innings of the NLDS.
Hernández played a starring role himself in Game 5, hitting a solo home run in the second inning off of Yu Darvish that ultimately was the game-winner (Teoscar Hernández added an insurance dinger in the bottom of the seventh).
Star outfielder Mookie Betts offered a less provocative assessment of the Dodgers than Hernández after the win, citing the team's resilience.
"We went through a lot of injuries and a lot of ups and downs," he said on the Fox Sports broadcast. "But we fight and we keep going. We got champagne on us right now."
"What's crazy is that all season, everyone says, 'The Dodgers are winning the World Series,' then we get to this series and now we're the underdogs," he added. "Somehow we're the underdogs. That's what makes it fun though, and when you're on top, everyone's coming after you. Like I said, that's what makes it fun, makes it tough for sure. But it's what we signed up for."
Up next for these Dodgers will be the scrappy, upstart New York Mets, who fought and clawed their way into the postseason behind timely, clutch hitting. Not that Dodgers really care who they're facing, if Hernández's perspective on their mindset is to be believed.
