Kiké Hernandez Delivers Epic Eight-Word Reaction After Dodgers Eliminate Padres, Advance to NLCS

Many had written the Los Angeles Dodgers off after they trailed 2-1 in the NLDS. The San Diego Padres had taken Games 2 and 3, with the advantage of a raucous Petco Park crowd heading into Game 4. However, the Dodgers, facing elimination, were relentless, shutting out their NL West rivals 8-0 in front of the Padres' home fans to send the series back to Los Angeles.

In a winner-takes-all Game 5 on Friday night, the Dodgers followed up their dominant performance with another shutout, beating the Padres 2-0 to advance to the NLCS.

One of the pivotal moments of the game came in the second inning when Kiké Hernandez launched a 428-foot home run to left-center, sending the Dodger Stadium crowd of over 53,000 into a frenzy. Teoscar Hernández hit another homer in the bottom of the seventh.

When Fox's Ken Rosenthal asked Hernandez what set this Dodgers team apart, the utility man didn't hold back.

"Are we live?" Hernandez asked.

"We're live," Rosenthal confirmed.

"The fact that we don't give a f---," Hernandez responded.

Hernandez played a crucial role in the Dodgers' success throughout the NLDS, hitting .333 with three hits, one home run, an RBI, and two runs scored across three games. Known for his postseason reliability, Hernandez has a career playoff batting average of .277, with 52 hits, 14 home runs, 30 RBIs, and 28 runs scored in 75 games.

This isn't the first time Hernandez has delivered for the Dodgers in a high-stakes moment. In Game 7 of the 2020 NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, Hernandez hit a critical game-tying home run off Braves reliever A.J. Minter, who had been untouchable up to that point. None of the other Dodgers had managed to solve Minter, but Hernandez came through in a pivotal moment.

That home run was a turning point in the game, and the Dodgers went on to win the series, advancing to the World Series, where they ultimately claimed their first championship since 1988.

In the World Series, Hernandez hit .200 with two hits and two RBIs across six games against the Tampa Bay Rays.

With the Padres now behind them, Hernandez and the Dodgers move on to face the New York Mets in the NLCS, which starts Sunday night at Dodger Stadium with Game 1.