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The Los Angeles Dodgers won an electric game five on Friday night to stun the San Diego Padres and advance to the NLCS. It was a remarkable, and unexpected come-from-behind series win. Nearly 80 percent of “experts” at The Athletic picked the Padres to beat the Dodgers, with similar results from voters at ESPN.

And it wasn’t an unreasonable choice, given the Padres penchant for comeback wins, their dominant bullpen, quality starting pitching, and the raucous Petco Park crowd. After San Diego won game three to take a 2-1 lead, it seemed inevitable. But the Dodgers stormed back, outscoring the Padres 14-0 in the last 24 innings. 

READ: Dodgers Break More Postseason Narratives, Shutout San Diego Padres To Win NLDS

The Dodgers, apparently viewed as underdogs against their division rivals, clearly enjoyed the series win and the clinching game five. And nobody may have exemplified that celebratory attitude more than Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernandez. Hernandez hit a mammoth home run to start the scoring in the second inning, and Fox reporter Ken Rosenthal grabbed him after the game to get his thoughts on the win. He got more than he bargained for.

Rosenthal asked him what was different about this current Dodgers team compared to those in the past. Kiké asked Rosenthal if they were live, and then got brutally honest: “The fact that we don’t give a f***.”

Dodgers Kike Hernandez

LOS ANGELES – Will Smith and Enrique Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after winning Game 5 of the Division Series presented by Booking.com between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, October 11, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Kiké Hernandez Leading Dodgers’ Charge Into NLCS

There’s been a feeling around the Dodgers organization that the team crumbles in October under the weight of crushing expectations. That’s probably unfair and unrealistic considering the randomness of the baseball playoffs.

But if that attitude has crept into the locker room, Hernandez demonstrated on Friday night that it’s not present on the 2024 roster. That said, the ultimate goal in Los Angeles is to win the World Series. The Dodgers spent a ton of money in the offseason to bring in star-level talent, adding to an already loaded roster. 

The problem with those expectations is that October baseball is fundamentally “theater,” as President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman explained in the clubhouse. There’s no way to build an unbeatable roster, or plan for every outcome. 

But if there is something to be said for having the right attitude and mindset, Kiké Hernandez demonstrated that this Dodgers team has it. Based on their comeback wins so far this postseason, so do the New York Mets. Get ready for more theater in the NLCS.