The Dodgers are back in the National League Championship Series for the third year running, and guess who’s waiting? The Milwaukee Brewers, again, after clocking the most regular season wins. This whole NLDS against the Atlanta Braves was a wild ride, with the Dodgers living and dying by the long ball. Seriously, 11 of their 14 runs in those four games came from dingers, with only three runs scraped together otherwise. But man, none of those blasts felt bigger than Kiké Hernández’s two-run shot off Chris Sale in Game 3. That bomb was the difference in a tight 3-1 victory, and it totally swung the momentum for the Dodgers to close out the series in Game 4.
Kiké is a Postseason Monster, Ohtani’s Bat Goes Cold
Kiké is just built different when October rolls around. The dude turns into a secret assassin in the postseason, and his presence in the lineup, especially after what he’s done in just two games this postseason, has fans buzzing about a potential three-peat. Sonja Chen over at MLB.com isn’t wrong about that vibe. Miguel Rojas totally nailed it when he said, “He converts himself into this kind of monster when it comes to the playoffs and when it matters the most. He wants the situation. He wants the moment. He wants to be the guy.” And you know what? He’s absolutely delivering.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani hasn’t quite been the superstar at the plate we’re all used to seeing. This is a totally different situation than two years ago when he suffered that left shoulder subluxation and was basically useless at the plate for the final three games of the 2024 World Series, where his lack of production somehow wasn’t a drawback. This year, though? He’s gone just 2-13 with two singles and two walks over the four games against the Braves. It’s a real head-scratcher. The Dodgers managed to advance, yeah, but Jack Harris from the California Post is already wondering just how far they can push it with Ohtani hitting like he has been since September. That’s a huge question mark heading into the NLCS.
Bullpen Turns It Around Just in Time
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom on the hitting front. There’s been a remarkable turnaround in the Dodgers bullpen. Mirjam Swanson at the Los Angeles Times wrote all about it in her latest column, and honestly, it’s been something to behold. Bringing in Edwin Díaz in the offseason looks like an absolute masterstroke. That bullpen has been shutting things down, giving the team a much-needed boost when the offense isn’t firing on all cylinders.
So, here we go. The Dodgers are squaring off against the Brewers again. Can Kiké keep up this incredible October run? Will Ohtani shake off this slump and find his superstar swing? And can that bullpen, anchored by offseason signee Edwin Díaz, continue its remarkable turnaround against the team with the most regular season wins? This series is gonna be wild. Let’s see if they can punch their ticket to the next round!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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