Dodgers Interview: Kiké Hernández Treating Game 4 as a “Must-Win”
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers woke up on Friday with a 3–0 lead and a chance to finish the NLCS at home. Kiké Hernández kept the mood light and the focus tight. He talked about lessons, trust, and the way this group carries itself in October.
“You could say we’re back in that mindset,” Hernández said when asked about Mookie’s allusion to the “Mamba mentality”. “Every postseason teaches you a lot. Every series, whether it’s five games or seven, feels like a month. We’ve gone through a lot together as a group. There are people who were here in 2020, people who were here last year, and new guys who have bought in to the final goal, which is to win a World Series.”
“We’re going into today just like any other day in October, thinking it’s a must-win game,” he said. “That’s how we feel about it.”
Asked what this run has reinforced, he pointed to the arms and the attitude. “We’ve learned that our starting pitching is really good,” Hernández said. “It’s the experience within each game. We’re a battle-tested group that believes in each other and cares about each other. In the past there might have been some pressure to perform, but we’ve gone through so much that you know things are going to be all right and we’re going to find a way to win.”
“Even if you’re not performing, you trust that the guy behind you is going to get the job done,” he said. “As long as we’re winning games, nothing else matters. That’s the mentality we’ve acquired and we’re going to keep it.”
He lit up when Mookie Betts came up. “When you’re talking about Mookie Betts, these are things you expect,” Hernández said. “He’s such a gifted athlete that you’re not surprised. I don’t think I’ve seen him be bad at anything when it comes to sports. He’s an elite athlete in four sports.”
“To go from right field to short and play it at such a high level with no real experience is impressive,” he said. “You kind of take it for granted and forget he’s new at the position and how long he played in the outfield. From a guy who plays everywhere, the game in the outfield is a lot slower than the game in the infield. When it’s the other way around, the infield feels a lot faster. For him to do what he’s done after all these years, in my opinion he has to win the Gold Glove. I don’t think anyone was more valuable at that position on the defensive side. It’s not a coincidence his initials are MLB.”
Hernández didn’t want to wander into hypotheticals about future schedules or long layovers. “I’ll think about it when we get there,” he said. “For now, we have a game tonight that we’re trying to win. I’m not thinking about what would happen if we win tonight. I’m thinking about winning tonight.”
The personal milestone sneaking up on him made him pause. “Humbled, fortunate,” he said when told he will be one behind Justin Turner for most postseason games in Dodgers history. “This is not just any franchise. This is the LA Dodgers. They’ve been around a long time and they have a lot of history. For a guy like me from Puerto Rico, who kind of swam against the current my entire life, to be in this position is pretty special.”
“I haven’t wanted to reflect too much because there will be a time for that once I’m done playing,” he said. “As cool as that is, and I’ll take that to the grave with me, I’m focused on today. It would be cool if my name is up there with the most Dodger World Series ever. Creeping up on playing the most playoff games as a Dodger is something I never dreamed of. I wasn’t really aware of it until you said it.”
Then he brought it back to the only thing that matters tonight. “We’re treating it like a must-win,” Hernández said. “Show up. Be ready. Find a way.”
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