The Los Angeles Dodgers won a thrilling Game 5 on Friday night, overwhelming the San Diego Padres and advancing to the NLCS. It was a remarkable and unexpected series victory that saw them overcome a deficit. Nearly 80 percent of The Athletic’s “experts” picked the Padres to beat the Dodgers, with similar results from voters at ESPN.

And given the Padres’ penchant for comeback victories, their dominant bullpen, their good starting pitching and the loud crowd at Petco Park, it wasn’t an unreasonable decision. After San Diego won the third game and took a 2-1 lead, it seemed inevitable. But the Dodgers stormed back, outscoring the Padres 14-0 over the final 24 innings.

READ: Dodgers break more postseason narrative, shut out San Diego Padres to win NLDS

The Dodgers, who appeared to be underdogs against their division rivals, clearly enjoyed the series win and the decisive fifth game. And perhaps no one embodied that celebratory attitude better than Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernandez. Hernandez struck first with a mammoth home run 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 the previous ones. Kiké asked Rosenthal if they were live, then got brutally honest: “The fact that we don’t care.”

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 have. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Kiké Hernandez leads the Dodgers’ attack in the NLCS

There was a feeling within the Dodgers organization that the team was collapsing under the weight of overwhelming expectations in October. That’s probably unfair and unrealistic given the randomness of the baseball playoffs.

But if that attitude has crept into the locker room, Hernandez showed Friday night that it isn’t present on the 2024 roster. But the ultimate goal in Los Angeles is winning the World Series. The Dodgers spent a lot of money in the offseason to acquire star-level talent to add to an already loaded roster.

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

However, if there’s something to be said for having the right attitude and mindset, Kiké Hernandez has proven that this Dodgers team has what it takes. This also applies to the New York Mets due to their comeback victories so far this postseason. Get ready for more theater in the NLCS.