The Los Angeles Dodgers’ attitude was perfectly, if crassly, summed up by utility player Kiké Hernandez after they eliminated the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

In his post-game on-field interview with Fox Sports reporter Ken Rosenthal, Hernandez asked if they were live on TV before dropping an obscenity as a mischievous grin crossed his face:

The “Don’t Give A***” quote quickly made the rounds on social media and fired up the Dodgers fan base.

The next day, Hernández apologized in an interview with MLB.com: “Last night during my postgame interview, I was really excited after an incredibly hard-fought series with the Padres. I said something in a way that I deeply regret. I have a… I said on live TV that I shouldn’t apologize if I offended someone.

More news: Dodgers’ Game 5 Hero Reveals Surprising Key to Success

Beneath the hype there is a grain of truth. Hernandez wasn’t just excited or trying to get the fans fired up. His quote expressed a heartfelt thought about the Dodgers’ attitude as a team.

According to one Dodgers player, no one embodies that attitude more than Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly.

On the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast, pitcher Michael Kopech said the key to his success is not worrying about being judged on the field – and no one does that better than Kelly.

“I think Joe is the best at this,” Kopech told host Rob Bradford. “I think Joe is the best in baseball at not giving a damn what other people think of him. I say that as the highest compliment because it’s one of the hardest things in this game.”

“What relieved me in the last game was that I had to warm up on the field in front of 50,000 people and sailed a ball onto the backstop. I can embarrass myself and then throw it? If I had just done that, what would it be? The most embarrassing thing I can do is yelp a ball in front of 53,000 people, and then I can pitch in front of 53,000 people.”

Kelly, 36, has appeared in 41 career postseason games with the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He has an ERA of 3.45, even better than his ERA of 3.98 in the regular season.

In 2024, Kelly battled injuries, playing 35 games for the Dodgers and posting a 4.78 ERA. He didn’t make the Dodgers’ roster for either the NLDS or the NLCS.

For more MLB postseason news, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.