The Los Angeles Dodgers endured their first early postseason exit in three years.
The Dodgers were swept by the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, and failed to become the first three-peat champions in a quarter century.
The Brewers have a chance to win their first World Series title in franchise history, and Dodgers utility star Kiké Hernandez hopes they do.
After the Dodgers' tough Game 4 loss, Hernandez wished the Brewers luck moving forward.
“These moments, they never — they don’t get easier. No matter how much you win. These moments suck,” Hernandez said after the game. “I’ve won a lot in my career but I’ve also had a lot of these. They don’t get easier.
"But [the Brewers] are playing unbelievable right now. Congrats to them. I hope that they end up winning it all. They’re almost playing perfect baseball. That’s a team that’s incredibly hungry and incredibly talented. Their pitching was lights out. Their offense was almost suffocating. I don’t know if, we might have had one shutdown inning all four games. It’s a tough recipe to win like that.
“At the end of the day, we got beat. They played better than us. We didn’t hit. Pitched well, but we didn’t give us a chance. Congrats to them.”
Milwaukee outplayed the Dodgers in every single way in the best-of-seven series that only went the minimum four games.
The Brewers out-Dodgered the Dodgers, hitting seven home runs to LA's one. The Dodgers lacked slug, and much of it had to do with the Brewers' stellar pitching.
Milwaukee's bullpen proved to be more elite. In Game 4 alone, the Brewers combined to hold the Dodgers scoreless over the final seven innings.
Milwaukee's offense was a lot more polished and hot. The Dodgers, by contrast, were ice cold, especially when it mattered most. Los Angeles produced a poor .520 OPS and went just 4-for-27 with runners in scoring position during the series.
What's Next for Kiké Hernandez?
Hernandez, 35, is entering free agency this winter.
His future with the Dodgers remains unclear. The utility star has spent most of his career in Los Angeles, spending 10 of his 13 years with the Dodgers.
While he's done stellar work for the Dodgers organization, his time may be up. However, Hernandez wants to compete for another World Series title, which may not be in Los Angeles.
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