If the Los Angeles Dodgers want to mount a National League Championship Series comeback against the Milwaukee Brewers, they’ll need more from their players — and their fans.
Following L.A.’s shutout loss to the Brewers at Dodger Stadium in Game 3, infielder Enrique “Kike” Hernandez took a pretty overt shot at Dodgers fans who he felt didn’t quite do their part.
“As a team, we were a little bit flat (Monday night), and it showed on the offensive side,” Hernandez said after the game, via the Los Angeles Times’ Andy McCollough. “It’s the playoffs, you’ve got to want it. Today just wasn’t our day.
“We had no energy. The stadium had no energy. The fans had no energy. Overall, it was a pretty bad game for everybody who calls themselves Dodgers.”
Of course, it’s hard to get excited if your team can’t swing the bat — L.A.’s offense mustered just five hits all night– and Hernandez clarified the onus falls on his Dodgers teammates to get the home crowd fired up.
“It was a playoff game, and it didn’t feel like a playoff game,” Hernandez said. “Not just because of the fans, but because of how we were playing the game.”
But the 27-year-old also took umbrage with the Dodgers faithful booing catcher Yasmani Grandal, who struck out three times and allowed a wild pitch and passed ball.
“It sucks. He’s a teammate. He’s a competitor, and you know he’s doing everything he can,” Hernandez said, via The Associated Press’ Greg Beacham. “It sucks that there’s nothing going on in the stands. Since the first inning when (Ryan) Braun hit that double, the stadium went kind of quiet for the rest of the evening. And it sucks that they got loud just to show (up) Yasmani.”
Unsurprisingly, Hernandez’s comments already aren’t sitting well with Dodgers fans. But the hometown team has bigger issues on its plate entering a crucial Game 4 on Tuesday night.
