The Los Angeles Dodgers lost Game 3 of the 2018 National League Championship Series to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night by a 4-0 final.
Afterward, Dodgers infielder Enrique Hernandez let it be known that the contest never felt like a playoff game. Rather Hernandez said everyone -- from the players to the fans -- lacked energy:
Enrique Hernandez: "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.”
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) October 16, 2018
More from Hernandez: "It was a playoff game, and it didn’t feel like a playoff game. Not just because of the fans, but because of how we were playing the game . . . We sucked. That’s why we lost."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) October 16, 2018
It's worth noting the game did have an early start for fans in Los Angeles, with the first pitch being tossed around 4:40 p.m. local time on a Monday. That may explain why Dodgers fans weren't as riled up as the players may have liked them to be.
Regardless, that doesn't excuse the Dodgers' lifeless performance -- and to be clear, Hernandez isn't insinuating that it does. The Dodgers made a number of mistakes that cost them -- be it Manny Machado's illegal slide; Cody Bellinger's misplay that resulted in a triple; or Yasmani Grandal's multiple mistakes. Those gaffes add up quickly, especially in close contests.
The Dodgers trailed by just one or two runs for most of the game, yet they didn't feel "in" it until the ninth inning. That's when they loaded the bases against Brewers closer Jeremy Jeffress. The Dodgers then struck out for the second and third outs of the inning, sealing the deal and putting themselves in a 2-1 hole.
Perhaps Hernandez's comments will help re-energize the Dodgers overnight. They sure hope so -- if not, their postseason run could end in the next 48 hours.
