Dodgers’ Kiké Hernandez keeps it 100% real on not being able to ‘out-talent’ Brewers in NLCS

Everything was looking good for the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into the 2026 MLB postseason, at least on paper. But teams play games on the field, not on paper. The Milwaukee Brewers made quick work of them in the 2026 NLCS, sending them home after just four games by taking a 6-4 victory on Thursday night in Game 4 to complete the sweep.

The Dodgers have the second-biggest payroll in MLB, and they have superstars up and down the roster. And yet they couldn't even win one postseason game against a Brewers team that spent nearly $200 million fewer in player payroll this season. At the end of the day, the Dodgers know that the Brewers simply outplayed them, as Kiké Hernandez so succinctly put .

"It's really hard to win in this sport. Sometimes you can't always out-talent people. You've got to play the game and play better than the other team. That's what happened in this series," Hernandez said, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

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Indeed, the Brewers came up with the runs when it mattered the most, while the Dodgers couldn't make their opportunities count. This could not have been more apparent than in Game 4.

After the Brewers had taken the lead, 5-4, in the top of the sixth thanks to a Garrett Mitchell solo homer , the Dodgers put the tying run on base in three consecutive innings — failing to drive them in on every opportunity.

By the time the bottom of the ninth came along, it was already too late for the Dodgers. The Brewers had padded their lead with a solo shot from David Hamilton , and Hernandez hit the final out of the game, sending a sharp liner to deep left field — only for Jackson Chourio to catch the ball on the run to secure the sweep for Milwaukee.

The Dodgers' position player core is aging, and they have some injury problems to navigate, particularly with Shohei Ohtani . They will surely sign reinforcements to bolster the roster, but it won't matter at the end of the day if they can't get it done on the diamond.