{
  "id": 13110254,
  "title": "NLCS notes: Kiké Hernández, Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers bullpen",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/nlcs-notes-kike-hernandez-shohei-ohtani-dodgers-bullpen",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T12:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nlcs-notes-kik-hern-ndez-120700630.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured their position in the National League Championship Series for a third consecutive year. They will face the Milwaukee Brewers, who hold the record for the most regular season wins. Throughout the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, the Dodgers' offense was primarily driven by the long ball, except for three runs in the four-game series. A standout performance was Kiké Hernández’s two-run home run against Chris Sale in Game 3, which proved decisive in the Dodgers' 3-1 victory, securing their lead over Atlanta. Hernández has become the Dodgers' secret weapon in October, as evidenced by his strong presence in the postseason. His reliability in clutch situations has convinced fans, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Miguel Rojas added that Hernández wants the moment and is determined to be the hero. Two years ago, Shohei Ohtani was sidelined with a left shoulder issue during the 2024 World Series, significantly impacting the Dodgers' lineup in the final three games. This year, however, Ohtani has struggled at the plate, batting just 2-13 with two singles and two walks in the four games against Atlanta. Despite Ohtani's limited production, the Dodgers have managed to advance without him being a superstar. Jack Harris of the California Post questions how far the Dodgers can go with Ohtani's recent hitting performance. The Dodgers bullpen has demonstrated a remarkable turnaround, particularly with the addition of offseason signee Edwin Díaz, as noted by Mirjam Swanson of the Los Angeles Times.",
  "summary": "For a third consecutive year, the Dodgers have advanced to the National League Championship Series. For a second consecutive year, they will be facing the team with the most wins in the regular season, that being the Milwaukee Brewers (again). The Dodgers lived and died by the long ball throughout the NLDS against the Atlanta […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Dodgers get past Braves in Game 4 to reach NLCS",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/dodgers-get-past-braves-in-game-4-to-reach-nlcs",
        "published": "2026-10-08T03:44:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Freddie Freeman reveals how Dodgers can help Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto in NLCS",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/freddie-freeman-reveals-how-dodgers-can-help-tarik-skubal-yoshinobu",
        "published": "2026-10-08T03:48:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}