Dodgers clinch NLCS berth as ridiculous Kiké Hernandez HR celebration goes viral

Division Series - San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 5
Division Series - San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 5 | Harry How/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be taking on the New York Mets in the NLCS — a rematch nine years in the making. LA triumphed over a hapless San Diego Padres squad in Game 5 of the NLDS on Friday night and did just enough on the offensive end to get by.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto blanked the Pads over five innings and just 63 pitches. The bullpen got the job done again, which is nothing new — that unit has shut down San Diego since the sixth inning of Game 3.

All the Dodgers needed were two solo homers of the bats of Kiké Hernandez and Teoscar Hernandez to take down their division rivals and move on to the next round. Looking back now, they might've only needed the one, especially with how electric the celebration was.

After Kiké homered off Yu Darvish in the bottom of the second, he uncorked a rousing showboat and rounded the bases as the Dodger Stadium crowd lost their minds.

Then, when he crossed home plate, the first teammate he came into contact with was Gavin Lux, who was the next batter up. Hernandez rocked a hip thrust for the ages on Lux that immediately went viral. From that point on, it was the Dodgers' game. The vibes couldn't be defeated.

Dodgers clinch NLCS berth as ridiculous Kiké Hernandez HR celebration goes viral

Teoscar homered in the bottom of the seventh and that really felt like that was it for the Padres, who ended their season on a hapless 24-inning scoreless streak. They didn't plate a run since the bottom of the second inning in Game 3.

Even worse for them? Yu Darvish gave them one of the best outings you could ask for in a do-or-die game. The right-hander allowed just two earned runs on three hits and a walk over 6 2/3 innings of work. Most of the time, that gets the job done, if your offense possesses a semblance of fight.

San Diego's lack of offensive firepower allowed LA to get away with a 1-for-18 showing from Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux and Tommy Edman. LA's entire lineup logged just four hits and two walks on the night.

The Padres got way too ahead of themselves after their Game 3 win, and Mike Shildt's attempt at a managerial power move to start Dylan Cease in Game 4 was indeed the beginning of their undoing. Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. used all their bullets early on before flaming out and handing the upper hand of the rivalry right back to the Dodgers.

Where it's always been. And where it'll always be.

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