The Dodgers had a pretty brutal showing in their NLDS Game 3 loss to the Brewers on Monday. In front of their home fans, Los Angeles was shut out 4-0, going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and consistently coming up short in big moments.
No Dodger had a rougher game than catcher Yasmani Grandal. The veteran struck out three times, lowering his average this postseason to .136. He also had two crucial mistakes behind the plate, first letting a wild pitch score a run in the sixth inning, then allowing a passed ball that advanced a runner to second and ignited a chorus of boos from the Dodger Stadium faithful.
“We want Austin! We want Austin!” chanted the crowd, referring to backup catcher Austin Barnes.
It was far from the only time Grandal was booed. His third strikeout of the game came with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning. After he whiffed, the sold-out crowd let him hear it.
Grandal’s teammate, Kiké Hernandez, did not appreciate the negative energy raining down from the crowd, and let the fans know exactly how he felt after the game.
“It sucks that there’s nothing going on in the stands,” Hernandez said. “Since the first inning when [Ryan] Braun hit that double, the stadium kind of went quiet for the rest of the evening, and it sucks that they got loud just to show [up] Yasmani.”
“It’s the playoffs. It’s the big leagues. If they think they can do it, go ahead. Put on your gear and catch 99 [MPH] with breaking balls that have a lot of movement.”
Hernandez apologized Tuesday, tweeting a statement claiming his comments were taken out of context. He said he was “really frustrated.”
“We all know Kiké is very emotional,” manager Dave Roberts said before Game 4. “I know he feels we’re all in it together as far as players, coaches, fans. His interaction with the fans is top-level, so I know he felt bad that it was kind of received that way.”
Hernandez said that “last night felt off” and “was just a weird day overall.” He said the Dodgers’ play in Game 1 was “unacceptable.”
“What I said last night doesn’t portray the way I truly feel about you guys!” he wrote. “You guys are the best fans in baseball.”
Grandal did manage a double with no outs in the fifth, one of the Dodgers’ five hits on the night. He also didn’t seem too bothered by the jeers.
“I think it’s driving you guys nuts more than it’s driving me,” Grandal said. “I think any person in baseball understands what it is to be able to block a ball like that. I don’t really hear the noise outside.”
Still, the fans got their wish when Roberts announced Barnes would get the start in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
“We had no energy, the stadium had no energy, the fans had no energy,” Hernandez said. “Overall, it was a pretty bad game for everybody that calls themselves Dodgers.”
