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Brewers win, 6-2
And that's all she wrote. The Brewers have a 3-0 NLCS lead over the Dodgers.
The Milwaukee Brewers survived a back-and-forth battle on Wednesday night and topped the host Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. The win gives the Brewers a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and puts the Dodgers, winners of the last two World Series, on the brink of elimination.
The Brewers took the earliest lead possible when 22-year-old phenom Jackson Chourio homered on the first pitch of the game – a fastball from Dodgers starter Blake Snell. That score held until the sixth, when Abner Uribe, in relief of starter Robert Gasser, walked the bases loaded and then surrendered a one-out, two-RBI double to Will Smith. DL Hall prevented further damage by striking out the next two batters and stranding two Dodger runners in scoring position.
The Dodger lead didn't last long, though, as the Brewers in the seventh hit back-to-back home runs to take a 4-2 lead. The Milwaukee bullpen held the Dodgers where they stood -- closer Trevor Megill earned a four-out save -- and the Brewers added another run of padding on a wild pitch in the eighth and still another in the ninth.
"It's a pretty simple answer," Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said after the game. "We're playing like s--t, and they're playing great."
Game 3 was in essence a must-win game for the Dodgers, and now they're faced with an elimination game back at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night. For the Dodgers, the mathematics are as imposing as the Brewers have been. Of the 42 teams to be down 3-0 in a best-of-seven MLB postseason series, only one, the 2004 Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, has ever come back to win that series. Now the Dodgers must surmount those overwhelming odds against the best team in baseball.
Now for the winners and losers of Game 3.
Winner: Robert Gasser, Brewers
The No. 3 starter behind one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball was more than enough on Wednesday
There's a theoretical drop-off in the Milwaukee playoff rotation after the front two of Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson. That was certainly the case for much of the regular season, but it wasn't in Game 3.
Coming off an off day on Tuesday, Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy was probably willing to give an early hook to a struggling Gasser, but instead Gasser thrived across five innings and two-plus times through the opposing order with some extra, possibly adrenaline-fueled velo on his fastball. No, a five-inning start isn't the work of an ace, but a five-inning scoreless start against the back-to-back champs was made to order for the Brewers in Game 3.
Loser: Dave Roberts, Dodgers
Roberts watched from the dugout as his starter threw a lead away in the seventh
Roberts doesn't make a lot of tactical gaffes these days, but his decision to stick with Blake Snell too long helped cost the Dodgers the win in Game 3 – a game, to repeat, they basically had to win. Snell, after allowing that first-pitch homer to Chourio, spun a near gem, at least until that fateful top of the seventh. On the night, he struck out nine batters and earned 19 whiffs, including 12 on his fastball that averaged 97.3 mph for the night. Through six innings, Snell had allowed only the one run, and the Dodgers had a 2-1 lead.
Snell at that point was well into the opposing order for the third time, which is the danger zone for starting pitchers. Yes, Roberts has used his bullpen a lot this postseason, but Tuesday was a travel day. The risk of trying to squeeze another out or three out of Snell was too great in a one-run game of critical importance, especially with a right-handed batter, Andrew Vaughn, leading off. After a walk to Vaughn, Roberts left Snell in to try to get the next two lefty hitters, Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell. It didn't go well:
Much too late, Roberts finally went and got his starting pitcher. At that point, though, the Dodgers were in a deep hole – both in Game 3 and in their bid to win a third straight World Series.
Winner: Jake Bauers, Brewers
Those power-hungry Brewers strike again
It's not just that Bauers hit that clutch, game-turning home run in the seventh. It's that he did it on the 11th pitch of his duel with Snell. Here's a look:
You'll recall that Bauers worked a 12-pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, which proved pivotal in the Brewers' win. This time, though, he added some rake to his takes, and he elevated his team to the cusp of the World Series.
"We play for each other. It's as simple as that, man. We play for each other. Any time there's a mistake, an error, a walk, pitchers give up runs, hitters strike out in a big spot, the only thing anybody's thinking about is, 'how can I help pick that guy up? How can I help pick that guy up and do my part to win this game?'" Bauers said after the game.
"When you have 26 guys that are bought into that and believe that and show up every day, completely selfless, playing for each other, it's a special thing to be a part of."
Loser: The Dodgers' power
Wherefore art thou, Los Angeles bats?
Yes, Smith had a ringing double, but through three games of this series the Brewers are out-homering the Dodgers by a count of 5-0. That's been the difference so far. What makes it all the more striking is that during the regular season, the Dodgers were tied for seventh in MLB in home runs, while the Brewers were tied for 28th. Milwaukee, though, has elevated its power game in recent weeks, while the Dodgers have misplaced theirs at the most inopportune time. If you're L.A., that has to change immediately, and even then it's probably too late.
"We're just not getting hits, getting timely hits," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. "I thought the Will ball, it was a big hit for us, a lot of momentum. Hoping it hit a homer. But, yeah, we're just not getting those timely hits. We've had some opportunities with guys on base but can't get that hit."
