Blake Snell is walking into the kind of game a pitcher imagines when he signs up for October. The Los Angeles Dodgers are staring at a 0-2 series deficit against the Milwaukee Brewers, and Game 3 at Dodger Stadium has turned into a must-have.
Lose again, and the hole becomes 0-3. Win, and there’s still life.
That’s where Snell comes in. After Tarik Skubal covered five innings and Yoshinobu Yamamoto was gone after 2.2 innings, the Dodgers need more than a decent outing.
They need length. They need a clean, steady start that keeps the bullpen from getting dragged into another grind.
In short, they need Snell to carry the night.
The matchup gives Los Angeles a real opening. Snell will face Robert Gasser, a left-hander with a 3.87 ERA, which at least on paper tilts things toward the Dodgers.
Snell himself has been sharp enough to make that edge matter. The 33-year-old finished the year with a 1.90 ERA over 42.2 innings, and he also posted a 3.18 ERA in last year’s postseason.
When Snell is on, the stuff jumps. His changeup, fastball and curveball all play with elite movement, and when he commands them, he can disappear on hitters.
He was the best pitcher in the rotation down the stretch of the regular season. But the last two outings haven’t matched that standard.
His Game 2 start in the NLDS was his worst as a Dodger. He lasted just 3.2 innings, allowed one run, and also walked five while giving up three hits.
Still, there’s reason for confidence in this matchup. Snell has done well against Milwaukee, and the numbers back it up.
The Brewers are just 11-for-64 against him, a .172 average, with a .274 OBP. Snell has piled up 29 strikeouts in those 64 at-bats.
Beyond the matchup, there’s the larger conversation Snell has been dealing with: the questions about his workload, the limited regular-season appearances, whether he can stay healthy, and whether he can deliver when the stakes are highest. In an interview with The California Post, he said he feels the work he puts in doesn’t get enough respect.
“I just wish people would watch me pitch and then understand the work that I put into being a good pitcher, great pitcher, is a lot more than they’ve ever experienced or give me credit for,” he said.
“Because I watch the game, I understand the hitters. I understand who they are right now in the present. I understand who they are as a hitter.”
Now the stage is exactly where he wants it. The Dodgers need him to take control, and Snell has the chance to answer the doubts with the kind of performance that would matter most.
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