Dave Roberts had plenty to answer for in the Dodgers’ 6-2 loss to the Brewers in NLCS Game 3, but the most glaring call came late, when he stuck with Blake Snell after the left-hander walked Andrew Vaughn to open the seventh. From there, Milwaukee did the damage: Jake Bauers followed with a two-run homer, and Garrett Mitchell added a solo shot for insurance.
That moment will draw the biggest attention, and for good reason. But it was hardly the only decision that put Los Angeles in a hole as the Brewers seized control of the best-of-seven series.
Earlier, Roberts made a choice that backfired in the bottom of the sixth. After Will Smith snapped out of his slump with a bases-loaded, go-ahead double, Roberts went to lefty Josue De Paula to face right-hander Abner Uribe.
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy responded by bringing in lefty DL Hall, which led Roberts to counter with right-handed Kiké Hernández. That move made De Paula unavailable the rest of the way, and Hernández struck out swinging.
Roberts also started Tommy Edman, who entered Game 3 with just one hit and finished 0-for-4 on Wednesday night. And when he turned to Justin Wrobleski with the Dodgers trailing by two, that move unraveled quickly too. Wrobleski, who carried a 6.13 ERA in the second half and had been briefly sent down to Triple-A, threw a wild pitch that brought home Milwaukee’s fifth run.
This hasn’t been Roberts’ sharpest NLCS. In Game 2, he intentionally walked Brice Turang in the sixth to bring up William Contreras, seemingly because the righty-righty matchup looked appealing on paper. Contreras made him pay immediately with a go-ahead single on the first pitch.
One miscue after another has left the Dodgers on the brink. Roberts’ Snell call may be the one people remember most, but the Game 3 loss was shaped by a series of choices that never seemed to help Los Angeles find its footing.
In Other News...
Max Muncys Blunt Take Sums Up Dodgers NLCS Crisis
The Dodgers NLCS has reached a point where the scoreboard is starting to tell the whole story for them. Milwaukees 6-2 win in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium pushed the Brewers ahead 3-0 in the series, and Los Angeles has now been outscored 15-7 while trying to find any sign of momentum in a matchup that has gone firmly the other way.
Max Muncy and Dave Roberts both addressed how steep the climb has become, with the next game now carrying obvious urgency for a Dodgers club facing elimination. For a team built to expect October pressure, Game 4 is no longer about settling in or adjusting, it is about keeping the season alive long enough to change the feel of the series. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Brutal Question With Season On The Brink
Blake Snell took the mound for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, but the night turned on a pair of big swings that helped Milwaukee widen the gap and push Los Angeles closer to the edge. Jackson Chourios power has been one of the defining stories of the series, and the Brewers postseason breakthrough continued as they took command while Shohei Ohtani was shuffled down to sixth in the Dodgers order and still managed to reach base twice.
Now the Dodgers head into Game 4 with their season on the brink, and the margin for error has only shrunk further with the start time moved up because of weather concerns tied to the American League Championship Series. For a club built to expect October pressure, the question is no longer about finding better at-bats or cleaner pitching in theory, but whether there is enough time left to reset before the next elimination game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Face A Brutal Dave Roberts Decision After NLCS Collapse
The Dodgers NLCS has turned into an uphill climb after Milwaukees 6-2 win in Game 3 gave the Brewers a 3-0 series lead. Blake Snell gave Los Angeles an early look at the kind of pitching performance it needed, but the Brewers found a way to break through late, with Jake Bauers delivering the go-ahead two-run homer that changed the shape of the night.
Los Angeles never found a sustained answer at the plate, as Milwaukees pitching kept the Dodgers in check before the bullpen finished the job. For Dave Roberts, the bigger issue now is less about one game than what comes next for a team that suddenly needs a perfect response to stay alive in the series. [Read more 🡒]