The Dodgers walked into Game 3 of the NLCS with pressure stacked on every side. They were already down two games in Milwaukee, the three-peat was hanging in the balance, and the spotlight was squarely on a club that still wanted to be viewed as the World Series favorite.
Instead, the night turned into a mess.
Milwaukee pushed Los Angeles to the edge with a 6-2 win, fueled by defensive mistakes, questionable bullpen management, and a game plan that kept slipping away from the Dodgers as the innings rolled on. The loss puts the Brewers one win from knocking out the Dodgers and taking control of the series.
It started ugly for Los Angeles when Blake Snell gave up a home run on the very first pitch of the game. Snell steadied himself after that and turned in a strong outing anyway, piling up nine strikeouts over six innings. The Dodgers even grabbed the lead in the bottom of the sixth after scraping together runs in a way that looked, for a moment, like Brewers baseball working in their favor.
Then everything flipped.
Jake Bauers worked a long at-bat that stretched into double-digit pitches before delivering a 3-2 lead, and Garrett Mitchell followed on the very next pitch with another home run. That sequence left the Dodgers stunned, and it came after Dave Roberts did not turn to his bullpen.
From there, Milwaukee kept the game under control. Evan Phillips finished the seventh with just one hit allowed. Roki Sasaki retired only one batter before giving way to Justin Wrobleski in the eighth, and Wrobleski handled the last 1.2 innings while surrendering another run on an errant throw.
The Dodgers also did all of this without Tanner Scott. Without Edwin Diaz. Instead, they leaned on a former starting pitcher who wasn’t even on the NLDS roster after a rough finish to the regular season.
Now the question shifts to Game 4. Can the Dodgers keep the series alive?
Maybe yes, maybe no. With a potential elimination game set for Thursday at 5 PM PT, the wait won’t be long.
In Other News...
Dodgers Face A Brutal Game 4 Pitching Reality With Season On The Line
With the National League Championship Series moving to Game 4 after a loss, the Dodgers are staring at a pitching plan with very little wiggle room. Manager Dave Roberts said Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski are off limits for the next game, a setup that leaves Los Angeles trying to navigate one of the most difficult spots a club can face this time of year.
Roberts indicated Skubal is lined up to start Game 5 and Yamamoto would follow in Game 6 if the series continues, but the immediate concern is far more basic: the Dodgers have to keep the season alive long enough for those options to matter. Teams that fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series rarely find a way back, which is why the next night carries so much weight. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Have Dodgers On The Brink Of Something Milwaukee Has Waited 44 Years For
Milwaukee kept turning the screws on the Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, winning 6-2 on Monday night and moving within one victory of a breakthrough the franchise has been chasing for 44 years. The Brewers are now in control of the best-of-seven series, and the pressure keeps shifting squarely onto a Los Angeles club that suddenly needs a perfect response just to extend its season.
Jackson Chourio set the tone immediately with a first-pitch home run, and Garrett Mitchell later added another blast as Milwaukee kept finding timely offense. The nights biggest swing came when Jake Bauers delivered after a long battle with Blake Snell, turning a tight game into a command performance and leaving the Brewers on the doorstep of their first World Series trip in decades. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Vaughns Cooper Pratt Comment Says A Lot About These Brewers
As the Brewers get ready for Game 3 of the 2026 National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, one of the more revealing parts of their rise has been the way Cooper Pratt has fit in. The rookie shortstop has become a meaningful piece of Milwaukees lineup and a steady presence around the club, enough to draw praise from first baseman Andrew Vaughn for the way Pratt has handled the jump to the majors.
Vaughns comments about Pratts growth and maturity spoke to more than just one players development. They also hinted at the tone inside a Brewers clubhouse that has leaned on young contributors to get this far, with Pratts emergence becoming part of the teams identity as the series shifts back onto the field. [Read more 🡒]