The Dodgers’ trip back to Los Angeles comes with an ugly 0-2 hole in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series, and one of the biggest questions hanging over the club has centered on Will Smith.
Los Angeles’ offense has been stuck in neutral through this series, and Smith has been right in the middle of the conversation. The All-Star catcher has spent the entire postseason trying to find his swing, and his numbers have made that struggle impossible to ignore. In six postseason games, he is hitting .043 with a .126 OPS, with one hit and eight strikeouts in 23 at-bats.
Even with that kind of production, Dave Roberts made it clear he is not moving on from Smith behind the plate. When asked whether Hunter Feduccia could take Smith’s spot, Roberts shut it down.
"Yeah, I'm not going to put Feduccia in place of Will Smith," Roberts said. "That's just not going to happen."
Roberts had already tweaked Smith’s spot in the order, batting him third in Game 1 against the Brewers before sliding him to fifth in Game 2. But the message from the Dodgers manager remained the same: Smith is going to keep getting opportunities.
"He still takes a good at-bat," Roberts said before Game 2. "It just hasn't kind of lined up yet.
It's one of those things that in this moment in time, everything rightfully is more magnified and it's five games. All it takes is squaring one ball up, and it flips."
Smith’s postseason track record is much stronger than what he is showing right now. In his career in October, he has hit .203 with a .638 OPS, along with 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and 59 hits in 291 at-bats.
Smith was also asked whether the neck injury he suffered earlier in the season, which kept him out for three months, is still bothering him at the plate.
"Yeah, I felt really good the last month, the last couple weeks, especially," he said. "I still feel good up there, swinging at the right pitches, taking good pitches, just barely missing balls. Pitchers are making good pitches to me."
"It's been five games," he added before Game 2. "Obviously want the results to be a little better, but at the end of the day, it's five games at the plate.
No panic from me. So I'll be fine."
Game 2 did little to change the picture. Smith went 0-for-4 with one strikeout, and the slump rolled on.
With the Dodgers already down two games and the offense looking listless, Smith’s bat remains one of the most important swing factors as the series shifts again. Roberts, though, is sticking with his catcher and betting the turnaround is coming soon. The Dodgers will be hoping that change starts as soon as Wednesday.
In Other News...
Jake Bauers Opens Up As Brewers' October Run Gets More Personal
Before the Brewers even got rolling in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, Jake Bauers found himself thinking beyond the box score and into the kind of life that often gets swallowed up by October baseball. During the National Anthem before the playoff game, the Milwaukee first baseman reflected on how far his career has come and how much of that journey has been supported at home, with his wife Lauren providing steady backing through the challenges that have come along the way.
Bauers has also had reason to appreciate the timing of his recent on-field success, which has fit neatly into a Brewers season built on depth and resilience. With Milwaukee taking the opener against the Dodgers, his personal run and the teams push have started to feel intertwined, even if the bigger story still belongs to what comes next in a series that rarely leaves much room for reflection. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphys Message Says Everything About These Brewers Right Now
The Brewers have spent this postseason looking anything but overmatched, and their latest pair of wins against the Dodgers only reinforced that impression. Milwaukee became the first team since 2002 to beat a reigning Cy Young Award winner and a World Series MVP in back-to-back games, a reminder that this run is being built on more than just one hot stretch or a timely swing.
Pat Murphys postgame message fit the moment, praising the clubs hunger and the way it has carried itself against one of the sports heavyweights. William Contreras and David Hamilton drew notice for their key contributions, while the bullpen has quietly turned series control into a habit and helped push the Brewers into a 2-0 lead with the kind of edge that changes how a playoff opponent has to think. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Seized NLCS Control And Pat Murphy Deserves Plenty Of Credit
The Brewers have put themselves in a commanding spot in the National League Championship Series, and Tuesdays 7-4 win over the Dodgers felt like the kind of night that can tilt a postseason. Milwaukee got a big all-around effort, with William Contreras helping drive the offense and the bullpen slamming the door over the final stretch, turning a one-run game into a two-game series edge.
Pat Murphys fingerprints were all over it, from the lineup choices to how the pitching was managed once the game tightened. With the Dodgers now chasing from behind, the Brewers can point to a performance that looked equal parts execution and planning, and theyre carrying a real sense that their manager has pushed the right buttons at the right time. [Read more 🡒]