LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are staring down a massive deficit after falling into a 3-0 hole against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. To keep their season alive, they will have to pull off the kind of historic comeback only one team has ever achieved.
On Wednesday night, Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit a two-run double in the sixth inning to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead, sparking a loud roar from the home crowd. But as they have done throughout the series, the Brewers responded immediately. In the top of the seventh, Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back home runs off Blake Snell to seize control, leading to a 6-2 victory for Milwaukee.
The Dodgers’ offense, which has usually been the most dangerous in baseball, has gone completely cold. They managed only five hits on Wednesday, slashing a miserable .165/.264/.187 for the series. In the clubhouse after the game, third baseman Max Muncy was blunt about their struggles. “We’re playing like s—, and they’re playing great,” Muncy said. “It’s as simple as that. We still have the pitching staff to be able to do it. We just have to get some hits.”
Manager Dave Roberts, who was part of the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that famously rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees, is trying to keep his players grounded while urging them to believe. He pointed out that the Dodgers won streaks of at least four games ten times this season. “This team’s won four games before,” outfielder Kyle Tucker added. “We just have to find a way to win tomorrow.”
Now, the Dodgers need to win four straight games to keep their championship hopes—and their dynasty—alive. Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday night, and the pressure has never been higher.
