Blake Snell's Seventh-Inning Meltdown Costs Dodgers in Game 3 Loss to Brewers
Los Angeles faces a daunting 3-0 deficit in the NLCS after a pivotal late-inning collapse by their ace.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of elimination from the National League Championship Series after a devastating 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3, marked by a dramatic seventh-inning collapse from ace pitcher Blake Snell.
Snell, who had appeared focused and determined throughout the week, started strong, surrendering only a leadoff home run to Jackson Chourio in the first inning. He then retired 18 of the next 20 batters, allowing the Dodgers to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning thanks to Will Smith's two-run double with the bases loaded.
However, Snell's performance unraveled in the seventh. After walking the leadoff batter, he faced Jake Bauers. Bauers fouled off 10 consecutive pitches with two strikes before Snell finally delivered a mistake fastball that Bauers hit for a two-run home run. The very next pitch was hit for a back-to-back home run by Garrett Mitchell, ending Snell's outing. This marked the fifth time in Snell's career he had allowed three home runs in a game, and the first time this season he had given up a home run in any of his previous 10 appearances.
For the Brewers, reliever DL Hall was instrumental in stifling a Dodgers rally in the sixth inning. After the Dodgers loaded the bases against Abner Uribe, Hall entered and struck out Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman on just 10 pitches to end the threat. Hall's scoreless relief effort, which extended into the eighth inning, earned him the win and proved critical in Milwaukee's comeback.
Shohei Ohtani, batting sixth after speculation about his playoff performance, contributed a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a sharp single in the eighth. Despite these efforts, he has yet to record an extra-base hit or an RBI in the postseason. The Dodgers, now trailing 3-0 in the series, have historically faced an insurmountable challenge, as only one team in MLB history has overcome such a deficit in a best-of-seven series. The Dodgers also continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, leaving eight runners stranded on base and finishing 1-for-6 in such situations, bringing their playoff total to 3-for-32.