The Milwaukee Brewers are one victory away from sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, a stunning turnaround from last year's sweep and a development that has left baseball analysts in awe.
The Brewers secured a 6-2 victory over the Dodgers in Game 3 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, taking a commanding 3-0 series lead. This puts them in a position to complete a sweep of the two-time defending champions.
During the postgame coverage, former MLB stars Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz expressed their astonishment at the Brewers' performance. "It’s hard to watch," Rodriguez said, comparing the situation to witnessing Mike Tyson's first knockout. "You can’t believe what you’re seeing. We were in awe in the green room watching, our mouths open."
Ortiz echoed Rodriguez's sentiment, noting that the Brewers "melt your soul away." He highlighted the performance of Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser, who held the Dodgers scoreless for five innings, allowing only three hits and a walk while striking out three. DL Hall and Trevor Megill closed out the game, with Megill earning his fourth postseason save.
"Robert Gasser looked like he didn’t drop a sweat while he was out there facing these Dodgers," Ortiz remarked. "He was locating his pitches in an incredible type of way, and he just kept coming at them, kept keeping that offense down. He did an incredible job."
Ortiz attributed Milwaukee's success to their consistent performance throughout the season, emphasizing their ability to shut down opposing offenses. He also singled out Jake Bauers for his impactful at-bats, including an 11th-pitch, go-ahead, two-run homer in Game 3 that broke a 2-1 deficit.
"Those two at-bats against Yamamoto, and tonight against Snell, those are the most impressive two at-bats that I have seen probably in my whole life," Ortiz said. He added that the Brewers demonstrate depth in pitching, defense, and speed, coupled with a tenacious approach at the plate.
Derek Jeter agreed, pointing out the significance of the Brewers' success against a formidable Dodgers team that swept them the previous year. "It tells a lot about the mentality they have, the resilience they have to come back and face the two-time defending world champion, disregard what happened just 12 months ago, and now you’re up 3-0," Jeter said.
However, Jeter also cautioned that the series is not yet over, drawing on his own experience. In the 2004 American League Championship Series, Ortiz's Boston Red Sox, then of the New York Yankees, became the only team in MLB history to rally from a 3-0 series deficit.
The Dodgers will attempt to begin their comeback bid in Game 4 on Thursday at Dodger Stadium.