Brewers Push Dodgers to Brink of Historic Sweep with Game 3 Victory
Milwaukee's back-to-back seventh-inning home runs delivered a 6-2 win, putting the Dodgers one loss away from elimination in the NLCS.
The Milwaukee Brewers are one win away from sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series after a stunning 6-2 comeback victory in Game 3 on Wednesday. The Brewers' win puts the Dodgers on the verge of elimination and facing the daunting task of overcoming a 3-0 deficit, a feat only accomplished once in Major League Baseball history.
The Dodgers had appeared to seize momentum in the sixth inning, taking a 2-1 lead on a bases-loaded double by Will Smith. This rally against Milwaukee's bullpen seemed to offer a lifeline to a team aiming for a historic third consecutive World Series title.
However, the lead was short-lived. Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell, who had been dominant through six innings, allowed a leadoff walk in the seventh. The inning unraveled when Jake Bauers hit a 412-foot home run to right field, tying the game at 2-2. Just two pitches later, Garrett Mitchell followed with another home run, giving the Brewers a 3-2 lead and shifting the momentum irrevocably.
Snell's outing ended after the two home runs, marking a dramatic turn after he had retired 18 of 20 batters following a leadoff home run by Jackson Chourio in the first inning.
The Dodgers' offense, which had managed to score twice in the sixth, could not muster another threat. Shohei Ohtani reached third base in the sixth but was stranded, and the team failed to capitalize on opportunities. Over the final three innings, their only offensive spark was a single by Ohtani in the eighth.
Milwaukee extended their lead with insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings, sealing the 6-2 victory. The loss puts the Dodgers, a modern-day dynasty, in a precarious position, needing to win four consecutive games to advance. Their season, and their quest for a three-peat, now hangs in the balance.