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The
Brewers
added
another
run in
the
eighth
inning
on a
wild
pitch
that
allowed
Brice
Turang
to
score.
Joey
Ortiz
delivered
an RBI
single
in the
ninth to
complete
the
scoring.
(MLB
Screen
grab) |
| |
Bauers,
Mitchell
homer as
Brewers
push
Dodgers
to brink
of
elimination
Dusty
Schoenherr
- Sports
Tell Us
USA News
Network
LOS
ANGELES
— The
Milwaukee
Brewers
are one
victory
away
from the
World
Series,
and the
defending
champion
Los
Angeles
Dodgers
are
suddenly
staring
at a
stunning
postseason
collapse.
Milwaukee
delivered
another
devastating
blow
Wednesday
night,
defeating
Los
Angeles
6-2 in
Game 3
of the
National
League
Championship
Series.
The
victory
gave the
Brewers
a
commanding
3-0 lead
in the
best-of-seven
series
and
pushed
the
Dodgers
to the
brink of
elimination.
The
turning
point
came in
the
seventh
inning,
when the
Dodgers
appeared
to have
seized
control
of the
game
before
Milwaukee's
offense
erupted
with two
consecutive
home
runs
that
silenced
the home
crowd.
Los
Angeles
had
taken a
2-1 lead
in the
sixth
inning
on Will
Smith's
two-run
double.
For a
moment,
the
Dodgers
appeared
poised
to
regain
their
footing
and
breathe
life
into
their
championship
defense.
But the
Brewers
had
other
plans.
Jake
Bauers
launched
a
two-run
homer
off
Dodgers
starter
Blake
Snell to
put
Milwaukee
back in
front,
3-2. The
damage
was
compounded
moments
later
when
Garrett
Mitchell
followed
with a
solo
shot,
extending
the lead
to 4-2
and
sending
Snell
out of
the
game.
Bauers'
home run
was
particularly
remarkable.
After
battling
through
an
11-pitch
at-bat,
he drove
the ball
an
estimated
412 feet
to right
field,
turning
a tense
contest
into a
defining
postseason
moment.
Mitchell's
blast
traveled
approximately
428
feet.
The
back-to-back
homers
exposed
the
Dodgers'
inability
to
protect
a late
lead and
gave
Milwaukee
the
momentum
it
needed
to take
complete
control.
The
Brewers
added
another
run in
the
eighth
inning
on a
wild
pitch
that
allowed
Brice
Turang
to
score.
Joey
Ortiz
delivered
an RBI
single
in the
ninth to
complete
the
scoring.
Milwaukee's
offensive
attack
began
immediately.
Jackson
Chourio
opened
the game
by
sending
the
first
pitch he
saw over
the
fence
for a
solo
home
run,
setting
the tone
for a
team
that has
repeatedly
found
ways to
deliver
in
critical
moments.
On the
mound,
rookie
Robert
Gasser
provided
five
scoreless
innings,
giving
the
Brewers
an
important
foundation
before
their
late
offensive
surge.
Milwaukee's
bullpen
then
helped
preserve
the
victory,
with
Trevor
Megill
recording
his
fourth
postseason
save.
For Los
Angeles,
the
defeat
represents
a
potentially
season-ending
crisis
for a
franchise
accustomed
to
playing
deep
into
October.
The
Dodgers
entered
the
postseason
pursuing
a third
consecutive
World
Series
championship.
Now,
they
must win
four
consecutive
games to
capture
the
National
League
pennant
and keep
that
historic
ambition
alive.
The
situation
is
especially
striking
given
last
year's
NLCS,
when Los
Angeles
swept
Milwaukee
in four
games.
This
time,
the
Brewers
have
reversed
the
script,
winning
the
opening
three
games
and
putting
themselves
on the
verge of
a
historic
turnaround
against
the
defending
champions.
The
Dodgers'
offense
has also
struggled
to
produce
the
power
needed
to
counter
Milwaukee's
timely
hitting.
Los
Angeles
managed
only
five
hits in
Game 3,
while
its
pitchers
surrendered
the
crucial
home
runs
that
changed
the
outcome.
Milwaukee,
meanwhile,
is
playing
with the
confidence
of a
team
that
understands
the
opportunity
before
it. The
Brewers
have
combined
timely
hitting,
effective
pitching
and
late-inning
execution
to put
themselves
within
one win
of their
first
National
League
pennant
since
1982.
Game 4
is
scheduled
for
Thursday
night at
Dodger
Stadium.
The
Brewers
will
have an
opportunity
to
complete
the
sweep,
while
Los
Angeles
faces a
must-win
contest
to keep
its
season
alive.
For the
Dodgers,
the
margin
for
error
has
disappeared.
Another
loss
ends
their
championship
defense.
A
victory
would
give
them
another
chance,
but the
challenge
is
formidable:
no Major
League
Baseball
team has
ever
overcome
a 3-0
deficit
to win a
best-of-seven
postseason
series
except
the
Boston
Red Sox,
who
accomplished
the feat
against
the New
York
Yankees
in the
2004
American
League
Championship
Series.
The
Brewers
are now
27 outs
away
from
sending
a
powerful
message
across
baseball:
the road
to the
World
Series
will not
necessarily
run
through
Los
Angeles.
And for
the
Dodgers,
a season
that
began
with
championship
expectations
has
become a
fight
for
survival.
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