The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves trailing two games to none in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Milwaukee Brewers, facing significant challenges as they attempt to extend their postseason run. The Brewers’ strong performance, characterized by a deep bullpen and effective starting pitching, has put the Dodgers on the brink of elimination.
A key concern for the Dodgers has been the underwhelming performance of Shohei Ohtani, who appears to be physically compromised. Ohtani’s offensive output has been far below his usual standards, batting just 3 for 20 with no extra-base hits and three walks in the postseason thus far. His manager, Dave Roberts, acknowledged Ohtani’s struggles, citing issues ranging from his left knee to his upper body. Despite speculation about possibly replacing Ohtani in the lineup with rookie Josue De Paula, Roberts indicated he would discuss the best course of action with the player. Ohtani himself has been guarded regarding his health, attributing his slump primarily to mechanical difficulties rather than injury.
The Dodgers’ offense overall has been sluggish, managing only one extra-base hit in two NLCS games and hitting .193 with a .263 on-base percentage. They have struggled particularly with runners in scoring position, going 2 for 26. The team scored only 19 runs across six postseason games, including two runs that came from errors and two from sacrifice flies. Manager Roberts has attempted lineup adjustments, such as moving Teoscar Hernández up in the batting order and dropping Will Smith down, but offensive production has not noticeably improved.
Meanwhile, the Brewers have demonstrated resilience and poise, earning a 108-win total including the postseason. Their pitching staff, both starters and relievers, has been dominant. Milwaukee’s bullpen notably threw five perfect innings in Game 2, marking an exceptional performance in postseason history. Pitchers Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto combined to pitch under eight innings across their two starts but were effective in limiting the Dodgers’ scoring opportunities.
Roberts faced criticism for a strategic decision in Game 2 when he intentionally walked Brice Turang to set up a righty-righty matchup against William Contreras, who subsequently delivered the go-ahead hit. Roberts acknowledged reconsidering the strategy in hindsight, explaining his intention was to minimize bullpen usage while navigating a critical inning.
Looking ahead, the Dodgers hope to leverage their starting pitching advantage in Game 3, with Blake Snell scheduled to start against Brewers starter Robert Gasser. However, concerns remain about Snell and Tyler Glasnow’s ability to control the Brewers’ baserunning, as Milwaukee ranked fifth in stolen bases during the regular season.
Despite the current deficit and offensive struggles, the Dodgers have a history of overcoming postseason adversity, having rallied from similar deficits in recent playoff series. Players and management emphasize that the series is far from over and remain hopeful about mounting a comeback. Whether the Dodgers can reverse their fortunes against a motivated Brewers team remains uncertain as the series moves to Los Angeles for the next three games.