Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Game 3. What will happen? Let’s find out together.
Game 3 thoughts
—Well, Shohei Ohtani is in the lineup and batting sixth. How will he do tonight? Who knows. My feeling has always been this: Great players always want to play. It’s the job of the front office and manager to protect the player from himself. If Ohtani was just in a normal slump, I’d play him. But if he’s injured so badly it is hurting his swing, which appears to be the case, he needs to sit. No player, even as great as Ohtani, is bigger than the team.
—Will Smith is batting seventh. He’s in a worse slump than Ohtani.
—Many people are calling this a must-win game. The only must-win game is an elimination game.
First inning
—That is not the start the Dodgers were looking for. Brewers 1, Dodgers 0.
—Home run, then three straight strikeouts. Did the homer make Snell angry?
—Never thought I would see a Corey Seager hair ad.
—The Dodgers have solid warning-track power in this series so far.
Second inning
—First and second, one out. This is not the start the Dodgers were looking for.
—Someone needs to tell Will Smith that’s it’s OK to use an ABS challenge early in the game occasionally.
—And Snell gets out of it.
—Some of these TV ads make no sense at all.
—Kyle Tucker batting cleanup in the postseason. Who would have believed it?
—”Shohei was adamant that he could play!” That doesn’t mean that he should.
—Ohtani and Smith are now a combined four for 45 in this postseason.
Third inning
—Snell seems locked in now. It’s time for the Dodgers to make the Brewers pitchers feel unlocked in.
—That’s the kind of sterling analysis that you only get here.
—I was just getting ready to wonder why Miguel Rojas is starting over playoff Kiké when Rojas singled. Never mind.
—First and second, one out. Really need to score a run here. Especially with Freddie Freeman and Teoscar coming up.
—Every overhead shot shows a bunch of empty seats. This happens when you outprice the regular fan.
—And the Dodgers don’t score.
Fourth inning
—Will Smith made an early ABS challenge and won! Stop the presses! Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land!
—Ohtani got on base!
—Smith challenged another call! What’s going on?
—And then he struck out anyway, taking all of the joy out of the successful challenge.
Fifth inning
—Just think if Snell could stay healthy a full season. He’d probably have six Cy Youngs.
—Somewhere in America, a child to his father during the Megan Fox ad: “Hey dad?” “Yes son?” “What’s Viagra? And why does that woman have red skin and make me feel all tingly inside?”
—Our version of Front Row Amy, Mary Hart, is in her traditional spot, looking bored as ever.
—Rojas walks. Dodgers really need to score a couple of runs.
—Tommy Edman swings at the first pitch after the previous batter drew a walk. Things that make you go hmmmm.
—The Brewers outfielders dive for a lot of catches that they don’t need to dive for.
—And the Dodgers strand another leadoff runner.
Sixth inning
—Ad begins “You never know how many days there are in October.” Well, yes I do. 31.
—You really have to score when the first two batters walk.
—They pitched Ohtani like he was MVP Ohtani.
—I probably wouldn’t have hit for Pages, the only guy with a hit with runners in scoring position this series.
—The Dodgers finally get a clutch hit. And it’s Will Smith. He’s on a roll! Dodgers 2, Brewers 1.
—Abner Uribe was struggling. You had to foresee them going with Hall, the left-hander, next. Wasted Josue De Paula, who is on the roster only for his bat. Better to see Rojas or Kiké against a struggling Uribe. And then, if they bring in Chad Patrick to face Rojas or Kiké, then you go with De Paula.
—But they should have scored at least one more. This may become important later.
Seventh inning
—Snell still in the game. Good.
—Leadoff walk. Bad.
—Dodgers only have one bench player left, Hunter Feduccia.
—Jake Bauers is pesky. Every team needs a guy like Bauers.
—Snell up to 97 pitches, Bauers could be his last batter.
—And Bauers homers. Brewers 3, Dodgers 2.
—See, if Dave Roberts had taken Snell out, people would have said “Why didn’t they leave him in? He was doing so well.” And now people are saying “They should have gone to the bullpen!”
—And there’s another home run. Brewers 4, Dodgers 2.
—It might be time to remove Snell now.
—Here comes Evan Phillips, who has pitched 17 scoreless innings in his postseason career. Yet he has been relegated to mop-up duty.
—And the Dodgers go down quietly. In this series, the Brewers always answer back when the Dodgers score. The Dodgers don’t answer back when the Brewers score.
Eighth inning
—Brewers feel like the Team of Destiny right now.
—The other thing that needs to be remembered: It’s easy to say “Dodgers hitters are just terrible, they are slumping at the worst time.” But sometimes you just tip your cap to the other team and say “Your pitchers beat us.” The Brewers look like the Dodgers of the last two seasons.
—Max Muncy made a nice play on that ball, even if it turned into an infield single. And Muncy was named a finalist today at third base for the Gold Glove award. I would have never thought that possible as little as two years ago.
—Justin Wrobleski now in the game. Where’s Jack Dreyer?
—Wild pitch. Brewers 5, Dodgers 2.
—Oh no, it’s Bauers again. I wonder if he knows Brian Doyle.
—Hey, Ohtani hit the ball hard!
—I’m picking on Ohtani far too much. They don’t win two World Series without him. He gave them the swagger they were missing. That shouldn’t be forgotten. And as I’ve mentioned, it’s the team’s job to bench the player, not the player’s job. What great player would say “I don’t want to play?”
—And the Dodgers go down quietly. I have that phrase saved so I just have to paste it in. Saves me a lot of time.
Ninth inning
—Why do people get seats behind home plate and then spend most of the game on their phone?
—And the Brewers add on an insurance run. Brewers 6, Dodgers 2.
—And the Dodgers go down quietly.
—So the Dodgers are down 3-0. Only once in postseason history has a team rallied from a 3-0 deficit, the 2004 Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Dave Roberts had an important stolen base in that series.
—It’s not impossible for the Dodgers to come back from this, but it is improbable. They have been outplayed in every aspect of the game. Offense, pitching, managing, energy, clutch ability, the list goes on.
—We’ll just have to wait and see what Game 4 brings us. Remember, game time changed from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. In the meantime, enjoy life.
Up next
Thursday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One
*Friday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One
*Sunday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One
*Monday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One
All times Pacific
*-if necessary
In case you missed it
Shaikin: Here’s how Dave Roberts explained all the Dodgers’ moves that backfired
‘We just need to win tomorrow’s game.’ Dodgers remain optimistic despite 3-0 hole
Dodgers Debate NLCS GAME 3: Dodgers stare down a sweep
Plaschke: The Dodgers are done. After putting up a fight, the champs are out of gas
‘How do we bounce back?’ Dodgers collapse and fall into 3-0 NLCS hole vs. surging Brewers
Shaikin: Dodgers should have taken Shohei Ohtani off the postseason roster
Shohei Ohtani talks playing in the NLCS through injuries
Dave Roberts says Shohei Ohtani is adamant he feels good enough, will remain in lineup
Shaikin: Dodgers send SOS to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow: Save our season
And finally
Vin Scully receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Watch and listen here.
Until next time …
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
