The Los Angeles Dodgers face an uphill battle in the National League Championship Series after dropping the first two games to the Milwaukee Brewers following a 7-4 defeat on Monday night at American Family Field.
The defending champions find themselves in an unfamiliar and precarious position. After falling 2-1 in the opening matchup, Los Angeles managed just three hits in Game 2 against the Milwaukee Brewers, relying entirely on wild pitches and throwing errors from starter Logan Henderson to plate their four runs. The loss drops the team into an 0-2 postseason series hole for the first time since the 2023 NLDS.
Relentless Milwaukee Bullpen Shuts Down Los Angeles Bats
Once Henderson departed after four innings, the Milwaukee bullpen completely neutralized the Dodgers’ high-priced lineup. Four relievers—Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby—combined to retire all 15 batters they faced over the final five frames.
Freddie Freeman offered a blunt assessment of the offensive output after the final out.
It’s hard to win games when you only get three hits.
Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman
The team’s ongoing struggles with runners in scoring position have magnified the pressure. Los Angeles went hitless in those high-leverage spots for the fourth time in six postseason games, dropping their cumulative batting average with runners in scoring position this postseason to 2-for-26.
Manager Dave Roberts noted the offensive scarcity after the final out, pointing out that his club managed only three hits on the evening. Brewed by a payroll less than half of L.A.’s, the scrappy Milwaukee squad has schooled the visiting superstars through the first 18 innings of the championship round. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto was finished after throwing 75 pitches in 2 2/3 innings, the bullpen that followed him surrendered four runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Superstar Slumps Deepen as Lineup Generates Minimal Offense
Shohei Ohtani finished Monday’s contest 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, bringing his postseason totals to 3-for-20 with zero extra-base hits and seven strikeouts. Will Smith, dropped to the fifth spot in the batting order, went 0-for-4 to fall to 1-for-23 for the playoffs.
Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz voiced strong concern over the lineup-wide cold streak during a broadcast appearance analyzing the unfolding series.
The Dodgers are in some serious trouble. This is the first time during the playoffs that I feel that way about the Dodgers, and it’s because they all are struggling at the same time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before. The Dodgers have a lineup that you don’t know where the punch is going to come from. But at this moment, you feel like nobody is executing properly.
David Ortiz, FOX Sports analyst
Fellow analyst Derek Jeter echoed those concerns on the network’s postgame show, noting that facing an elite pitching staff leaves virtually no margin for recovery once a team falls behind.
Shifting Momentum Back to Dodger Stadium for Game 3
Historical odds suggest a steep climb ahead for the defending champions. In best-of-seven postseason series, teams holding a 2-0 lead have advanced 79 of 95 times, an 83% success rate. For series utilizing the current 2-3-2 format, teams taking the first two games at home boast a 46-57 advantage at 81%.
Los Angeles last accomplished the feat during their 2020 run to a World Series title, erasing a 2-0 deficit against the Atlanta Braves.
The series now shifts west as the Dodgers prepare to host Game 3 on Wednesday night. Blake Snell is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Milwaukee left-hander Robert Gasser, giving the home side a chance to stabilize before a partisan Los Angeles crowd. Freeman expressed confidence in the rotation alignment moving forward, reminding reporters that the squad still has Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow lined up next to handle the pitching duties.
