The two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are down 3-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, and only one MLB team in history has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series. To return to the World Series, the Dodgers would need to match the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who overcame the New York Yankees in the ALCS with help from a timely Dave Roberts steal.
ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield are skeptical. Doolittle sees little chance of a return to Milwaukee, noting that the Brewers were the best team in baseball during the regular season and in the playoffs. Schoenfield argues that the young, fast Brewers look far stronger than an aging Dodgers club that already has its rings and may lack the fight to stage a comeback.
The result has surprised many observers. Most ESPN experts had picked Milwaukee to win the series, and Gonzalez notes that the Dodgers entered with four aces, including Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, which seemed to give them the starting pitching edge. Instead, the offense has been the main problem. The Dodgers are batting .146 with men on base in the series, 147 points lower than the Brewers, and have produced just a .572 OPS in every postseason situation.
The Brewers' balance has been the defining story. Their strong defense, base running and power have overwhelmed Los Angeles, and the Dodgers have struggled to avoid being swept.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing