Dodgers Recap: Pitchers Shut Down Brewers again to go up 3-0!

CHAVEZ RAVINE — Runs were at a premium, as they often are at Dodger Stadium in October. But in Game 3 of the NLCS, the Dodgers got a great start from Tyler Glasnow, just enough offense from the bats, and three scoreless innings from the bullpen to beat the Brewers 3-1, all but assuring a return trip to the World Series next week. So far, the Dodgers are 8-1 in the postseason. Who’s gonna stop this runaway train?

This one got off to a solid start for the Dodgers. Tyler Glasnow worked around some two-out traffic to put up a zero in the top of the first, and the Dodgers hit the bat rack ready to pounce on Brewers opener Aaron Ashby. Shohei Ohtani led by falling into an 0-2 hole, but he managed to poke a low-and-away slider into the right field corner for a triple. This was quickly followed by a Mookie Betts double, and the Dodgers were on the board ten minutes into the game. Ashby struck out Will Smith, but then walked Freddie Freeman, which brought an abrupt end to his day. Flamethrowing rookie Jacob Misiorowski came in from the pen to end the rally. And he did just that. Two strikeouts got the Brewers out of the inning only chasing one run.

That run was made up in short order in the top of the second. Caleb Durbin hit a one-out triple and Jake Bauers singled him home to get the game back to square one. Bauers then stole second and advanced to third on a rather half-baked pickoff play from Glasnow, and the Brewers were threatening again with just one out. However, Max Muncy made a brilliant stop on a contact play and rifled a strike to Will Smith for the second out of the inning. Then, a couple pitches later, a liner off the bat of Jackson Chourio was in the webbing of Teoscar Hernandez‘s glove and the inning was over. Crisis averted. Score tied.

Then came the shadows. Dodger fans have watched enough of these funky-start-time games in October to know what would happen next. Two Pitchers with Elite Stuff + Mother Nature = Lots of Strikeouts and Soft Contact. The Miz mowed through the Dodgers batting order, and Tyler Glasnow made short work of the Brewers. When Glasnow stepped off the mound after walking Andrew Vaughn in the sixth inning, the Dodger faithful rose as one for a job well done. It was another great outing from the Dodgers’ starting rotation. Alex Vesia struck out Sal Frelick on three pitches and Glasnow’s line for the day was complete: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.

When Will Smith ripped a one-out single off Misiorowski in bottom of the sixth, it felt more like a rally than anything else that had happened up to that point. Follow it up with a walk expertly worked by Freddie Freeman, and now the Dodgers were cooking. That brought up Tommy Edman, who seems to be arriving right on schedule. On the first pitch from Misiorowski, Tommy Tanks delivered another bit of October heroics, lining a single into centerfield to (finally) break the tie. Sal Frelik’s throw to the plate was cut off, and Smith crossed home plate with the Dodgers third run of the day. That ended the afternoon for the Miz, and he left the game on the hook for the loss.

With runners and first and third, Brewers closer Abner Uribe came in and promptly struck out Teoscar Hernandez for the second out, getting him to chase a slider out of the zone. However, Uribe thought he would get cute with Max Muncy at the plate. He tried a very ill-advised pickoff move and threw the ball out of the reach of first baseman Andrew Vaughn. That allowed Freeman to cruise into score without a throw. Thanks, Abner! Or to quote Joe Davis from last year, “Orion, meet Abner!”

Fasten your seatbelts, it’s bullpen time for the Dodgers. Alex Vesia returned to the mound in the top of the seventh and proceeded to give up a leadoff double to Caleb Durbin, who smoked the second pitch he saw into left field, which I’m sure made anti-acid use skyrocket all over Los Angeles. Vesia got one more out before turning the ball over to Blake Treinen. And for the second straight outing, Treinen came through with flying colors. He got Isaac Collins on a pop out to Tommy Edman, and then struck out Jackson Chourio to end the inning. Actually, the final strike was to Blake Perkins. Chourio pulled something in his leg on a foul ball, and Perkins had to inherit an 0-2 count. He lasted a few pitches, but Treinen got him on a nasty breaking pitch. Threat extinguished. Six outs to go.

After the Dodgers went quietly in the seventh, the ball went to lefty Anthony Banda, tasked with the 2-3-4 section of the batting order. It couldn’t have gone better. A couple of flyouts and a swinging K of Christian Yelich, and the Brewers were quickly retired. Three outs to go.

No runs for the Dodgers in the bottom of the eighth. Which means it’s Roki time! Roki Sasaki came into the game, looking for yet another postseason save. His spray pattern was a little on the shaky side (maybe in a nod to Bob Uecker, he threw one “jusssst a bit outside,” Ricky Vaughn style. However, he got some big time help from shortstop Mookie Betts, who made a dazzling play on an Andrew Vaughn grounder to the hole for the first out. Then, Sasaki got an infield popup from Sal Frelik, and ended the game with a strikeout of Caleb Durbin on a nasty splitter. No muss, no fuss. End of ballgame. Dodgers up 3-0.

It’s hard to see how Milwaukee bounces back from this to even take one game from the Dodgers, but they will try to extend the series on Friday evening. No official announcement, but one would think Shohei Ohtani would get the start in the closeout game. Game Four has a 6:08 first pitch on TBS.

Get those brooms out, Dodger fans. Next stop, the World Series!!

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