Brewers push Dodgers to brink, homer their way to 3-0 lead in NLCS

The defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of elimination, with plenty of blame to go around.The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Dodgers 6-2 in Game 3 of the NLCS behind homers from Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell on Wednesday. With that, the Brewers are one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1982. Only one team, the 2004 Boston Red Sox, has successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was famously part of that Red Sox team. Los Angeles can only hope that a similar miracle is in store.Game 4 is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT Thursday at Dodger Stadium, with Tyler Glasnow set to take the mound for the Dodgers against what will likely be either Dustin May or a bullpen game for Milwaukee.The Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS last year. The Brewers are one win away from returning the favor. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)AP Photo/Gregory BullBrewers got Blake Snell on the first pitch and the 11th pitchThis game ultimately came down to the beginning and ending of Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell's night. He allowed a home run on the very first pitch of the game, when Chourio ambushed a fastball in the middle of the zone for a solo homer.JACKSON CHOURIO GOES YARD ON THE FIRST PITCH OF GAME 3 🚀Brewers are looking to go up 3-0 in the series ‼️(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/EsTde12e9D— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 15, 2026 That homer loomed as the only run of the game for the first five innings, as Snell actually settled down and dominated. At one point, he retired 14 straight batters, and then the Dodgers' offense finally did something.L.A. didn't do it against Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser, who threw five scoreless innings and simply pounded the zone with sinkers against which the Dodgers couldn't do much. But with his pitch count at 72, Milwaukee pulled Gasser after five as he made his third trip through the Dodgers order.In came Brewers relief ace Abner Uribe, who hadn't allowed an earned run in his past 11 appearances between the regular season and postseason. It was the playbook the Brewers love, spamming their high-leverage arms to cover the back half of a game, but this time it worked out poorly.The Dodgers went walk, walk, strikeout, walk, double against Uribe, with Will Smith supplying that last hit after going 1-for-25 to begin the playoffs.Will Smith puts the Dodgers in front! pic.twitter.com/rrRQNDj3mL— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026 It was a huge momentum swing for the Dodgers, and it gave them their first lead of the game.It then swung right back on Snell's 99th pitch of the game — and his 101st.Similar to what he did against Dodgers Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bauers worked an 11-pitch at-bat against Snell that ended in a go-ahead, two-run homer following a leadoff walk from Andrew Vaughn.JAKE BAUERS AND GARRETT MITCHELL GO BACK-TO-BACK FOR MILWAUKEE 💪Brewers have a 4-2 lead in the seventh in Game 3 🔥(via @MLB) pic.twitter.com/7PGjzvcL30— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 15, 2026 The Dodgers kept Snell in to face Mitchell. Two pitches later, the Brewers had another homer and reason to start scouting the teams in the ALCS in earnest. It was the first time in Snell's career that a pair of left-handed batters posted back-to-back homers against him. Together, Bauers and Mitchell posted more homers against Snell in this game than he allowed to lefties in the entire 2026 regular season.A list of all the left-handed batters to ever go yard off Blake Snell.Bauers/Mitchell first ever to go back-to-back. Only the second time that Snell has allowed two LHP homers in the same game.Absolutely stunning. pic.twitter.com/8dtri1Trr5— Jake Mintz (@Jake_Mintz) October 15, 2026 Milwaukee added more runs in the eighth and ninth innings, building their biggest lead of the postseason at four runs.NLCS has gone completely upside down for the DodgersThe odd part of this game was that it hardly looked like how the Brewers racked up 103 wins in the regular season, then motored through the NLDS against the San Diego Padres.Milwaukee was tied for 28th in MLB in homers during the regular season but is out-homering Los Angeles 5-0 in this series. Gasser is a traditional groundball pitcher, but only two of his 15 outs in Game 3 came on the ground, compared to 10 through the air and three via strikeout. The bullpen had to pick up Uribe, its most dominant arm of the past two years.Meanwhile, the Dodgers once again watched a member of their super-rotation leave the game with little reason to celebrate. They once again watched a lineup of veteran hitters fail to string hits together. They once again went homerless after ranking in the top 10 in MLB in homers this season.one subplot to monitor (among many) as the Dodgers try to avoid getting swept...since it was lengthened to best-of-7 in 1985, just 3 teams have hit 0 HR in the LCS1990 A's (swept BOS)1995 Reds (swept by ATL)2002 Twins (lost in 5 to LAA)...2026 Dodgers?! we'll see!— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) October 15, 2026 Los Angeles is now 3-for-29 with runners in scoring position this postseason. That's a.103 batting average. Those hits have come from only last season's trainwreck, Andy Pages, and Smith, who was shaping up to be this season's trainwreck. The team’s best postseason hitter overall has arguably been Kyle Tucker, the butt of every joke during the regular season.It feels almost academic whether or not Shohei Ohtani should keep playing on that bad knee — though he came out relatively well Wednesday, going 1-for-2 with a walk and hit-by-pitch. It doesn't matter if Ohtani is at his MVP-level best or barely able to walk; there's no title on the table with how the Dodgers have performed this postseason. They needed a similar RISP meltdown from the Atlanta Braves to get past the NLDS, and Milwaukee could not be less interested in doing L.A. a similar favor. Through three games, the Brewers have shown themselves to be the clearly better team — or at least, the only team with a functioning offense.A win Thursday would mean avenging last year's sweep at the hands of the Dodgers with their own sweep. A win at any point in the next four games would mean a trip to the Fall Classic. If Wednesday is any indication, these Brewers are ready.Follow along with Yahoo Sports for updates, highlights and more as the Dodgers host the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS.