The Los Angeles Dodgers are down 0-2 and have their backs against the wall in the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, but hope remains.
The Dodgers’ offense has been mediocre, and their starting pitching hasn’t been good enough to mask their scoring problems.
Now, LA faces the tall task of going at least 2-for-3, if not all three, at home against a team with plenty of confidence and belief.
With all of the odds stacked against them, here are three reasons to keep the faith in this current Dodgers team:
No. 1: Starting rotation advantage
The Dodgers have a clear starting-pitcher advantage over the next two games. Blake Snell faces Robert Gasser, a solid lefty who isn’t on Snell’s level if the two-time Cy Young Award winner is firing.
Then, Game 4 will see Tyler Glasnow, another high-level pitcher, face off against Milwaukee’s long-relief bullpen arms, which may include Dustin May among others.
Glasnow and Snell will need to outpitch their counterparts, but they’ll likely do so.
Ideally, they’ll not only pitch well, but also efficiently enough to keep the Dodgers from relying on higher-leverage relievers and exposing lower-leverage arms, as happened in Game 2.
No. 2: The slugging has to come
The Dodgers are known for hitting the ball hard and creating slug, either in the form of home runs, doubles, or triples.
So far, the Dodgers have manufactured only a double, with the rest of their offense coming from walks and singles.
LA is due for a home run, and on their return home, against weaker pitching than they faced in the first two games, it would be unreasonable to count out a veteran, seasoned team like the Dodgers from doing what they do best—mashing balls in October.
Two of their best sluggers, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, have been quiet in the first two games of this series, while Will Smith continues to struggle.
Odds are, one of them will deliver some power hitting and possibly open the floodgates.
No. 3: The Dodgers thrive when counted out
The Dodgers cruised through the first two rounds in 2025, but the World Series was a war: the Blue Jays failed to put the team away, and LA’s resilience and veteran experience shone through.
Now, against a youthful Brewers team, where the Dodgers still hold the experience edge, LA will know what it takes to come back from this deficit.
The downsides of an older team have shown up over the last two games, but going forward, so many experienced players could help swing the series.
