The Los Angeles Dodgers are down 0-2 in the National League Championship Series, and winning Game 3 is extremely important.
If the Dodgers lose Game 3, they will have to do something only one team has ever done: come back from a 0-3 deficit. It's a much different story than last year, and the Milwaukee Brewers are a much better team. They know it, the Dodgers know it and manager Pat Murphy and his Brewers have been noticeably more confident in themselves when speaking to the media.
It's not like the Brewers are trashing the Dodgers in the media. In fact, nearly every player has said how much they respect the Dodgers' talent and that the series is far from over. However, at the same time, they have noted how much they believe in their style of baseball and how they feel that they can beat anyone.
“I noticed how they talk, a lot of one-on-one competition is a key for them. The way Pat Murphy talks to the team is way different than last year,” Game 3 starter Blake Snell said to reporters on Tuesday, per the New York Post's Thomas L. Murray. “So I understand that.”
“How do you counter that? How do you get them into a different place? I think They’re in a good spot now, especially being up 2-0 but adversity hits and that’s when thoughts start racing,” Snell added.
Snell is seemingly not too fond of the Brewers' newfound swagger and belief. He thinks they need to be hit with some adversity, and he's the one in line to deliver the blow.
Before Game 1, Murphy said he wanted to "step on (Tarik Skubal's) throat." He noted that he meant that with much respect, but that's the kind of thing that is seemingly rubbing Snell the wrong way. The Brewers thrive on making pitchers grind, and that really does come down to a one-on-one battle between the pitcher and the guy at the plate.
So far, the Brewers are winning their one-on-ones, and it has them feeling good. In Game 1 of the NLCS last year, Snell threw eight innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit in a 2-1 win. He dominated them last year and will look to do the same on Wednesday night on his home mound.
The Brewers have already found a way to win games started by Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, chasing Yamamoto in the third inning in Game 2. They are not going to be scared of Snell, but Snell sounds determined to remind the Brewers that they are still playing the reigning back-to-back champions.
If the Brewers get dominated in a loss, some thoughts of self-doubt and memories of last season may start to creep in. That's a dark place to be in during a three-game stretch on the road, and it may be the opening the Dodgers need to ensure this series goes to a Game 6 at the very least.
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