The Los Angeles Dodgers have their backs against the wall.
They've officially entered win-or-go-home territory.
On Thursday, the Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will face off in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. The reigning two-time World Series champions will look to avoid being swept out of the playoffs.
“The mentality has to change right now,” veteran infielder Miguel Rojas said after a brutal Game 3 loss. “We can’t do anything about what happened in the past. We’ve just got to move forward and look forward for the game tomorrow, and win every pitch because we don’t have any more chances.”
Just one team — the 2004 Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series — has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the MLB postseason. Of the 42 teams who have led 3-0 in a best-of-seven series, 41 of them have gone on to win the series.
"At the beginning of this year, we set out to do something historic," third baseman Max Muncy said after Game 3 in regards to winning a third straight World Series. "It looks like we're going to have to make a little more history along the way if we want to accomplish that. That's the task ahead of us. We still have the pitching staff to be able to do it."
Dodgers vs Brewers Pitching Matchup on Thursday
Right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow is taking the mound for the Dodgers looking to keep their season alive.
The right-hander wasn't so sharp in his first start of the postseason last week against the Atlanta Braves, allowing one run over 4.2 innings while walking five.
Glasnow made 13 starts this season, going 5-2 with a 3.53 ERA. After spending more than three months on the injured list with a back injury, he had a 4.46 ERA over six second-half starts.
The one-time All-Star knows what he's up against with this pesky Brewers lineup.
"I think they just have like a unique lineup in the fact there's so many guys that can do so many different things. They're fast, small ball, they put contact on the ball and have home run hitters. It's a big melting pot of hitters," Glasnow said. "I think they follow like a team game plan pretty well. They definitely don't seem like an all-or-nothing like home runs all the time type of team. They're trying to draw out at-bats and put contact on the ball."
Opposite Glasnow will be left-hander Shane Drohan, who's opening what's expected to be a bullpen game for Milwaukee.
Drohan is yet to pitch this postseason, and is coming off a regular season in which he made 33 appearances (19 starts) and had a 4.19 ERA over 124.2 innings.
He faced the Dodgers three times this season — twice as a reliever and once as a starter — allowing five earned runs (six runs total) over 9.2 innings with 12 strikeouts.
Dodgers Starting Lineup for NLCS Game 4
- Shohei Ohtani, DH
- Mookie Betts, SS
- Freddie Freeman, 1B
- Will Smith, C
- Kyle Tucker, RF
- Teoscar Hernandez, LF
- Miguel Rojas, 2B
- Andy Pages, CF
- Enrique Hernandez, 3B
Ohtani has been moved back to the leadoff spot in a surprising turn of events after hitting sixth on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Rojas is playing second base instead of Tommy Edman, while Hernandez is playing third base instead of Max Muncy.
How to Watch Dodgers vs Brewers NLCS Game 4 on Thursday
First pitch for Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers NLCS Game 4 on Thursday, Oct. 15 is 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.
The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1.
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